Description
A cozy and delicious Thai Inspired Chicken Meatball Soup featuring flavorful coconut curry broth with tender chicken meatballs, fresh herbs, and vibrant spices. This nourishing soup blends rich coconut milk, red curry paste, and aromatic ingredients like lemongrass and ginger to create a comforting meal perfect for any occasion. Adaptable for various dietary needs including Whole30, paleo, nut-free, vegetarian, and vegan options.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- ¼ cup grated onion (from about ½ medium yellow onion)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp almond flour (or oat flour for nut free)
- 2 tsp red curry paste (such as Thai Kitchen)
- 1 lb 93% lean ground dark meat chicken
Soup Base
- 1 quart chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (from 1 (15-oz) can), divided
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup coconut aminos (or tamari)
- 2 inch piece of peeled ginger
- 3 whole peeled garlic cloves
- 1 stalk lemongrass, peeled and cut in half (optional but recommended)
- 2 tbsp red curry paste, divided
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (use vegan fish sauce for vegan or vegetarian)
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Add-Ins and Garnishes
- 2 cups packed baby spinach
- 1 box thin rice noodles (omit for paleo or Whole30)
- Sliced red Thai chilis or jalapeno
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Fresh mint leaves
- Sweet chili sauce
- Spicy chili paste
Instructions
- Prepare the Meatball Mixture: In a bowl, combine grated onion, kosher salt, almond flour, 2 tsp of red curry paste, and ground chicken. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated to form the meatball mixture.
- Form Meatballs: Shape the chicken mixture into meatballs of your desired size, typically about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter, and set aside.
- Prepare the Broth: In a large pot or slow cooker, add chicken stock (or vegetable stock), 1 cup coconut milk, water, coconut aminos, peeled ginger, garlic cloves, lemongrass stalk, remaining red curry paste, and fish sauce. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Cook the Meatballs in Broth: Bring the broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat if using stovetop, or set slow cooker to low. Carefully add the meatballs to the simmering broth. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes on stovetop or 6-8 hours on low in slow cooker, until meatballs are fully cooked and tender.
- Add Remaining Coconut Milk and Vegetables: Stir in the remaining 1 cup of coconut milk and baby spinach into the soup. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until spinach is wilted and soup is heated through.
- Prepare Noodles: Cook thin rice noodles according to package instructions separately. Drain and set aside. (Omit if following paleo or Whole30 diet.)
- Finish the Soup: Remove ginger, garlic, and lemongrass from broth. Stir in fresh lime juice to brighten the flavors. Adjust seasoning to taste with additional fish sauce or coconut aminos if desired.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle soup into bowls over cooked rice noodles if using. Garnish with sliced red Thai chilis or jalapeno, fresh cilantro leaves, fresh mint leaves, sweet chili sauce, and spicy chili paste as preferred for added heat and flavor.
Notes
- Cozy and delicious Thai Inspired Chicken Meatball Soup can be made on the stovetop or slow cooker resulting in a super flavorful coconut curry broth.
- Includes easy swaps to make this whole30, paleo, nut-free, vegetarian and vegan friendly.
- Use vegan fish sauce and substitute ground plant-based protein to make the dish vegetarian or vegan.
- Omit noodles for paleo or Whole30 compliant version.
- Lemongrass adds authentic flavor but is optional.
- Adjust spice level by controlling the amount of red curry paste and fresh chilis used.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 531
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 1020 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
