Turn leftover roast chicken into an entirely new meal. This Thai-inspired chicken curry with rice soup is savory, creamy, salty, and a little bit sweet and spicy.
This post contains affiliate links. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
We have the habit of picking up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store at least a few times a month. It’s one of Renato’s favorite things to do when we need a quick dinner and don’t have the time or conviction to cook from scratch. Whatever we don’t finish at the first sitting will usually become something else like chicken salad, or something like this Thai chicken curry and rice soup.
I like leftovers, but I also don’t like to eat the same thing multiple days in a row. I think that’s why big batch meal planning isn’t my jam. Leftover chicken is such a blank canvas. It’s always fun to see what I can turn it into next with whatever I have in the fridge and pantry. This recipe is such a great way to turn leftover roast chicken into an entirely new meal.
This curry is savory, creamy, salty, and a little bit sweet and spicy. There’s a natural sweetness from the yellow onions, carrots, and bell peppers. The coconut milk gives creaminess as well as a little sweetness. There’s gentle heat from the Thai red curry paste, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end gives an acidic balance that brightens up all the flavors.
I’ve been looking into buying a rice cooker, but in the meantime, I made the brown rice for this recipe the old-fashioned way on the stove. Obviously, if you have a rice cooker you’ll need to adjust that part of the recipe. And, of course, you can completely omit the brown rice, or replace it with cauliflower rice and then this recipe is Whole30 and Paleo compliant.
Thai Chicken Curry and Rice Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 pound shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup brown basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 3/4 cup water
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Lime wedges
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro optional
Instructions
- Make rice. In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, combine rice, water, and butter. Bring to a boil. Stir once, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 40 minutes.
- While the rice cooks, in a large Dutch oven heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and garlic. Sautee until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the grated ginger, diced carrots, and diced peppers. Saute for 3-5 minutes.
- Mix in the curry paste, chicken broth, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in the cooked chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes.
- When ready to serve, place a scoop of rice into each bowl. Then, top rice with a ladle or two of the chicken curry. Sprinkle on cilantro (if desired) and serve with lime wedges.
Nutrition
Photos by Renato Ghio