Thai coconut potsticker soup is deliciously flavorful and easy to make in just 29 minutes! In this recipe, I added chicken potstickers for a fun twist on traditional, creamy Tom Kha soup.

Thai coconut soup with potstickers in bowl, garnished with fresh lime wedge, green onions and cilantro, with copper spoon in bowl and fresh cilantro behind bowl

Whenever we go out for dinner, there’s an 8 out of 10 chance I’m going to try to convince my husband to go to Koon Thai. It’s my favorite Thai restaurant and one of my overall favorite restaurants in San Diego!

They make the most delicious pan fried roti bread, curries and noodle dishes. They also make the best Tom Kha soup I’ve ever had! After our last visit, I decided it was time to try making my own Tom Kha soup at home.

So what is Tom Kha soup? Tom Kha soup is a Thai coconut soup. It’s made with coconut milk, lemongrass, Thai chili peppers, cilantro, mushrooms, fish sauce and lime juice. While it’s typically made with chicken, you can also find versions with shrimp, pork or tofu.

What is the difference between Tom Kha and Tom Yum Soup? Tom Yum Soup is made with a base of boiled meat, such as shrimp or pork, water and herbs. It is sour and spicy in flavor. Tom Kha Soup is made with a coconut milk base and is more sweet and spicy in flavor, than sour.

In this version of Tom Kha soup, I added potstickers, instead of chicken or another protein. It’s an easy way to make a filling soup for a weeknight meal in under 30 minutes!

We loved this soup!!! So fast and easy to make. I added chili paste to mine for a little kick! Much enjoyed! Thank you!

CHRISTINA
ingredients for Thai coconut potsticker soup on white wood board

Ingredients

Here I explain the best ingredients for this potsticker soup recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  • Garlic – you’ll want fresh whole cloves for this recipe, as you’ll simmer them in chicken broth to release the flavor, before using a slotted spoon to remove them from the soup.
  • Ginger – you’ll also want a fresh (or frozen) knob of ginger for this recipe. I love to freeze ginger, because it stays fresh in the freezer for months and it’s easy to grate into recipes. If you have frozen ginger in your freezer, simply peel it and add a 1 inch piece to this soup straight from the freezer. Just like the garlic, the ginger will simmer in chicken broth to release the flavor, then we’ll remove it before serving the soup.
  • Lemongrass – sometimes this ingredient can be hard to find at traditional grocery stores. If you can’t find it, you can replace the lemon grass with an additional teaspoon of lime zest. You can also find lemongrass paste in the produce section of a lot of major grocery stores. If using this instead of fresh lemongrass, you’ll simply stir in one teaspoon with the fish sauce and coconut milk. I’ve made this recipe with fresh lemongrass, lemongrass paste and extra lime zest, so I can attest that each one is delicious and will work just fine in this recipe.
  • Fresh limes – we’ll use both the zest and the juice. You’ll want two small limes, or one large lime, to create enough juice and zest for the recipe.
  • Thai red curry paste – when added to the soup, the curry paste adds spice that balances nicely with the sweetness of the coconut milk, the acidity of the lime juice, and the salt from the fish sauce. This ingredient should be found in the Asian section of most major grocery stores. You can also purchase the Mae Ploy brand that I use at home on Amazon. Just to verify, this soup is not spicy. If you want to add some spice, I recommend topping the soup with a drizzle of sriracha or chili crisp.
  • Chicken broth – since this is one of the two main ingredients in the base of the soup, I recommend purchasing, or making, a high-quality chicken broth or stock. I found this Custom Culinary Chicken Base at a restaurant supply store in San Diego and am absolutely obsessed with it. You can order it online. It’s a little expensive for chicken bouillon, but oh my gosh the flavor is so good.
  • Fish sauce –  you can find this sauce in the Asian section of most grocery stores. It adds an element of umami to the dish and a wonderful salty, savory flavor.
  • Coconut milk – you can use canned coconut milk or coconut cream in this recipe, depending on how creamy you want the soup to be. Coconut milk is made from simmering one part shredded coconut in one part water. Coconut cream is made from simmering four parts shredded coconut cream in one part water, thus making it thicker, richer and creamier.
  • Onion – I like to use a yellow onion in this recipe for it’s nice, neutral flavor.
  • Shiitake mushrooms – I’ve purchased fresh shiitake mushrooms at Costco, Sprouts, Asian markets and traditional grocery stores in San Diego. They’re usually easy to find in the produce section of most major grocery stores, but if you can’t find shiitake mushrooms, I recommend using sliced baby bella mushrooms instead.
  • Frozen chicken potstickers – or if you want to make this recipe vegetarian, use vegetable potstickers, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth, and replace the fish sauce with soy sauce.
  • Cilantro – a little bit stirred in at the end adds a nice, fresh flavor to finish off the soup. If you have an aversion to the taste of cilantro, simply leave it out.

Instructions

I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

simmering broth in a large pot with lime zest, garlic and ginger
garlic cloves and ginger in a slotted spoon held above a pot of broth
  1. Simmer the garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Add whole cloves of garlic, a one-inch square of ginger and three-inch pieces of lemongrass to a large pot, or wok, on the stove over high heat. Add chicken broth, red curry paste, and lime zest, and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat on the stove down to medium and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
  2. Remove the garlic, ginger and lemongrass from the broth using a slotted spoon. Discard these ingredients.
coconut milk and broth in a large pot
cilantro, mushrooms and potstickers in a pot of creamy coconut broth
  1. Pour coconut milk and fish sauce into the pot. Add onions, shittake mushrooms and frozen potstickers. Simmer for 8-10 minutes on the stove over medium heat.
  2. Finish the soup with fresh lime juice and cilantro before serving.
Thai coconut soup with potstickers in large red cast iron pot, garnished with cilantro and scallions, with wooden spoon handle in pot

How to reheat the soup

The soup is easy to reheat. Unfortunately the potstickers will not have the best texture after being refrigerated in the soup and reheated the next day.

If you plan to eat half of the soup one day and reheat the other half of the soup, only add half of the potstickers to the soup when you first make it. Eat the soup with the potstickers added, then place the remainder of the soup in the refrigerator.

To reheat the soup, place it in a pot on the stove over medium high heat. Once the soup begins to simmer, add the remainder of the frozen potstickers and cook for 8-10 minutes.

To reheat in a microwave, cook the potstickers in the microwave first. Add the frozen potstickers, 6-8 at a time with 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Remove the potstickers from the microwave. Place the soup in the microwave for 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and add the cooked potstickers.

Easy as that, you can have two delicious meals with no mushy potstickers!

Thai coconut soup with potstickers in bowl, with red pot in background and fresh cilantro

Gluten free option

Without the added potstickers, Thai coconut soup is gluten free. Always be sure to check the labels to make sure the fish sauce and red curry paste are gluten free.

All coconut milk is naturally gluten free and dairy free. No matter the brand of canned coconut milk you purchase, you won’t need to worry if it’s gluten free.

If you’re making this soup gluten-free, you can add sliced chicken breast or rice noodles instead of potstickers. Add chicken at the same time you would add the potstickers. The boiling soup will cook the chicken.

If adding rice noodles, wait 4 minutes after adding the shiitake mushrooms to the soup. Add the rice noodles and allow them to cook in the soup for 4-6 minutes.

Thai coconut soup with potstickers in large red cast iron pot with spoon coming out of soup holding a potsticker

More Thai recipes

Looking for more Thai restaurant favorites to try at home? Check out these popular recipes!

Thai Basil Chicken

Thai Peanut Chicken Noodles

Thai Beef Noodle Bowl

Thai Yellow Curry

Drunken Noodles

Spicy Vegetable Pad Thai

And if you love this potsticker soup, you’ll also love this Gyoza Soup recipe!

Don’t forget to pin this Thai Coconut Soup for later! When you make it, be sure to share a pic on Instagram and tag me @WhitneyBond or use the hashtag #WBRecipes!

Made it and loved it? Rate the recipe 5 stars below! ↓

Thai coconut soup in bowl with potstickers, lime wedge and fresh cilantro
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Thai Coconut Potsticker Soup

Thai coconut soup is deliciously flavorful and easy to make in just 29 minutes! In this recipe, I added chicken potstickers for a fun twist on classic Tom Kha soup!
Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 9 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 29 minutes
Author: Whitney Bond
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Thai

Video

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 3 inch sections
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • 2 tablespoons red curry paste
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 13.5 ounce cans coconut milk
  • 1 cup onion, medium dice
  • ½ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 pound frozen chicken potstickers
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro

Optional Garnishes

Instructions

  • Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime zest, red curry paste and chicken broth to a large pot on the stove over high heat, bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat on the stove to medium and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove the ginger, garlic cloves and lemongrass from the soup. Discard these ingredients.
  • Add the fish sauce, coconut milk, onions, shittake mushrooms and frozen potstickers. Cook for 8-10 minutes.
  • Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • To make this recipe gluten free, omit the potstickers. Sliced chicken breast or rice noodles can be added instead. If adding chicken, add it at the same time you would the potstickers. If adding rice noodles, add them 4 minutes after adding the shiitake mushrooms. Allow them to cook in the soup for 4-6 minutes.
  • To make this recipe vegetarian, replace the chicken potstickers with vegetarian potstickers and omit the fish sauce. Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. Make sure the red curry paste used is vegetarian.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 605kcal (30%)Carbohydrates 44g (15%)Protein 11g (22%)Fat 47g (72%)Saturated Fat 37g (185%)Polyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 7mg (2%)Sodium 1669mg (70%)Potassium 678mg (19%)Fiber 4g (16%)Sugar 7g (8%)Vitamin A 840mg (17%)Vitamin C 15mg (18%)Calcium 92mg (9%)Iron 8mg (44%)
Did you make this recipe?Tag @WhitneyBond on Instagram and hashtag it #WBRecipes!

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