This Panera Bread Thai style chicken soup has tender white meat chicken soaked in a spicy-sweet coconut broth. It's the perfect soup if you're craving something that is both flavorful and comforting, as it's full of nourishing veggies and deliciously creamy coconut milk. This recipe takes only 30 minutes to prep and cook, easily providing a rich, warm cup of soup on even the busiest days.
If you can't get enough of our Panera Thai chicken soup, some other cozy, craveable meals you may enjoy are my chicken florentine soup, coconut canned pumpkin soup, and Southwest chicken soup! For more Thai-inspired goodness, this spicy chicken pad thai is always a hit!
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👩🏽🍳Why This Recipe Works
Great Taste: Thai style flavors such as red curry, lemongrass, coconut, lime, and soy sauce make this Thai-style soup taste as authentic as it gets!
Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: Easily make this recipe vegetarian or vegan by swapping the chicken for tofu and using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
A homemade version of a store-bought classic: The Panera version of this soup is an easy heat-and-eat recipe that is packed with flavor - this homemade version is the way to go if you have a few extra minutes on hand - it makes all the difference!
🥘Ingredients
- Carrots: You can use pre-shredded or matchstick carrots for this recipe. I recommend using a box grater if using a whole carrot, so it will meld into the soup as it cooks.
- Shiitake mushrooms: Shiitake mushrooms have an earthy flavor with a springy, meaty texture. They hold their texture in soups and do not get extraordinarily slimy or rubbery.
- Chicken breasts: I like to use shredded chicken breasts for this soup, as it adds a good amount of substance and meatiness to the recipe. Because the chicken only gets warmed through the broth, it will stay moist. Pre-cooked rotisserie chicken is a fantastic shortcut that also cuts the soup cook time in half!
- Red curry paste: Red curry paste is a good balance of heat and flavor. It tends to be between yellow and green curry paste, which is perfectly balanced. Panera's Thai soup is made with yellow curry paste, but I like to add more spice to my version.
- Lemongrass paste: You can find ground lemongrass paste in a tube in the grocery store's produce section. It keeps well in the fridge for multiple uses instead of buying whole stalks of lemongrass.
- Coconut milk: I recommend using full-fat coconut milk for this recipe to add a silky, rich finish to the soup. Do not substitute with coconut-based beverages, as they do not have the same fat content or texture. Remember to use unsweetened coconut milk!
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖Substitutions
- Shiitake mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms or portobello mushrooms will work in place of shiitakes.
- Red curry paste: You can opt for yellow curry paste for a mild version of this soup.
- Brown sugar: Honey, maple syrup, or agave will work in place of brown sugar.
- Chicken breast: If you prefer thigh meat, you can absolutely use it in this soup. You can also make freshly shredded chicken instead of rotisserie chicken. Of course, any leftover chicken will work, too!
- Chicken broth: You can use vegetable broth if that is what you have on hand, or you can use bouillon concentrate with water in a pinch!
🔪Variations
- Add Fresh Herbs: Top your Thai chicken soup with cilantro or fresh thai basil to create an even more aromatic flavor profile!
- Add Sides: Accompany your soup with your favorite crusty bread, a serving of rice, or a salad to make it a more substantial meal, if you don't want to add noodles.
- Green Curry: Swap out the red curry for green curry to up the heat intensity and achieve a spicier, punchy soup.
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all your ingredients: This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Prep the vegetables: Clean and slice the shiitake mushrooms, thinly slice the red peppers, and shred the carrots on a box grater or using a mandoline.
Shred the chicken: If using a rotisserie chicken, remove the chicken from the bones and take the skin off. Using your hands or two forks, shred the chicken into long strips.
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shiitake mushrooms to the pot, and saute for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened and wilted. Add the sliced bell pepper and carrots to the mushrooms, and saute until the peppers are slightly soft. [photo 1]
Push the vegetables to the sides of the pot to form a well in the centre of the pot. Add the curry and lemongrass paste to the centre, and let it cook until it starts releasing some of its oils - this should take about 2-3 minutes. [photo 2]
Top the pot off with chicken broth, and add the shredded chicken to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the soup simmer for 7-10 minutes. While the soup is simmering, mix together the cornstarch slurry and set aside. [photo 3]
Once the soup has simmered, add the coconut milk to the pot. Season with brown sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice and stir. Stir in the cornstarch slurry, and let the soup thicken and simmer for 3-5 minutes. [photo 4]
If you serve this soup with rice noodle sticks, cook according to package directions while the soup is simmering, and portion into bowls before pouring soup over the noodles. Enjoy your Panera Thai style chicken soup!
💭 Expert TipS
Be sure to give your coconut milk a good shake: Coconut milk will often separate in the can - shake it up nicely to get make sure everything is nice and homogenous and blended.
Do not be afraid to season liberally with salt: Salt will tie the soup's flavors together, especially since coconut milk can be on the blander side without the proper addition of salt.
Give the curry paste time to release its oils: This is a crucial part of building the soup's flavor, especially in a short period of time.
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
Chili and curry soups are great for making ahead because they actually get richer and more flavorful as time goes on!
Make Ahead Instructions
- You can cook your soup a day ahead and reheat it when needed. Or, cook the day of and transfer to a slow cooker on the 'warm' setting.
- If cooking in the slow cooker, be sure that the soup is very hot before slowly pouring it into the slow cooker. This will stop any bacteria from forming.
Storing Leftovers
- Allow your soup to cool before storing it in the fridge for up to four days.
- You can freeze your Thai chicken soup, but it'll freeze better without the coconut milk added.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
Yes! Thai soup has many incredible health benefits. It is loaded with healthy veggies and contains ingredients such as lemongrass and fresh chiles, which are excellent for boosting immunity and fighting disease.
The unique Panera twist on Thai chicken soup consists of a Thai yellow broth that has coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, and lime peel. It also is filled with shredded chicken, shiitake mushrooms, red bell peppers, carrots, and edamame.
Authentic Thai broth commonly uses ingredients such as lemongrass, galangal, shallots, garlic, ginger, Chinese celery, cilantro, and various other familiar flavors used in Thailand.
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Homemade Panera Thai Chicken Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Red bell pepper - thinly sliced
- ½ Carrot - shredded
- 1 cup Shiitake mushrooms - thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon Red curry paste
- ½ tablespoon Lemongrass paste
- 2 cups Chicken broth
- 2 Chicken breasts, - cooked, shredded
- 1 13.5 oz can Coconut milk - unsweetened, full fat
- 2 teaspoon Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Brown sugar
- 1 Lime - juiced
- 2 tablespoon Corn starch
- 2 tablespoon Cold water
- Rice noodle sticks - to serve, optional
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shiitake mushrooms to the pot, and saute for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened and wilted.1 cup Shiitake mushrooms
- Add the sliced bell pepper and carrots to the mushrooms, and saute until the peppers are slightly soft.1 Red bell pepper, ½ Carrot
- Push the vegetables to the sides of the pot to form a well in the centre of the pot. Add the curry and lemongrass paste to the centre, and let it cook through until it starts to release some of its oils - this should take about 2-3 minutes.3 tablespoon Red curry paste, ½ tablespoon Lemongrass paste
- Top the pot off with chicken broth, and add the shredded chicken to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the soup simmer for 7-10 minutes.2 cups Chicken broth, 2 Chicken breasts,
- While the soup is simmering, mix together the corn starch slurry and set aside.2 tablespoon Corn starch, 2 tablespoon Cold water
- Once the soup has simmered, add the coconut milk to the pot. Season with brown sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice and stir. Stir in the corn starch slurry, and let the soup thicken and simmer for 3-5 minutes.1 13.5 oz can Coconut milk, 2 teaspoon Soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Brown sugar, 1 Lime
- If you are going to serve this soup with rice noodle sticks, cook according to package directions while the soup is simmering, and portion into bowls before pouring soup over the noodles.Rice noodle sticks
✱Recipe Notes
- Be sure to give your coconut milk a good shake: Coconut milk will often separate in the can - shake it up nicely to get make sure everything is nice and homogenous and blended.
- Do not be afraid to season liberally with salt: Salt will tie the soup's flavors together, especially since coconut milk can be on the blander side without the proper addition of salt.
- Give the curry paste time to release its oils: This is a crucial part of building the soup's flavor, especially in a short period of time.
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