Coconut Curry Soup with Potstickers
This easy Thai coconut curry soup is your weeknight dinner hero. It’s ready in just 30 minutes and comes together with pantry and freezer staples. The rich, creamy coconut broth is swirled with bold red curry flavor, while tender frozen potstickers, colorful veggies, and just the right kick of heat turn it into a full, satisfying meal. It tastes like your favorite Thai takeout, but it’s faster, healthier, and way more affordable.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
- A pantry-powered lifesaver. Frozen dumplings + a can of coconut milk = instant magic.
- Fast, one-pot cooking. Done in 30 minutes, no fuss, only one pot to wash.
- Unexpectedly beautiful. It looks like something you’d pay $16 for — and tastes like it, too.
Coconut Curry Soup Just Got a Dumpling Glow-Up
There’s something about swirling creamy coconut milk into a bubbling pot of spicy red curry broth that feels like a small, indulgent luxury. It’s rich, aromatic and deeply comforting. The kind of dinner that makes you feel like a genius, even if all you did was raid your freezer.
This Spicy Coconut Curry Soup with Potstickers is cozy and craveable but best of all, it eats like a full meal, thanks to one very underrated secret weapon: frozen dumplings.
Think of dumplings like wontons, but easier to find, more filling, and infinitely more fun to eat. They bring heartiness and texture to the soup without any extra prep work. Just toss them in straight from the bag. No stuffing, no folding, no stress. Plus they come in so many flavors! Indulge with a pork and ginger potsticker, try one with chicken, or keep things plant-based with a vegetarian option. There are so many choices and they’re all delicious.
Welcome back to Soups That Eat Like a Meal, my ongoing ode to flavorful, satisfying soups that won’t leave you hungry.
This Thai-inspired coconut curry soup is all about bold flavor with minimal effort. It’s the ultimate weeknight solution: hearty enough to count as dinner, vibrant enough to break the “beige broth” curse, and fast enough to pull off between Zoom calls.
It was born out of a weeknight dinner pinch that involved a craving for Thai flavor, a surplus of random fridge vegetables that needed to get used, and bag of potstickers that had been forgotten in the back of the freezer.
The result? A silky, spicy, veggie-packed soup with dumplings that feel like a stroke of brilliance.
It’s since earned a permanent place in my dinner rotation, and I have a feeling it’s about to land in yours too.
coconut curry soup Ingredients
This recipe leans hard into my “shortcut-but-still-fabulous” philosophy:
Carrot, onion, garlic, and ginger to create a flavorful base for your recipe.
Red curry paste brings the heat and depth. Thai Kitchen brand can be found at almost any grocery store, I always have a jar or two in my cabinet!
Canned coconut milk makes the broth so rich and creamy and balanced out the heat of the curry paste.
Soy sauce + lime juice = the salt and acid duo that brightens everything.
Frozen potstickers in whatever variety you feel like. I love pork and scallion, but there are so many options (especially if you have an Asian market near you!)
Red bell pepper for a little extra sweetness. You could swap in a yellow or orange pepper instead, but green doesn’t have the same sweet flavor.
Bok choy or Napa cabbage for a nice helping of greens.
Frozen edamame for added texture, color, and nutrition.
Cilantro + chili crisp for a fun and fancy finish.
How To Make Thai coconut curry soup
Start by softening carrot and onion in a little olive oil. Stir in garlic, ginger, and red curry paste and cook for a minute or two to let the spiced bloom.
Stir in the vegetable broth, coconut milk, and lime juice. Bring to a boil.
Add the red peppers, white portions of the bok choy, edamame, and dumplings. Cook until the dumplings begin to float.
Stir in the green, leafy portions of the bok choy until wilted.
Customize your bowl by topping it with fresh cilantro and/or chili crisp, as desired.
Frequently asked questions
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave. The potstickers can get a little soft, and might even fall apart entirely, but it’s still delicious.
I do not recommend freezing this soup.
Not aggressively, it’s similar to a medium spiced Tom Ka soup from a restaurant. You can always taste it and add more curry powder or top your bowl with chili crisp if you want an extra kick. For less spice, stir in a tablespoon of sugar; it helps mellow the heat.
No problem. Swap in basil or just skip it. The soup has plenty of flavor on its own.
Other soup recipes you might like:
- Smoky Lentil Soup with Harissa and Yogurt
- Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
- 30-Minute Tortellini Vegetable Soup
- Spicy Broccoli and 3 Cheese Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Miso Potato Soup with Crispy Chickpeas
Want a collection of pantry-inspired soup recipes at your fingertips? Check out The Dinner Deck: Soup Edition for a beautifully designed recipe card collection that makes deciding what’s for dinner as easy as pulling a card.
Coconut Curry Soup with Potstickers
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 carrots thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 2 Tablespoons red curry paste
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1½ cups frozen shelled edamame
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 2 cups bok choy separated into stems and leaves (slice stems, roughly chop leaves)
- 1 16–20 oz bag frozen potstickers (any variety; no need to thaw)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro plus more for serving
- Chili crisp or sliced scallions for serving
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 yellow onion and 2 carrots. Cook 4–5 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Stir in 2 cloves garlic, 1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger and 2 Tablespoons red curry paste; cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Add 4 cups vegetable broth, 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle boil.
- Add 1 red bell pepper, 1½ cups frozen shelled edamame, 2 cups bok choy (white parts only) and 1 16–20 oz bag frozen potstickers directly into the simmering broth. Cook uncovered for 6–8 minutes, until tender and heated through.
- Stir in the bok choy greens and chopped cilantro. Cook 1 minute, just until wilted. Taste and adjust with more lime juice or soy sauce as needed.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with chili crisp, scallions, and extra cilantro.
