Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup with Thai Chicken Meatballs

A rich and flavorful coconut curry soup with roasted butternut squash and homemade Thai chicken meatballs. Hearty, heartwarming, and delicious!

This healthy Coconut Curry Soup with Thai Chicken Meatballs recipe is rich and packed with flavor. I love how filling it is (most soups leave you hungry shortly after) and I like that it is packed with vegetables, lots of spice from the red curry, and is naturally dairy free and gluten-free too.

While this soup can easily be enjoyed all on its own without the addition of Thai chicken meatballs, I find that the meatballs really add some substance and protein to the soup. It really rounds out this dish to be a great meal that doesn’t leave you hungry after.

Below you can find more information on the best ways to make this recipe, ingredient substitutions, and more. Let’s dive in!

“School” Supplies:

• Baking Sheet
• Aluminum Foil
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Knife & Cutting Board
• Soup Pot/ Stock Pot
• Spatula 
• Blender/ Immersion Blender 

“Class” Notes:

Welcome to my virtual classroom! Use the guided notes below where I often answer commonly asked questions I get from readers and cooks just like you.

This information is meant to help you have a stronger understanding of this recipe and the process so you can find success all on your own.

Ready to begin cooking? Simply jump to the recipe card below and begin.

Ingredients:

For the Thai Meatballs:

• Ground Chicken– You can use ground chicken or ground turkey if you prefer!
• Red Curry Paste– Red curry paste is primarily made of chilis, so it is pretty spicy. If you are sensitive to spice add a little bit less.
• Jalapeño– Dice and seed the jalapeño.
• Red Bell Pepper– Red pepper adds a fresh and healthy bite.
• Fresh Ginger– Grate the fresh ginger into the meatball mixture.
• Garlic– Freshly minced garlic would work best for this recipe.
• Cilantro– Finely chop your cilantro before putting it into the mixture.
• Salt & Pepper– Add to taste.

For the Butternut Squash Curry Soup:

• Olive Oil– Use olive oil to sauté your onion, ginger, and garlic.
• Butternut Squash- You will dice and roast the butternut squash before adding it to your soup.
• Onion- Added for flavor. You can roughly dice your onion since later on, you will be blending the soup.
• Fresh Ginger– Fresh ginger is essential for anything Thai curry!
• Garlic– Freshly minced garlic will add a nice flavor to the soup.
• Red Curry Paste– Keep in mind that red curry paste is made of spicy Thai chilis, so add to taste.
• Coconut Milk– Full fat coconut milk offers the best flavor. You can find it in cans at your local grocery store.
• Chicken Stock– To make this a soup-like texture, add chicken stock.

How to Make Coconut Curry Soup with Thai Chicken Meatballs:

I wanted a rich and flavorful chicken curry soup. Most coconut curries are not very thick but I liked the texture to be smooth and velvety. That is why I decided to thicken it with butternut squash. The heartiness in the squash pairs well with the warm, spicy flavors of curry.

Mini Thai Chicken Meatballs:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. In a bowl, combine ground chicken, red curry paste, jalapeño, red bell pepper, fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro, and salt & pepper.
3. Mix well by hand until everything is fully combined. Use a small spoon to scoop out small amounts of meat and make them round using your hands. The meatballs should be about 1 inch in diameter, and you should be able to make about 30 meatballs.
4. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. The meatballs should take up half of the baking sheet and on the other half place your diced butternut squash. It is helpful to bake these together.
5. Bake for 25 minutes and broil on high for the last 5 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 F.

Butternut Squash Curry Soup:

1. Begin by heating the olive oil and sautéing the onion for 3-4 minutes. Then add the fresh garlic, ginger, and curry paste and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the coconut milk and chicken stock. Simmer and stir to mix in the curry paste. Finally, add the diced butternut squash once it has been roasted.
3. Remove the pot temporarily from the heat and use an immersion blender to break up the squash and blend everything together until smooth. You could also use a blender for this but you may need to wait for the mixture to cool a bit more prior to blending.
4. Finally, add in the cooked meatballs. Top with garnish like shredded carrots, green onion, and diced red pepper, along with cilantro. Get cozy with this big bowl of comforting coconut curry butternut squash soup with Thai chicken meatballs!

Expert Tips:

• If you don’t have fresh butternut squash, you can also use frozen or canned squash for your coconut curry soup with Thai chicken meatballs! If using frozen or canned, add directly to the soup since there is no need to cook the squash through roasting.
• No immersion blender? No problem! As many of us know, blending hot liquids can be dangerous due to the pressure that the steam creates inside the blender. For your safety, let the soup cool down a little bit before blending it. When you do go to blend the soup, make sure not to fill the blender up all the way, maybe only about 3/4 of the way. Place the lid on tightly and cover it with a towel. Hold the lid down with the towel over it while you begin to blend. Not holding the lid down could cause the lid to pop off and create a mess due to the pressure!
• If you are in a time pinch, you can use store bought meatballs for this recipe instead of the Thai meatballs I used. You can also skip the meatballs altogether and add some shredded chicken instead for chicken curry soup!
• You can substitute the red curry paste for the green curry paste, depending on what you prefer. Green is generally a little bit less spicy and more aromatic. Expect your soup to have a different color if you switch them though!

More Recipes to Try:

• Grilled Curry Chicken Salad
• Thai Curry Chicken Wings
• One Pan Thai Inspired Satay Chicken
• Poblano Chicken Chowder
• Butter Chicken Meatballs