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Thai Yellow Curry Tortellini Soup

Thai yellow curry tortellini soup in a white bowl.
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Easy to make in one pot and full of aromatic Thai yellow curry flavors and warming spices, this creamy Thai Yellow Curry Tortellini Soup is a hearty, satisfying and DELICIOUS meal!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 125 grams / ¾ cup + 2 TBSP Red Split Lentils
  • 200 grams / 1 medium Red Onion – finely chopped
  • 25 grams / 6 Garlic cloves – minced
  • 16 grams / 1-inch piece Ginger – peeled, minced (about 2 tablespoons minced)
  • 50 grams / 2-16 fresh Red Chilies (Thai Bird’s Eye or any other small hot red chilies – note 1*), to taste – finely chopped
  • 268 grams / 4-5 small Carrots – peeled, diced
  • 454 grams / 1 pound (2 medium) Sweet Potatoes – peeled, diced (weight is for peeled potatoes)
  • 4 Makrut Lime Leaves (note 2) – destemmed, minced into a fine powder
  • 100 grams / 3 cups Baby Spinach, washed if needed
  • 20 grams / ≈ 1.5 cups Thai Sweet Basil Leaves (note 3) – picked off stems, rinsed, pat-dried
  • 2 TBSP Canola Oil (or any other neutral flavored cooking oil), divided
  • 545 grams / 1.2 pounds Lean Ground Chicken
  • 1.5 TSP Kosher Salt, divided (use half the amount if using iodized table salt)
  • 60 grams / 4 TBSP Thai Yellow Curry Paste (I use Mae Ploy brand – note 4)
  • 946ml / 4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 500ml / 2 cups Water
  • 400ml / 14 fluid ounces (1 large can) Coconut Milk (full fat preferred)
  • 1.5 TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • 1 TSP ground Cayenne (optional), to taste
  • 1 TSP Thai Chili Powder (or crushed red pepper, optional – note 5), to taste
  • 1 TSP Turmeric Powder
  • ½ TSP ground Cumin
  • ½ TSP ground Coriander
  • 1 TBSP Fish Sauce, to taste
  • 1 TBSP Swerve Brown Sugar Replacement (or use light brown or coconut sugar)
  • 2 TBSP freshly squeezed Lime Juice
  • 400 grams / 14 ounces Ricotta & Spinach Tortellini (fresh or frozen, or use cheese tortellini)
  • To Serve (optional): Chopped coriander (cilantro), sliced chili, lime wedges for squeezing

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Prepare the ingredients: Place the red split lentils in a fine mesh strainer and pick through for sticks and stoned. Rinse well under cold water from the sink and set aside. Chop/prepare the red onion, garlic, ginger, chilies, carrots, sweet potatoes, makrut lime leaves, baby spinach and Thai sweet basil leaves as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section.

Thai Yellow Curry Tortellini Soup:

  1. Cook the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, breaking up the clumps with a wooden spoon or meat masher until just cooked through. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
  2. Sauté the veggies: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the red onion, carrots and sweet potatoes and sauté for 4-5 minutes until slightly softened. Add the garlic, ginger and red chilies and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
  3. Add the yellow curry paste: Add the Thai yellow curry paste and stir-fry to combine until the paste has broken down and is fragrant.
  4. Build the soup: Add the red split lentils, low sodium chicken broth, water, coconut milk, water, minced makrut lime leaves, remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, ground cayenne, Thai chili powder (if using), turmeric powder, ground cumin, and ground coriander. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over high heat.
  5. Simmer: Reduce the heat to medium-low and the ground chicken back into the pot. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils have softened and the carrots and sweet potatoes are tender.
  6. Stir in the seasonings: Season with the fish sauce, brown sugar replacement and lime juice.
  7. Add the tortellini and greens: Add the tortellini and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the baby spinach and Thai sweet basil until just wilted – 20-30 seconds. Taste and adjust fish sauce, sugar and lime juice if you feel it’s needed. Add a little more water if would like to adjust the consistency. Switch off the heat.
  8. Serve: Divide evenly into bowls and garnish with chopped coriander, sliced chili and serve with lime wedges for squeezing if desired.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Fresh Red Chilies. Use any small hot red chilies that are easily available to you. Adjust the quantity and use more or less based on your heat level preference. You can omit them if you prefer a milder soup.
  2. Makrut Lime Leaves. Also known as kaffir lime leaves, this Thai herb has a sweet citrusy scent and lime flavor. Find it in a Thai grocery store. Substitute with ½ tablespoon dried ground makrut lime leaves, which can be found in the Asian aisle or spices and seasonings section in supermarkets that are well-stocked with international ingredients.
  3. Thai Sweet Basil Leaves. Known as ‘horapa’ in Thai, this type of basil has an intoxicatingly fragrant aroma and sweet anise-like flavor. It’s often used in Thai curries. Find it in a Thai grocery store or Asian supermarket. Or use regular Italian basil if unavailable.
  4. Thai Yellow Curry Paste. I use Mae Ploy Thai yellow curry paste in my home because I find the flavors to be more authentic. Other great brands I can vouch for are Maesri and Nam Jai. If you prefer a milder curry paste, De Siam and Thai Kitchen are both flavorful, good quality options. You can find yellow curry paste in large mainstream supermarkets, Thai and Asian grocery stores, and online.
  5. Thai Chili Powder. Made from a combination of chili powder, flakes, and seeds. Substitute with crushed red pepper if unavailable. Feel free to leave it and the ground cayenne out if you prefer a milder soup.
  6. Storing and reheating leftovers. Store in airtight sealed containers for up to 3-5 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring once in between, until hot throughout. Alternatively, reheat in a pot on the stovetop. Note that the soup thickens as it cools and the tortellini absorbs liquid over time in the fridge. You may need to add extra water or broth when reheating to achieve your desired consistency.
  7. To freeze. Transfer to airtight freezer-friendly container(s) and freeze for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing individual servings in smaller containers so that you thaw only what you need. For extra protection against freezer burn, wrap each container in a sheet of aluminum foil. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring once in between, until hot throughout.
  8. Make ahead and freezing tips. Follow steps 1-6, then allow the soup to cool and transfer to a freezer-friendly sealed airtight container(s) or zipper bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a Dutch oven on the stovetop until hot. Then add the tortellini, baby spinach, and Thai sweet basil (follow the remaining steps – 7-8).
  9. See ‘Variations’ and ‘FAQs’ section in the post to customize this soup.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/thai-yellow-curry-tortellini-soup/