Easy Yellow Curry Potato Soup
The idea for this easy curry potato soup came to me one night when I was desperately craving a warm cozy comfort food soup.
Then I spotted them – those potatoes giving me the sad eyes from the bottom of the veggie basket and that little jar of yellow curry paste I’d grabbed during my “I’m totally going to cook Thai food every week” phase. Cue lightbulb moment
Y’all, this yellow curry potato soup recipe that came out of that desperate moment has become our family’s most requested cozy dinner. EVEN MY SON EATS IT. The kid who thinks ketchup is “too spicy.” That’s how good this simple potato soup is!
What Makes This The Best Potato Soup Recipe with Yellow Curry
So last year when Mark and I finally made it to Thailand (bucket list moment after binging all those K-dramas set in Bangkok), I became OBSESSED with yellow curry. There was this tiny food stall in Chiang Mai where the owner basically became my best friend because I showed up every. single. day.
This homemade potato soup takes me right back there. It’s got that perfect balance of creamy potato soup comfort with the exciting kick of Thai yellow curry. The coconut milk soup base makes it indulgent without being heavy, and seriously – the whole thing comes together in ONE POT as the perfect stovetop potato soup for busy weeknights.
My Libra soul loves when things are both beautiful AND practical, and this hearty soup recipe ticks all the boxes. It’s that gorgeous golden color that makes you want to Instagram it (I’ve totally done this more than once, no shame), and it’s easy enough for weeknights when you can barely remember your own name.
Ingredients for Easy Potato Soup with Thai Yellow Curry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced (any color works – I’ve used everything from sweet to red)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 5 if you’re me and believe garlic measurements are merely suggestions)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (or that tube stuff – I LIVE for those ginger tubes)
- 2-3 tablespoons yellow curry paste (Mae Ploy is my fave – 3 tbsp for me, 1 tbsp when my son is eating)
- 2 pounds russet potatoes (about 5-6 medium), peeled and cubed (900g for my European friends)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (store-bought or homemade, no judgment here)
- 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk (FULL FAT, please – this is not the place for calorie counting)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (fresh is amazing but bottled works when life happens)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional if you’re one of those cilantro-soap-taste people)
- Thinly sliced green onions
- Optional: crushed peanuts because TEXTURE, people!
How to Make Potato Soup: The Stovetop Method
- Grab your favorite pot – you know, the one that’s actually big enough for soup unlike that time I tried to make chili in a saucepan and nearly burned down the kitchen. Heat that olive oil over medium heat and toss in your diced onion. Let it do its thing until it’s soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Perfect time to scroll Pinterest for more cozy dinner ideas!
- Throw in the garlic and ginger. Seriously the SMELL at this point, you guys. Sometimes I just stand there inhaling like a weirdo. About 30 seconds is all it needs.
- Now add that yellow curry paste. This is where the magic happens in this Thai coconut curry soup! Stir it around for about a minute until your kitchen smells like that little restaurant in Thailand. If Mark’s working from home, this is typically when he wanders in asking “what smells so good?”
- Dump in those potato chunks and stir them around to get them all coated in that curry mixture. Kind of like how you’d make sure your nail polish is evenly applied. (Except edible. And less toxic.)
- Pour in the broth and bring it to a boil. Then turn it down to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes until you can easily stab a potato chunk with a fork. This is my meditative time – I usually put on a podcast or call Lisa to gossip about what happened at book club.
- Here’s where you decide what kind of vegetarian potato soup person you are. Grab an immersion blender (BEST KITCHEN TOOL EVER) and partially blend. I like mine with some chunks because texture is my love language, but you do you, boo.
- Stir in the coconut milk and lime juice. Don’t let it boil again or it might separate and look weird (still tastes fine but looks like it’s having an identity crisis). Season with salt and pepper until it tastes like heaven.
- Ladle that golden goodness into bowls and go wild with toppings! Cilantro, green onions, crushed peanuts – whatever makes your heart happy.
Storage Tips for Your Creamy Potato Soup
Look, in theory this stovetop potato soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days. In reality? WE NEVER HAVE LEFTOVERS. Seriously, my teenager even takes it to school in a thermos the next day, which is basically a miracle of modern parenting.
But if you have more self-control than my family, store it in an airtight container. The flavors actually get better overnight – kind of like how I’m a better person after 8 hours of sleep (rarely happens, but a girl can dream).
You can freeze this hearty soup recipe too! Up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers. Just thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly, adding a splash of broth if it’s thickened up too much.
Expert Tips for the Best Yellow Curry Potato Soup Recipe
PSA: Not all curry pastes are created equal for this yellow curry recipe. After my initial soup success, I tried a different brand from the fancy organic store and it was SO bland. My daughter actually asked if I’d forgotten to add the curry! Mae Ploy and Maesri brands are my ride-or-die choices now for authentic Thai curry soup. You can find them at Asian markets or even on Amazon.
Full-fat coconut milk is NON-NEGOTIABLE for proper coconut thai soup. I tried the light version once when I was in my January “new year, new me” delusion phase, and it was like eating soup made with coconut-scented water. Just… no.
My 8-year-old will only eat this easy potato soup when I dial the curry paste back to 1 tablespoon. The coconut milk makes it mild enough that he doesn’t run screaming, which is our family’s benchmark for success with spicy food.
Oh, and a weird discovery? This homemade potato soup is actually a fantastic hangover cure. Not that I would know personally (cough book club wine night cough).
Perfect Pairings for Your Thai Coconut Curry Soup
When Lisa comes over for our weekly K-drama sessions (we’re OBSESSED with “Crash Landing on You” right now), I always pair this hearty soup with:
A super simple cucumber salad (just cukes, rice vinegar, touch of sugar, bit of salt). The cool crunch against the warm soup is chef’s kiss.
Naan bread or sourdough for dipping is absolutely MANDATORY in our house. My son will literally just use the bread as a soup delivery system and ignore his spoon entirely.
For dinner parties (or when I’m feeling extra), I serve it as a starter before a simple veggie fried rice or pad thai. Last month when I hosted book club, three different people texted me the next day asking for this yellow curry soup recipe!
FAQ About This Easy Potato Soup Recipe
“Help! My family can’t handle spice! Can I make this simple potato soup recipe less spicy?”
First off, hello fellow parent of a spice-phobic child! Yellow curry is actually the mildest of the Thai curries (green will set your face on fire, learned that the hard way). But you can absolutely bring the heat down by using just 1 tablespoon of curry paste in your coconut milk soup. My son gives it his seal of approval that way, and this is a kid who thinks pepper is “too spicy.”
“What potatoes should I use for the best potato soup? I’m standing in the grocery store RIGHT NOW panicking.”
Been there! For homemade potato soup, Russets are my go-to because they’re like the basic bitch of potatoes (in a good way!) – they break down a bit and help thicken the soup naturally. Yukon Golds work great too and have this buttery thing going on. Skip those waxy red potatoes – they stay too firm and the texture gets weird in your stovetop potato soup.
“Can I make this vegetarian potato soup ahead for my dinner party tomorrow?”
OMG YES. Actually, please do! This creamy potato soup is like that friend who gets better with age. Make it the day before, refrigerate it, and just reheat gently before serving. The flavors meld overnight and it’s even more amazing the next day. Add the garnishes fresh though – nobody wants soggy cilantro in their Thai curry soup.
“Is yellow curry paste the same as that yellow curry powder in my spice rack?”
Not even close, bestie! For an authentic yellow curry recipe, Thai yellow curry paste has lemongrass, galangal, and all kinds of amazingness that curry powder doesn’t. They’re totally different flavor profiles. You CAN sub curry powder in an absolute emergency, but it’ll taste more Indian than Thai coconut curry soup (still good, just different!).
“My soup separated in the fridge and looks like a science experiment gone wrong. Did I mess up my coconut milk soup?”
Totally normal coconut milk behavior in coconut thai soup! It’s just being dramatic. Give it a good whisk while reheating over medium-low heat and it’ll come back together like nothing ever happened. Kind of like how I pretend I wasn’t just crying over a K-drama 10 minutes before the school pickup line.
Creative Variations on This Hearty Soup
When I’m in full-on “cooking is my therapy” mode (usually after a tough Monday), I like to riff on this basic potato soup easy recipe:
Sometimes I throw in a cup of red lentils with the potatoes. They basically dissolve and make the soup super hearty while adding protein. My teenager doesn’t even notice they’re there!
Last week when Mark was working late, I added a few handfuls of spinach in the last few minutes of cooking. Felt very virtuous, not gonna lie.
For my vegetarian book club friends, I often add cubes of tofu or chickpeas to make it a more substantial cozy dinner idea.
And the BEST variation? Half sweet potatoes, half regular potatoes. The color is STUNNING (very Instagram-worthy) and the subtle sweetness with the curry is just chef’s kiss.
Simple Substitutions for Your Yellow Curry Potato Soup
We’ve all been there – halfway through cooking and realize you’re missing something crucial for your yellow curry recipe. Fear not! Here are my emergency swaps for this easy potato soup stovetop recipe:
No yellow curry paste? Red or green will work in your Thai curry soup, but green especially will be significantly spicier (learned this when my son took one bite and chugged an entire glass of milk).
Forgot ginger? Use 1 teaspoon ground ginger instead in your coconut milk soup recipes. Not quite the same punch but it works.
No coconut milk? In an absolute EMERGENCY, you could use heavy cream, but it’ll taste completely different. More like a curry-flavored potato chowder, which isn’t terrible, just not Thai coconut soup.
Missing lime? A splash of rice vinegar provides that acidic zing the homemade potato soup needs to cut through the richness. Or lemon juice works too!
Why This Is Truly The Best Potato Soup Recipe
Look, I’m not saying this yellow curry potato soup will solve all your problems, but it KIND OF MIGHT? It’s literally sunshine in a bowl.
It’s gotten me through book deadlines, parent-teacher conferences from hell, and that time Mercury retrograde coincided with my daughter’s first middle school dance drama. It’s comfort food with just enough excitement to remind you that you’re still a person with a palate, not just a laundry-folding snack-distributing machine.
I hope this stovetop potato soup brings some Thai coconut curry joy to your kitchen! And if you’re as soup-obsessed as I am right now (winter blues, anyone?), don’t miss my potato soup with smoky chipotle, my crockpot potato soup with caramelized onions, or my potato soup with miso for more cozy dinner ideas!
Now tell me – are you team smooth soup or team chunky? Drop me a comment below! ✨
