Red Curry Dumpling Soup

Red Curry Dumpling Soup is quick, cozy, and absolutely bursting with flavor! It has simple ingredients like red curry paste, creamy coconut milk, pillowy frozen dumplings, and fresh vegetables that come together in one pot for the ultimate comfort bowl.

Love More Soup Recipes? Try My Tomato Soup with Cheddar Bay Dumplings or this Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The creamy, spicy broth wraps around tender dumplings like a warm hug, while the mushrooms and bok choy add that perfect bite of freshness. It’s the kind of recipe that makes you feel like a kitchen genius because it’s SO easy but tastes incredibly restaurant-quality. Plus, it’s all made in one pot, which means minimal cleanup – and we all know that’s the real victory here!

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Ingredient List

For the Soup:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (I’ve used vegetable oil, canola, whatever’s in the cabinet, once used sesame oil by accident and it was fine)
• 1 green onion sliced (the dark green parts go on top later so don’t throw them away)
• 1-inch piece ginger grated (mine’s never exactly an inch, just cut off a chunk and grate it)
• 1 clove garlic minced (or two if they’re those tiny sad ones, I never measure garlic)
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen because that’s what my grocery store has)
• 1 cup broth (chicken or vegetable, I grab whichever’s closer in my pantry)
• 1 cup coconut milk (FULL FAT from a can, not that refrigerated carton garbage)
• 1 cup mushrooms sliced (I buy pre-sliced because I’m lazy, they cost like 50 cents more)
• ½ cup bok choy chopped (one small head if you’re getting the baby ones)
• 1 cup frozen dumplings (any kind, I rotate through whatever’s on sale at Trader Joe’s)

For Topping:

• Sesame seeds (I forget these half the time, still good without them)
• Green onion pieces you saved earlier

Substitution Notes:

• No bok choy? I’ve thrown in spinach, regular cabbage, that bagged coleslaw mix, even frozen stir fry vegetables once. Spinach wilts in approximately five seconds so add it at the very end.
• Can’t find curry paste? It’s in the Asian section usually near soy sauce and sriracha. If your store doesn’t have an Asian section I don’t know what to tell you, try Target?
• Want it spicier? More curry paste. My friend Alex uses two tablespoons and literally sweats while eating it and refuses to admit it’s too spicy.
• Making it vegetarian? Read the dumpling package because I’ve found “vegetable dumplings” that have chicken broth in them which is bullshit.

Why These Ingredients Work

Curry paste does all the work. That’s the secret. One tablespoon has like eighteen different ingredients pre-mixed. I looked at the jar once – lemongrass, galangal, dried chilies, garlic, shallots, coriander, cumin, stuff I can’t even pronounce. That’s why this tastes complicated when you literally just opened a jar and dumped it in. You’re cheating. I’m cheating. We’re all cheating. Nobody needs to know.

Coconut milk makes it creamy and rich and like actual food instead of sad soup water. Has to be full-fat from a can. I tried light coconut milk once because I was on some weird diet and it tasted like flavored water with a hint of sadness. The full-fat version is what makes this feel like you’re eating at a restaurant instead of depression soup at home.

Fresh ginger and fresh garlic because the jarred minced stuff tastes like preservatives and regret. I’ve tried both ways. Fresh has this bright punchy flavor that jarred ginger doesn’t even come close to. And you gotta grate the ginger not chop it or you’ll spend twenty minutes picking fibrous strings out of your teeth. I did this exactly once at midnight on a work night and learned my lesson real fast.

Frozen dumplings are perfect because they go straight from freezer to soup. No boiling water in a separate pot. No draining. No extra dishes. Just frozen dumplings directly into hot soup and they cook while everything simmers. I’ve used fancy handmade dumplings from the Asian market that cost twelve dollars and I’ve used the Walmart Great Value dumplings that cost three dollars and honestly both taste fine in this soup.

Mushrooms and bok choy exist so I can pretend I’m eating vegetables and being healthy. But actually they add texture because without them it’s just broth and carbs and that gets real boring real fast. Mushrooms get soft and kind of meaty, bok choy stays crunchy. Makes it more interesting to eat.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• A pot (I use a 3 quart one but whatever you have works)
• Knife for chopping
• Grater for ginger (microplane is best but any grater with small holes works)
• Measuring cups and spoons (I eyeball most of this honestly but measurements for you guys)
• Spoon for stirring (wooden or metal doesn’t matter)
• Lid for your pot
• Bowl to eat from unless you’re eating from the pot like I do sometimes
• That’s it that’s the whole list

How To Make Red Curry Dumpling Soup

Step 1: Prep Your Ingredients

Chop everything before you start cooking. I know it seems like you’re wasting time but once the stove turns on everything moves fast and you don’t want to be frantically mincing garlic while your aromatics burn. Been there. Smells terrible.

Slice green onion, keep white and light green parts separate from dark green tops. Grate your ginger over a plate or bowl. It’ll be wet and stringy looking and that’s completely normal. Smash garlic clove with the flat part of your knife then mince it small. Slice mushrooms quarter inch thick ish, doesn’t need to be exact. Chop bok choy into bite sized pieces.

Step 2: Build Your Aromatic Base

Stove on medium heat. Pot goes on burner. Add olive oil, wait like thirty seconds for it to warm up. Should look shimmery not smoking. If there’s smoke your heat’s way too high, turn it down.

Throw in white onion parts, all the grated ginger, minced garlic. Stir it around. Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring every twenty seconds or so. Garlic burns fast and burned garlic tastes like bitter sadness and ruins the whole pot. Don’t walk away during this part.

Step 3: Add the Red Curry Paste

Spoon out curry paste from the jar. One tablespoon. Add it to the pot with all your aromatics. Stir it in really well, like really mix it in there. Cook for a minute stirring constantly so nothing sticks to the bottom and burns.

Step 4: Create the Broth

Pour in broth first. It’ll sizzle and steam when it hits the hot pot. Take your spoon and scrape the bottom to get up any stuck bits. Then add coconut milk. Stir everything together until the curry paste dissolves and you don’t have red clumps floating around.

Add sliced mushrooms and chopped bok choy. Stir it all together. Turn heat up a bit if needed. You want it bubbling gently, little bubbles popping on top, not a crazy rolling boil.

Step 5: Simmer and Add Dumplings

Lid on. Let it bubble for 2-3 minutes. This softens the vegetables and lets flavors mix together and do their thing.

Lid off. Grab frozen dumplings straight from freezer. Don’t thaw them that’s the whole point. Just dump them in frozen. I usually do like 5-6 dumplings for myself but recipe says 1 cup so however many fit in a measuring cup. Stir gently so they don’t stick together.

Lid back on. Cook 2-3 more minutes. They’re done when they float to the top and look puffy and swollen. Some brands take longer so check your package. I’ve had dumplings that took 5 minutes, some that took 2 minutes. When they float they’re ready.

Step 6: Serve and Garnish

Turn off stove. Get your bowl. Ladle soup in, make sure you get dumplings and vegetables not just broth because that’s annoying when it’s all broth.

Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Just a little pinch not a lot. Add those dark green onion pieces you saved.

You Must Know

Curry paste brand actually matters way more than I thought it would. I’ve bought six different brands trying to save money. Thai Kitchen and Mae Ploy are the only good ones. Store brand curry paste from Safeway tasted like spicy ketchup with zero depth or complexity. I threw the whole jar away and went back to Thai Kitchen. Just buy the good brand, it lasts literally months in your fridge.

Grate the ginger I’m begging you. I’ve said this to probably thirty people at this point. Chopped ginger has tough fibrous strings that get stuck in your teeth and float in your soup and make the whole experience miserable. Grated ginger melts into the liquid and disappears. Buy a microplane grater for eight dollars at Target, you’ll use it for cheese and citrus too.

Full-fat coconut milk is required. Not optional. Not a suggestion. Required. I tried light coconut milk when I was trying to lose weight and it was so watery and sad and disappointing. Full-fat makes it creamy and satisfying and like you’re eating real food. This is one serving maybe two small servings, you’re not drinking a gallon of coconut milk, just use the full-fat.

Personal Secret: Shake the coconut milk can really hard before you open it. Like shake it for a solid ten seconds. Sometimes the cream separates and solidifies at the top and you’ll open the can and pour out watery liquid and then be stuck with a weird coconut cream blob. Shaking mixes it back together. My friend’s Thai mom taught me this at a dinner party and it’s changed my coconut milk game forever.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

If you’re starving or feeding more people throw rice noodles in your bowl before adding soup. Or make rice on the side. The dumplings make this filling enough for me but Lauren always needs rice with it because she “needs more carbs” which I think is code for she’s still hungry.

Start with less curry paste if you’re nervous about spice. You can taste the soup halfway through and add more if you want it spicier. Cannot remove spice once it’s in there. I like spicy food so I use a full tablespoon sometimes more. My mom uses half a tablespoon and still complains it’s too hot. Figure out your own spice tolerance.

Keep it at a gentle simmer after you add coconut milk, not a rolling boil. High heat makes coconut milk separate and look broken and grainy and weird. If you accidentally do this take it off heat and whisk it aggressively and maybe it comes back together. Or just eat it anyway because it still tastes fine even if it looks broken.

Buy pre-sliced mushrooms if you value your time. Costs literally fifty cents more. Saves you three minutes of slicing. I do this probably 80% of the time because slicing mushrooms is boring and I’d rather be eating soup.

Fresh herbs on top at the end if you have them. Cilantro is traditional and great. Thai basil is even better but good luck finding that unless you live near a really good Asian market. Regular basil works. Makes it taste fresher and restaurant-like.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Once you make this twice you can change whatever you want. Here’s what I do:

Add shrimp. I buy frozen peeled deveined shrimp, throw them in still frozen with the dumplings. They turn pink and cook through at the same time. Makes it feel fancier and more like a real meal.

Leftover rotisserie chicken shredded up and thrown in at the end. My friend Emily does this every single time because she meal preps rotisserie chickens on Sunday and has leftover chicken constantly.

Whatever vegetables are dying in your fridge. I’ve added bell peppers, snap peas, broccoli, green beans, zucchini, baby corn from a can, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots. Just add harder vegetables earlier so they cook, soft stuff at the very end.

Lime juice squeezed on top right before eating is unreal. The acid brightens everything and makes it taste more complex and restaurant quality. I buy limes specifically for this soup now.

All coconut milk no broth. Makes it super thick and rich, almost more like a curry than a soup. Really indulgent and heavy but good when you want comfort food.

Different dumplings every time. I’ve used pork and chive, chicken and cabbage, vegetable, shrimp, those big soup dumplings that explode when you bite them, potstickers, gyoza, wontons. Once I used cheese tortellini when I was out of Asian dumplings and it was weird but not bad.

Make-Ahead Options

This is perfect for meal prep which is honestly how I eat it most weeks.

Make soup base without dumplings, keep in fridge 3 days. When you want lunch heat it up, throw in frozen dumplings, wait 3 minutes, done. This is my Sunday routine. Make a batch of broth base, eat it Monday Tuesday Wednesday for lunch at my desk.

Divide soup base into individual containers for work lunches. Microwave base for 2 minutes, add 3-4 frozen dumplings, microwave 1-2 more minutes until cooked. Not as good as stovetop but totally fine for office microwave situation.

Freeze the broth for up to 3 months. I make double batches specifically to freeze half. When I want it I thaw in fridge overnight, heat it up, add fresh dumplings. Having this in my freezer has prevented me from ordering $18 DoorDash probably a hundred times at this point.

Do not freeze with dumplings already in. They get mushy and disgusting when thawed. Texture is completely wrong and sad. Only freeze broth base, add new dumplings fresh each time.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Type of dumplings doesn’t matter at all. I’ve tried probably fifteen different kinds. Pork dumplings are my favorite because they’re fatty and flavorful and that’s what I like. Chicken dumplings are fine. Vegetable dumplings work obviously. Shrimp dumplings are good when Trader Joe’s has them. Even those weird pizza dumplings or Mac and cheese dumplings would probably work though I haven’t tried yet because they sound disgusting.

Baby bok choy versus regular bok choy makes basically no difference. Baby is more tender, regular has more bite to it. I’ve used both dozens of times, cannot really tell the difference in the final soup. Buy whatever’s at your store or whatever’s cheaper.

Chicken broth makes it richer and more savory. Vegetable broth is lighter and keeps it vegetarian if you’re using veggie dumplings. I keep both in my pantry and use whichever I grab first. Both taste good just slightly different.

Leftover soup lasts 3 days in the fridge. The dumplings soak up liquid as they sit so the soup thickens and the dumplings get softer and more waterlogged. Still tastes good just different texture. Lauren swears it’s better the next day because “the flavors meld” but I think fresh is better.

Serving Suggestions

You genuinely don’t need anything else. This is a complete meal. But if you’re trying to impress someone or feed multiple people here’s what works:

Spring rolls on the side. The fresh kind with rice paper not fried egg rolls. The cool vegetables contrast nice with hot rich soup. My favorite is from the grocery store because making spring rolls is way too much work.

Cucumber salad. Slice cucumbers thin, toss with rice vinegar, bit of sugar, sesame oil, done. Takes two minutes and adds freshness and crunch.

Put out extra toppings and let people build their own bowl. Cilantro, lime wedges, sriracha, chili oil, fried onions, whatever’s in your pantry. Makes it feel like you tried even though you didn’t really.

Beer is great with this. Something light like a lager not a heavy IPA. White wine if you’re fancy. I usually drink water because I’m boring but my friends always bring beer when I make this for them.

I eat this for lunch at least twice a week. Also dinner when I work late. Also at 10pm when I come home from the gym hungry. Also when I’m sick because hot soup cures everything. Also when it’s cold out. Also when it’s not cold but I want soup anyway. Basically I make this constantly and have no shame about it.

How to Store Your Red Curry Dumpling Soup

Leftovers go in a container with a lid, stick it in the fridge. Lasts 3 days maybe 4 if your fridge is really cold. Mine’s ancient and probably not cold enough so I stick with 3 days to be safe. The soup gets thicker as it sits because dumplings are little sponges that absorb all the liquid. Some people like this thickness, I’m neutral about it.

Store dumplings separate from broth if you care about texture. Two containers. Yes it’s extra work. Yes it’s another dish to wash. But dumplings stay firmer instead of turning into mushy waterlogged sad dumplings. I only do this if I’m meal prepping for the whole week or bringing it to someone. For regular leftovers I throw it all in one container.

Already mixed everything together? Whatever. Eat it anyway. Life’s too short to stress about slightly soft dumplings.

Reheat on stove if you have five minutes. Put it in pot, medium-low heat, stir occasionally so nothing burns on the bottom, warm it through. Add water or broth if it’s too thick. Takes maybe five minutes.

Microwave if you’re at work or in a hurry. Microwave-safe bowl, 2 minutes, stir, another minute if needed. Put a paper towel over it loosely so it doesn’t explode. I’ve had to clean curry soup off the inside of my work microwave twice and my coworkers judged me both times.

Freeze only the broth without dumplings. Wait for it to cool completely or you’ll melt your freezer bag. Freezer bag or container, leave room at top for expansion when it freezes, write the date on it with a Sharpie. Keeps 3 months probably longer but I always eat it before then. To use it thaw in fridge overnight or defrost in microwave, heat it up, add fresh frozen dumplings.

Allergy Information

Here’s what might kill you if you have allergies I’m not a doctor this is just what’s in the recipe:

Contains: Soy (basically all dumplings have soy sauce or soy in the wrappers), shellfish (if using shrimp dumplings obviously), wheat (dumpling wrappers are usually wheat flour), coconut (not technically a tree nut but some people react), sesame (in the garnish)

Gluten-free: Get gluten-free dumplings which exist but they’re harder to find and cost like twice as much. Check curry paste label because some brands add wheat flour as thickener. Most don’t but read the label. Everything else is naturally gluten-free.

Nut allergy: Coconut usually doesn’t cause problems for people with tree nut allergies because botanically it’s a fruit not a nut. But some people with nut allergies also react to coconut so know your own body. If you can’t have coconut maybe try oat milk? Will taste completely different though.

Soy-free: Really hard because most dumplings have soy. You’d have to make homemade dumplings with soy-free wrappers which sounds exhausting and like too much work. Also check curry paste for soy sauce. Doable but annoying.

Vegetarian/Vegan: Vegetable broth and vegetable dumplings. Check curry paste because some have fish sauce or shrimp paste hidden in there. Thai Kitchen is usually vegan but always read labels. Skip sesame seeds if you’re hardcore vegan and worried about processing though most seeds are fine.

Dairy-free: You’re good this has zero dairy. Coconut milk is plants not cows.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use fresh dumplings instead of frozen?

Yeah. They cook way faster though like 1-2 minutes max. Watch them close so they don’t overcook and disintegrate. They float when done same as frozen.

My soup is too spicy! How do I fix it?

Add more coconut milk to dilute it. Or pour in cream if you have it. Spoonful of sugar helps balance spice, sounds weird but works. Next time use less curry paste. Start small, taste as you go, add more if needed. Can’t remove spice once it’s in.

Can I make this with homemade dumplings?

If you make homemade dumplings you’re a better person than me. Yeah they work fine. Cook same way, drop in simmering soup, wait till they float. Time depends on how thick your wrappers are.

What if I can’t find bok choy?

Use different greens. Spinach but add it last because it wilts in approximately three seconds. Kale add it with mushrooms because it takes longer. Cabbage works. Napa cabbage is good. Even broccoli though that’s weird with dumplings in my opinion.

How can I make this more filling?

More dumplings like double them. Rice noodles in your bowl before adding soup. Serve over rice. Add protein like shrimp chicken tofu whatever. Crack an egg into the simmering soup and let it poach. Make twice as much. All of these work.

Is there a substitute for red curry paste?

Yellow curry paste is milder and more earthy. Green curry paste is more herby tastes different. If you’re desperate mix curry powder with garlic ginger and chili paste but it won’t taste the same at all. Honestly just buy red curry paste, jar lasts forever in the fridge.

Why did my coconut milk separate and look gross?

Boiled it too hard. High heat breaks coconut milk and makes it grainy and separated looking. Turn heat down to gentle simmer. If already broken take it off heat and whisk really hard, might come back together. Still tastes fine even if it looks broken so just eat it.

Do I really need to grate the ginger?

Yes oh my god yes. I’ve answered this approximately forty times. Chopped ginger has tough fibrous strings. Grated ginger melts into the soup. That’s the whole reason. Just grate it.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below!

Tell me how yours turned out. What dumplings did you use? Did you add anything weird? Did you burn the garlic on your first try like I did? I genuinely want to know.