This chicken tikka masala soup brings all the rich, fragrant flavors of the beloved Indian curry into an easy, comforting soup. Made with tender chicken, warming spices, tomatoes, and creamy coconut milk, it’s a cozy one-pot dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Serve it with fluffy naan for dipping and you’ve got a bowl that tastes like your favorite curry in soup form.
This soup is inspired by the flavors of a classic Indian chicken tikka masala. Hearty soups like this chicken tikka soup are endlessly flexible, perfect for adding in extra veggies or ingredients that you have that need using up.
Easy soup recipes are a weeknight win for so many reasons, they fit perfectly into your weekly dinner rotation, ideal for meal planning. They are also great for feeding a crowd, or filling your fridge with leftovers.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Chicken Tikka Masala Soup Recipe
- Chicken Tikka Masala Soup Ingredients
- How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala Soup - Step-By-Step
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Variations & Substitutions
- Pro Tips & Tricks
- How To Serve
- How To Reheat
- How to Freeze
- Pin This Weeknight Chicken Tikka Masala Soup Recipe For Later
- What Do You Think?!
- More Easy Soup Recipe Ideas
- Printable Recipe
- Weeknight Chicken Tikka Masala Soup
- Reader Comments & Ratings
Why You'll Love This Chicken Tikka Masala Soup Recipe
- A super quick dish, this soup has amazing flavor and can be prepared and on the table, ready to enjoy in just 40 minutes.
- This is a one pot recipe and a complete meal, which means less dishes for you.
- Perfect for meal prepping, make a double batch of soup and freeze half for a quick and easy family meal another day.
- Heat up the leftover soup and pour in a thermos for a quick and easy lunch on the go.
- If you're a fan of hearty one pot soup recipes, try these great tasting recipes:
Chicken Tikka Masala Soup Ingredients
Find the full list and quantities in the recipe card below.
Chicken Thighs - I've used boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this recipe, but you could swap for skinless chicken breasts if you want a leaner option.
Spices - I've flavoured the soup with fresh garlic and ginger, adding traditional Indian spices like curry powder, ground cumin, ground coriander and chilli powder for flavor.
Tomatoes - for ease I've used a can of diced tomatoes.
Coconut Milk - I like to use full-fat coconut milk as it has a great creamy texture, but you can use light coconut milk if you prefer.
How to Make Chicken Tikka Masala Soup - Step-By-Step
Find the full printable recipe card below.
Cook the chopped onion in vegetable oil in a large pot with sea salt and pepper until soft and lightly golden over a medium heat.
Stir in the minced garlic cloves and fresh ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the curry powder, ground cumin and coriander and chilli powder. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, to toast the spices.
Season the chicken pieces with sea salt and pepper. Add to the pan and stir to coat it in the onion and spices.
Pour in the diced tomatoes and chicken stock (chicken broth). Stir well and bring to the boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Stir in the coconut milk, taste and season again if needed.
Serve hot, topped with fresh chopped cilantro.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chicken tikka masala soup taste like?
This soup has a rich, warm flavor from the blend of spices. The coconut milk gives the soup a wonderful velvety texture and I like to finish the soup with a garnish of freshly chopped cilantro.
Is chicken tikka masala soup spicy?
You can make this soup as spicy or mild as you want, by adjusting the spice mix, eg using a mild, medium or hot curry powder. You can also adjust the amount of chili powder that you add to the soup.
Variations & Substitutions
I've used fresh chicken thighs in this healthy soup recipe, but you could also use leftover chicken from the weekend's roast, or a rotisserie chicken. Just add it at the end of the cook to warm through.
This recipe is adaptable, you can add in other diced vegetables, try red bell peppers, green beans, green peas, cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potato, butternut squash.
Add a handful of leafy greens like spinach, chard or kale, towards the end of the cook.
Adjust the spice blend to suit your tastes. You could also add in other spices like a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, garam masala, red pepper flakes, or paprika.
Swap the coconut milk for heavy cream, coconut cream or Greek yogurt.
Pro Tips & Tricks
If you prefer a smoother texture, you can blend the soup until creamy. For a partially blended soup, remove the chicken pieces first, blend the broth and vegetable base, then return the chicken to the pot.
If you prefer a thicker soup, simmer it uncovered for a few extra minutes to reduce the broth. For a thinner soup, simply add a splash of chicken stock or water until it reaches your desired consistency.
Soup is a great make ahead dish and tastes even better the next day. Cook the soup in advance, cool, then place in an airtight container and store for up to 3-4 days in fridge.
How To Serve
As this is a hearty and filling bowl of soup, I suggest keeping any sides simple. I'd suggest a warm naan bread, garlic naan, crusty bread or toast to mop up the soup.
How To Reheat
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3-4 days. To re-heat, place the soup in a saucepan and place over medium heat to warm until piping hot.
How to Freeze
Once cooked and cooled, place the soup into an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator before heating up to piping hot.
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More Easy Soup Recipe Ideas
Printable Recipe
Weeknight Chicken Tikka Masala Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 large Onion - finely chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic - minced
- 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger - minced
- 1 tbsp Curry Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- ½ tsp Chilli Powder - optional
- 4 Chicken Thighs - boneless & skinless, cut into bite-size pieces
- 14 oz Canned Diced Tomatoes
- 4 cups Chicken Stock - gluten free if required
- 13½ floz Coconut Milk
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper - to taste
- Fresh Cilantro (Coriander) - chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the vegtable oil in a large pot or dutch oven over a medium heat.
- Add the finely chopped onion, season with sea salt and pepper and cook for 6–8 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
- Stir in the minced garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the curry powder, ground cumin and coriander and chilli powder. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, to toast the spices.
- Season the chicken pieces with sea salt and pepper. Add to the pan and stir to coat it in the onion and spices.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and chicken stock. Stir well and bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Stir in the coconut milk, taste and season again if needed.
- Serve hot, topped with fresh chopped cilantro.
Marilyn says
Looks yummy
Jo Keohane says
Thanks so much Marilyn - hope you try it - let me know how it goes!