Prep your ingredients: Chop onion, slice peppers and mushrooms, and keep the mushrooms aside for later. Leave chicken whole—it will shred easily after cooking.

Build the broth base: In your crockpot, whisk together coconut milk, chicken broth, and red curry paste until smooth. This becomes the creamy, flavorful backbone of your soup.

Season the soup: Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar. Taste test if you’d like—it should be slightly bold now, but flavors mellow beautifully during cooking.

Add chicken and veggies: Nestle chicken breasts into the broth. Sprinkle chopped onion and sliced red peppers over the top. Give everything a gentle stir.

Slow cook to perfection: Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours. Avoid lifting the lid too often—it slows cooking.

Add mushrooms: About 30 minutes before serving, stir in mushrooms. They’ll soften and soak up the broth without getting mushy. Optional: toss in spinach, zucchini, or snap peas at this point for extra veggies.

Shred the chicken: When cooking is done, use two forks to shred chicken directly in the pot. Stir well so the chicken mixes evenly with the broth.

Final taste test: Adjust seasoning to your preference—add more lime for brightness, soy/fish sauce for saltiness, or curry paste for extra spice.

Serve: Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with cilantro, and serve as is—or over jasmine rice or noodles for a heartier meal.