Thai-Inspired Chicken & Rice Noodle Soup
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Cozy, comforting, and fragrant, this flavor-packed Thai chicken noodle soup will warm you right up.
This spicy, fragrant, slurpy noodle soup, inspired by some of my favorite Thai restaurant dishes, is like sunshine on a dreary day. What’s more, it’s made with rotisserie chicken and Thai pantry staples available in most supermarkets—such as green curry paste, fish sauce, coconut milk, and fresh ginger—so it’s almost instant gratification.
Whether I’m feeling worn down or just in need of a little comfort, there is nothing like a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and this is one of my favorite renditions. Be sure to keep the rice noodles separate from the soup until ready to serve. If you put them in the broth before serving, they will continue to cook and become too soft.
Table of Contents
“A wonderful melding of flavors, and it tastes truly authentic as Thai cuisine…My wife, a former restaurant reviewer, used words like ‘amazing’ and ‘delicious,’ so I knew I had a real winner.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken & Rice Noodle Soup
You’ll notice that the recipe calls for Thai green curry paste, an excellent substitute for hard-to-find Asian ingredients, like lemongrass and galangal. You can find it, along with the other Asian pantry staples, in the Asian section of most large supermarkets. Along with Thai red curry paste, green curry paste is a wonderfully versatile ingredient; I use it to make many Thai-style recipes, such as Thai shrimp curry and red chicken curry, butternut squash soup with coconut milk, and curry chicken skewers with coconut-peanut sauce.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by heating the oil in a medium soup pot. Add the shallots and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Next, add the green curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more.
Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and turmeric; bring to a gentle simmer. Continue simmering for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles by dropping them in boiling water.
Let sit for a few minutes to soften.
Then drain.
When ready to serve, divide the noodles and chicken into serving bowls.
Ladle the broth over top and sprinkle with cilantro and scallions. Serve with Sriracha sauce and lime wedges.
“Thank you for an excellent recipe. This is one of those great under 30 minute dinners when I’m in a pinch but want a satisfying restaurant-quality soup without going out.”
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Thai-Inspired Chicken & Rice Noodle Soup
Cozy, comforting, and fragrant, this flavor-packed Thai chicken noodle soup will warm you right up.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup thinly sliced shallots, from 1-2 large shallots
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, from a 1-inch knob (see note)
- 2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (13.5 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4 packed teaspoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
For Serving
- 4 oz thin rice noodles
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, from a rotisserie chicken
- Handful chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 scallions, light and dark green parts, thinly sliced
- Sriracha sauce
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and turmeric; bring to a gentle simmer. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions.
- When ready to serve, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Gently reheat the noodles in the microwave, if necessary. Divide the noodles and chicken into serving bowls. Ladle the broth over top and sprinkle with cilantro and scallions. Serve with Sriracha sauce and lime wedges.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
- Note: As the soup sits on the stove, some of the fat may rise to the surface; skim it, if necessary.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 530
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated fat: 20 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Sodium: 942 mg
- Cholesterol: 53 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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We love this recipe. I would like to make it for guests but I am not sure about how much I can do ahead of time. Suggestions?
Thanks,
Bonnie
Hi Bonnie, You can make everything ahead of time — just wait to combine the soup with the noodles until right before serving.
Absolutely perfect. My husband couldn’t stop raving about it and has requested it twice this month!
My husband and I absolutely LOVE this recipe. It has a bit of a bite, but not overpowering. It’s warm and soothing and interesting. Just like every recipe we’ve tried of Jenn’s (and we are probably at about 60!), her recipes wow guests, are delicious, and…I know I’ve used this word before, but they are interesting. She has such a way with a recipe that just engages the senses. This recipe is no exception.
Is there a reason why garlic isn’t in this recipe? My family loves garlic but I don’t want to add it if you think it will ruin the recipe. 😓
Hi Penelope, Perfectly fine to add it!
Beautiful! I added spinach, roasted shiitake mushrooms and red peppers, and used Thai kitchen “stir-fry rice noodles.” Never use these rice noodles for the soup. They’re too thick. It’s better with traditional rice noodles.
My hubby loved the soup! We left out the fish sauce, but I think it needed it.
Do try…it won’t disappoint! I’ll never have to buy it again at a restaurant.
My husband and I loved this soup. Maybe our bowls are big or we were just really hungry but we wanted more. When doubling the recipe, would you double exactly or would you add a little more or less of an ingredient?
Thank you
We’ve had this delicious dish, quite a few times. Wondered if the broth portion , with all the ingredients. can be made 24 hrs ahead.? Then just do noodles/ chicken and toppings, the next day. .
Thanks.
Packed with flavor and so simple if you have the ingredients on hand. Husband and I loved it as a Sunday lunch on a rainy CT day. I’m going to try it next time with some spiralized veggie noodles – great idea!
The first time I made this, we found the 2T fish sauce overwhelming. I made it a second time w/ 1/2 tsp fish sauce and my family LOVED it. We are a family of 5 and will eat the whole pot, so I just add the chicken to the pot to warm it. Found the Thai Kitchen brand ingredients at a local WalMart, already had coconut milk and Sriracha from Trader Joe’s (but they should be in most stores). Super delicious! Thank you for this recipe.
Made this tonight exactly as recipe dictates. It was amazing!
My family loved it!
I did add some sliced avocado which was yummy.
Hi Jenn! I love all your recipes and looking forward to making your Thai Chicken Noodle Soup tomorrow! Quick question, what is the difference between Green & Red Curry Paste? I love spicy foods, but some of my family likes dishes with a little less spice. Is there a major difference between the two? I always like making recipes as instructed the first time around, and we do have Red Curry Paste in our home. But if you think Green Curry does make a difference, I will head out to the market tomorrow. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
Hi Stacey, They have a slightly different flavor but are generally interchangeable in recipes. Red curry tends to be less spicy, so it’s probably a good option for your family here. 🙂