Thai-Inspired Chicken & Rice Noodle Soup
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.”
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I liked this with slight modification. I found it too bland, especially for something referred to as Thai. I added about 1/2 tablespoon of sambal oelek which made it more to my liking. It also seemed a bit too sour for my taste so I increased the brown sugar by about 1/2 tablespoon as well. I used red curry paste as that’s what I had on hand. I also just made it as I would any other soup. I put everything in the pot rather than constructing it in each serving bowl.
Jenn, I absolutely love this recipe and have made it many times! Thank you for sharing!
I was wondering though, Would it be OK if I used the red curry paste instead? Simply because I have more of that in the refrigerator and not enough of the green!
Sure, red curry paste will work here! 🙂
This soup is delish. Just a bit of heat that quickly dissipates. So easy to make just chop the shallots and ginger and cook then the rest of the ingredients get added. Boil the noodle (so fast 4 min) and done. I like to cook and freeze. You can not freeze the broth once the coconut milk is added so next time will make a double batch of the broth and freeze, then add coconut milk, chicken, noodles and toppings to make it even quicker. I have yet to make a recipe from this blog that I haven’t loved.
Even easier, just add the rice noodles (rice stick) to the broth. Saves on dishes and cooks them perfectly!
We loved this quick and easy recipe. For my family, we wanted more veggies. I sautéed mushrooms and also frozen petite peas. Yummy!
I love this recipe! I cook A LOT, often 3 meals a day plus snacks for my family. My 3 little boys, under 6, devour this and especially love to slurp the noodles. I love to make it for myself as an easy comfort meal and deliver it to sick friends and new moms. I’ve used all of the curry flavors in it: red, yellow, masaman and they work nicely as well though green is still my favorite. Other add-ins that I use frequently: mushrooms, matchstick carrots, bean sprouts and gochujang. I also typically double this recipe each time I make it. It is A fantastic recipe!
Super easy and yummy on a stormy evening! I added a some small broccoli flowers, thin red pepper strips and a handful of baby spinach. Healthy and delicious! Thank you, Jenn!
Made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS! I only had the red curry paste and thought it was perfection! All the scallions, lime and cilantro made all the flavors really pop. I will be making this again and again.
Hi, Jenn
Can’t wait to make this. Reviews are outstanding.
My Kroger doesn’t carry green curry paste. I have
red curry paste in my pantry though. Can I sub that?
Thank you. Lisa
Sure – hope you enjoy! 🙂
Easy and delicious!
Can this be made with an alternate protein like, say, shrimp?
Sure!
I love this recipe. I made it on a whim thinking my children and teenager wouldn’t eat it. Everyone loves it and we’ve had it three times now. It’s a really nice alternative to chicken noodle soup on a rainy day or if fighting a cold.
Most amazing soup ever. Flavours are awesome. Could eat at least 3 times a week. Love your recipes😊😊💕💕🇨🇦
LOVE this soup, thank you so much. Made it just as written except for the rice noodles (diabetic and even a 1/4 serving size shoots the blood sugar up). Love the explosion of flavors and so very easy.