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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First Thai soup I have ever made and did so exactly as written. It was loaded with flavour I didn’t even need to add the Sriracha sauce. I like a little heat. My husband did and loved it. I Will be making this for friends for sure
It was so easy and quick. Planned ahead as a few ingredients were. not staples in my pantry. Now they will be. 🙂
Thanks Jenn.
Can leftovers be frozen without the garnishes?
Yes, the soup on its own can be frozen.
Great soup. Doubled the batch. I didn’t have dark brown sugar, so I used about a teaspoon more light brown sugar than the recipe called for, just to taste. The lime wedges and fresh cilantro garnishes were a must, as far as I am concerned. I wouldn’t even make this soup if I didn’t have both. I am discerning about the spiciness of my food — I don’t like it so hot I can’t taste anything. I seasoned individual bowls with a few drops of sriracha sauce, but I found the soup really popped when I added a half teaspoon or more of chili garlic sauce (made by the same manufacturer as the sriracha). Chili garlic sauce brought red flecks to the soup, which made it prettier. It also just gave it a bit more depth and overall heat, making it a true hot and sour soup that could sweat out a cold, depending on how much you use — start small and keep stirring to taste.
I made this soup but instead of green curry paste I used the yellow curry paste ( I couldn’t find the green curry paste ) and I cooked the chicken with the soup, absolutely delicious!! Once upon a chef has some of the best recipes . So far everything I’ve tried turned out delicious. Love it
Thanks I was wondering if this would be okay.
This was such a tasty and easy recipe to follow. I was really just looking for a way to use up a rather tasteless rotisserie chicken I picked up and this did not disappoint.
I substituted coconut aminos for the brown sugar, in the same quantity and it was perfect. I also did not have fresh ginger on hand and used ground, and it was still quite delicious. The acidity was really the winner for us! I plan on adapting this further and substituting noodles with riced cauliflower for a bit more veg. Thanks for a new recipe to add to the rotation!
May I use fresh grated tumeric?
Sure – enjoy!
Made this for dinner tonight along side a Asian salad. Perfect for a cold, windy evening. We like our Thai food spicy so I added four Thai chilis and tad more lemon juice. Also added some mushrooms. Yum!
I made this soup and served it to my husband and son tonight. We all loved it.
The only change I made was that I used red onion instead of shallots – only because I had red onion in my pantry, but no shallots.
Made his and it was fantastic. Family loved it!
I made this last night. I followed your recipe exactly. It was delicious. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for such wonderful recipes.