Thai-Inspired Chicken & Rice Noodle Soup

Tested & Perfected Recipes Cookbook Recipe

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Cozy, comforting, and fragrant, this flavor-packed Thai chicken noodle soup will warm you right up.

Thai chicken rice noodle soup

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.

“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.”

Jeff

What You’ll Need To Make Chicken & Rice Noodle Soup

ingredients for thai chicken 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

sauteing shallots and ginger for thai chicken soup

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.

adding green curry paste for thai chicken soup

Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and turmeric; bring to a gentle simmer. Continue simmering for 5 minutes.

simmering broth for thai chicken soup

Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles by dropping them in boiling water.

cooking rice noodles for thai chicken soup

Let sit for a few minutes to soften.

cooking rice noodles for thai chicken soup

Then drain.

draining rice noodles for thai chicken soup

When ready to serve, divide the noodles and chicken into serving bowls.

assembling bowl of thai chicken soup

Ladle the broth over top and sprinkle with cilantro and scallions. Serve with Sriracha sauce and lime wedges.

thai chicken soup in serving bowl

“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.”

Kay

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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.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions.
  3. 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.
  4. Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
  5. 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 Edamam

  • 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

  • I made this last night, and it was a hit! It has enough Thai flavor to be different from regular chicken soup, but it wasn’t too weird for my picky nine year-old.

  • Wow this was good! In addition to the other toppings, I also included fresh sliced jalapenos. Highly recommend. Thank you for the amazing recipe.

  • Very good. Added several kaffir (Also known as makkrut) lime leaves to add more authentic flavor.

  • This soup was amazing – and even better on the 2nd day!

  • I’m not very good with fish sauce…. Any substitute suggestions or do I just need to bite the bullet?

    • Hi RM, the fish sauce won’t be obvious once it’s incorporated into the soup (and it gives the soup a nice authentic Thai flavor), but if you feel really strongly about avoiding it, you can replace it with soy sauce. Hope that helps!

  • Could I use red thai curry instead of green thai curry paste?

    Thank you!
    Lisa

    • Sure – enjoy!

  • This soup is the BEST!! It tastes like the noodles and company thai curry soup that I love so much!!

    • — JESSICA BERRIOS
    • Reply
  • I wanted to make a double recipe, but my partner didn’t want to use too much coconut milk. I ended up using only the 1 can of coconut milk (as opposed the 2 cans that would be necessary for a double recipe). Despite the deviation, we both thought it tasted great!

  • Absolutely amazing…like a pho soup. My husband is my taste tester as I lost my taste after being sick and he said it was one of the best soups I’ve ever made and I cook something different every day from scratch so this is definitely a winner. It’s very filling also, probably from the coconut milk addition. This with a dinner roll was plenty. Highly recommend. Thank you, Jenn, you’re the best!

  • This was the first OUAC recipe I tried (several years ago) and I loved it so much that I now look for Jen’s recipes for everything I make! Her cookbooks and recipes are wonderful!!! This recipe is loved by everyone I’ve ever made it for, and is the ultimate comfort food when the weather is cold! Try it with a bit of sriracha for a bit of heat!

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