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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What is missing from this great recipe is how to make Thai green curry paste.
I did use the commercially available ones as well as self made ones, and the soup was absolutely great in all cases, but I’d still like to see the green curry recipe. I do not really trust the commercially available ones, they generally contain sugar and all kinds of preservatives.
I found some recipes for green curry, but why not add a side recipe for that in here? Or a link? It’s not rocket science.
I used bean vermicelli instead of rice noodles (I’m diabetic on a low carb diet), that works perfectly well.
Yeah, a very, very nice recipe, I use it regularly.
Hi Nicholass, Glad you like this. I will add curry paste to my list of recipes to potentially develop. 🙂
This is the second time I’ve made this recipe. Both times I forgot to reduce the sugar. It’s too sweet to be an authentic Thai dish. But I love giving all your recipes a go.
This recipe is an unexpected workhorse in our house. My 6-year-old declares it his favorite soup ever, and even my picky 3-year-old will eat it. I double the noodles because 4 oz is not enough for my noodle loving kids, but I don’t change a single other thing. So easy and flavorful, and quick enough for a weeknight meal. We just love it!
This soup has become a staple on our home. My teens request it each week!! I double the recipe so I have left overs (sometimes I have leftovers because I have teens!) Healthy, flavorful, and just a bowl of happy!!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ I love this recipe! Soup, in general, warms my soul, but this soup is like a spa day. So warming, comforting, flavorful, and hearty. It just makes you feel really good.
Delicious. The soup is very filling so nothing else is needed. My only mistake was not using a deep pot, my frying pan was full to the brim.
I’m making this for a luncheon tomorrow, but I’d like to make it today and just cook the noodles tomorrow. Does it hold up if make a day in advance?
Sure, you can actually make everything ahead of time (including the noodles) — just wait to combine the soup with the noodles until right before serving. Hope everyone enjoys!
Once again, an absolute winning recipe. Comfort soup with a little twist. Thanks for another superb recipe Jenn!❤️
Hello. This looks delicious. What can I substitute for brown sugar or any other sugar? Would coconut sugar or Monk fruit sweetener work? Thank you.
Hi Heidi, I think either of those should work. Hope you enjoy!
OMG this was fantastic! And like one of the other reviewers said it is definitely filling. My husband loved it and said that next time it might be even better with crushed peanuts on top. Who knows? Might have to try it and let you know.
This is such a delicious and flavorful soup! My husband loved it. The only thing I might try next time is to break the rice noodles into smaller lengths. They were a little long to eat with a spoon, and I wound up using a fork too! But no matter, this is perfect. Thanks for the great recipes, Jenn!