Recreate this Thai restaurant-inspired soup at home in 20 minutes! An EASY, one-pot recipe for this comforting soup made with shredded chicken, Thai red curry paste, coconut milk, basil, cilantro, green onions, and more! Healthy comfort food never tasted so good!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Total Time20 minutesmins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: red curry Thai noodle soup, Thai chicken noodle soup, Thai chicken soup with noodles, Thai curry noodle soup, Thai red curry noodle soup, Thai rice noodle soup
Servings: 6
Calories: 225kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
2tablespoonsolive oilcoconut oil may be substituted
1small yellow or white onionfinely diced
1teaspoonfresh gingerpeeled and finely grated (or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger, or to taste)
3 to 4clovesgarlicfinely minced
6tablespoonsThai red curry paste*about half of a 4-ounce jar, or to taste
4cupsreduced sodium chicken broth
2cupswater
13.5-ouncecan full fat coconut milk*See Notes
3.5ouncesuncooked rice noodlesstir fry size, not 'thin rice noodles'
2cupscooked and shredded chicken*See Notes, homemade or rotisserie
Juice of 1 lime
2tablespoonsfresh basilfinely chopped
2tablespoonscilantrofinely chopped
2tablespoonsgreen onionsliced thin
1teaspoonkosher or sea saltplus more to taste
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperor to taste
Instructions
To a large stockpot or Dutch oven, add the oil, onion, and saute over medium-high heat until it becomes soft and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes; stir frequently.
Add the ginger, garlic, Thai red curry paste, stir to incorporate, and saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir nearly continuously. *Tip - It is NOT a typo about the quantity of curry paste, I do mean 6 tablespoons, not teaspoons, because the brand of curry paste I use (Thai Kitchen) is not spicy; it's flavorful. But without adding a pretty decent amount, the soup lacks flavor to me. However, always add any condiment, salt, pepper, etc. slowly and to your own taste preferences, and adjust as you desire.
Add the chicken broth, water, full fat coconut milk (See Notes), shredded chicken* (See Notes), rice noodles, allow soup to come to a boil, and then simmer for a couple more minutes, or until the noodles are tender. If desired, you can add additional broth/water if you prefer a more brothy soup. Noodle Tips - Rice noodles are much more delicate in texture than traditional pasta noodles and will become gummier quicker. Once you drop them into your soup pot, pay attention to what the brand you’re using recommends for a cooking time, but about 5 minutes usually does the trick, and 10 minutes would be the max. Remember that they’ll continue to cook and soften more off the heat as they sit in the hot broth. Make sure to select thicker 'stir fry' rice noodles rather than 'thin' rice noodles, which are the super skinny cup-of-ramen type noodles and simply too thin to really hold up in this soup.
Add the lime juice, basil, cilantro, green onions (white and green parts, or as desired), salt, pepper, stir to combine, taste, and make any flavor adjustments. Flavoring Tips - If the soup tastes at all flat, boring, or dull, it likely needs more salt; don't be afraid to add at least another teaspoon or two, depending on personal preference and brand of chicken broth used since some are saltier than others. Along with salt, the lime juice is an acid to brighten up the overall flavor profile so don't skip it. Feel free to add more salt, lime juice, fresh herbs, etc. as desired, to taste. The red curry paste does not make the soup spicy, rather it adds depth of flavor. To make it spicy, add some crushed red pepper flakes or a tiny bit of cayenne pepper.
Serve immediately. Soup will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Because rice noodles are much softer than traditional pasta noodles, don't be surprised if they become extremely soft as leftover soup sits and they will absorb a fair amount of broth. I haven't frozen this soup but my guess is that it will be fine stored airtight in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in the microwave.
Notes
*Coconut Milk - You want to use one 13.5 to 14-ounce can of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk. Full-fat canned coconut milk will give you a much richer overall mouthfeel, texture, and the soup will simply taste better than using lite canned coconut milk, although it will technically still ‘work’. Make sure to use coconut milk that comes in a can and not the kind in a carton in the refrigerated section of your grocery. That’s thinner and what you’d perhaps pour over cereal. Also, do not confuse canned coconut milk with cream of coconut that also comes in a can, which is extremely sweet, super thick (it’s almost pure fat), and better suited for blending up a piña colada than soup.*Chicken - You’ll want to use previously cooked chicken that’s been shredded or cubed. I recommend the following:
Poached Chicken– If you want to make chicken at home, use my easy and flavorful poached chicken recipe. Shred or cube it as desired.
Whole Roasted Chicken– This is the easiest way to make a whole roasted chicken on a sheet pan in just 1 hour. And when you’re wondering what to do with the leftover chicken – easy! Shred it and make this soup!
Store Bought Rotisserie Chicken – If you’re pressed for time or energy levels are not up to making your own chicken, pick up a rotisserie chicken and shred it so that you have 2 cups to use in the soup.
I personally like shredded chicken breasts best in this recipe. Although if you want to use a mix of dark meat along with white based on your preferences, go for it.