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Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Thai chicken noodle soup with a golden coconut-curry broth and tender rice noodles, cooked in one pot. Sliced chicken simmers until just cooked, then noodles are reheated for a springy bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Thai-American
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breast or thighs
  • 1.5 lb Chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced
Rice noodles
  • 6 oz rice noodles
Coconut milk
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
Chicken broth
  • 4 cup chicken broth
Red curry paste
  • 2 tbsp red curry paste
Fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
Lime juice
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
Brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
Lemongrass
  • 1 lemongrass, bruised
Galangal or fresh ginger
  • 3 slice galangal or fresh ginger
Garlic
  • 4 clove garlic, minced
Bean sprouts
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
Green onions
  • 2 green onion green onions, sliced
Thai basil
  • 0.25 cup fresh Thai basil
Cilantro
  • 0.25 cup cilantro
Lime wedges
  • 2 lime wedges
Red chili
  • 0.5 red chili, sliced
Oil
  • 1 tbsp oil

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Soak the noodles
  1. Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Build the coconut-curry broth
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the red curry paste for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  2. Add the garlic, lemongrass, and galangal, then cook for 1 minute.
  3. Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth, then stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar.
Cook the chicken and noodles
  1. Simmer the broth for 10 minutes.
  2. Add the sliced chicken and cook for 8-10 minutes until cooked through.
  3. Remove the lemongrass and galangal from the pot.
  4. Add the drained rice noodles and heat through for 2-3 minutes.
Serve
  1. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with bean sprouts and green onions.
  2. Finish each bowl with fresh Thai basil, cilantro, lime wedges, and sliced red chili.

Notes

Pro tip: Thinly slice the chicken so it cooks within 8-10 minutes without drying out. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently to avoid over-softening the noodles. Freezing is not recommended because rice noodles can become mushy after thawing. For a dairy-free, gluten-free-friendly option, use gluten-free fish sauce if needed.