Description
This Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup is a restaurant-quality dish you can make at home in just 30-40 minutes! Featuring tender chicken, silky rice noodles, and vibrant vegetables in a rich coconut curry broth flavored with red curry paste, ginger, fish sauce, and lime. Finished with fresh cilantro, basil, and green onions, this soup delivers the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, salty, and sour flavors. Easily customizable with your choice of protein and vegetables, it’s cheaper and fresher than takeout and perfect for cozy weeknight dinners or meal prep!
Ingredients
For the Soup Base:
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch chunks
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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1 red bell pepper, diced
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1 onion, diced
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3 tablespoons red curry paste (Thai Kitchen or Mae Ploy brands work great)
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1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
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6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
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1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
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4 ounces rice noodles
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1 tablespoon fish sauce
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2 teaspoons brown sugar
For Garnish:
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3 green onions, thinly sliced
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½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
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¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves (Thai basil if you can find it!)
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2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
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Extra lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat until it’s shimmering.
Season your chicken chunks generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Add the chicken to the hot pot and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
You don’t need to cook it all the way through at this point, just get some nice color on it! Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Those browned bits in the pot are flavor gold!
In the same pot (don’t clean it!), add the diced onion and red bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re tender and starting to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
The vegetables will pick up those delicious browned bits from the chicken. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Stir in the red curry paste and freshly grated ginger. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the curry paste becomes super fragrant and has darkened slightly.
This step is crucial! Cooking the curry paste releases all those essential oils and intensifies the flavor. Don’t skip this—it makes such a difference!
Pour in the chicken broth and coconut milk, stirring everything together. Use your spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Stir until the coconut milk is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. The broth should look creamy and have a gorgeous orange-red color.
Return the browned chicken pieces to the pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Let it cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. This allows the chicken to finish cooking through and the flavors to meld together beautifully. The broth will reduce slightly and become even more concentrated.
Stir in the rice noodles, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Continue simmering until the noodles are tender, about 5 minutes.
Keep stirring occasionally so the noodles don’t stick together or to the bottom of the pot. The noodles will soften and become silky as they absorb the flavorful broth.
Taste the broth at this point—it should be a beautiful balance of spicy, salty, and slightly sweet!
Remove the pot from the heat. This is important because you don’t want to cook the fresh herbs—you want them bright and vibrant!
Stir in the sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, chopped basil, and freshly squeezed lime juice. Give everything a good stir to distribute the herbs throughout.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lime juice if needed.
Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls, making sure everyone gets plenty of chicken, noodles, and vegetables in each portion.
Serve immediately while it’s piping hot, with extra lime wedges on the side for squeezing. The soup is best enjoyed fresh!
Notes
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Prep everything before you start cooking—this recipe moves quickly once you begin!
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Use rotisserie chicken for an even faster version—just shred and add with the broth
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Adjust the heat level by using more or less curry paste (start with 2 tablespoons if you’re heat-sensitive)
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Don’t overcook the chicken—cut it into smaller pieces so it cooks quickly and stays tender
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Toast the curry paste well—it should darken slightly and smell incredibly fragrant
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Squeeze lime juice fresh—bottled just doesn’t have the same bright, zingy flavor
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Save pasta water trick—if your soup gets too thick, thin it with a little extra broth or water
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Make it gluten-free—just ensure your curry paste and fish sauce are gluten-free (most are!)
- Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai