We love making warm, comforting soups when the temperatures start to drop here in New England. This spicy Thai chicken soup is packed with flavor and feel-good ingredients. It comes together in just 20 minutes for a quick dinner that tastes better than Thai takeout.
It’s no secret that chicken noodle soup is perfect for cold season. What’s even better? Spicy Thai chicken noodle soup. It will clear your sinuses and keep you warm.
Ingredients Needed
There are a few key ingredients needed for this spicy Thai coconut chicken soup. For the best depth of flavor, use fresh ingredients. You can adjust some of the ingredients for your personal taste.
- Chicken broth – We like to start with a low-sodium broth and then adjust the salt to taste. If you don’t have chicken broth on hand, you can also use beef or veggie.
- Thai red curry paste – This is the flavorful base that gives this dish its spice. This versatile paste made with red chili peppers can be found in any chain grocery store or specialty market. Check the International foods aisle for this ingredient.
- Uncooked rice noodles – You can use your favorite brand of rice noodles for this recipe. We like to use larger, flat noodles for a more satisfying bite.
- Full-fat coconut milk – Coconut milk adds a much desired creamy base to this soup. Where other creamy soup recipes may use heavy cream or milk, coconut milk is traditionally used in many Thai recipes. This also makes the soup dairy-free. For the best flavor, use full fat.
- Rotisserie chicken – Shredded rotisserie chicken is our favorite protein to use for this soup. You can also use boiled shredded chicken breast (shredded) or shrimp instead.
- Fresh basil – If there is one ingredient you need to use fresh for this soup, it’s the basil. If you have Thai basil, even better!
- Onion – We like using yellow or white onion in this soup recipe.
- Ginger – Fresh ginger adds a warm, spicy flavor to this soup. It’s also packed with health benefits. We suggest grating your ginger fresh for best results.
- Green onion – Fresh green onion are the perfect garnish for this Thai-inspired soup.
- Garlic – For the best flavor, use freshly minced garlic in this recipe.
- Lime juice – We like to use fresh squeezed, but bottled lime juice will also work well for this soup. You’ll be adding it in last for flavor and acidity.
- Cilantro – If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can omit this herb from the recipe.
How To Make This Soup
Not only is this soup a one-pot meal, but it comes together incredibly fast. Most of the time for this soup is spent prepping the ingredients.
- Sauté the chopped onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Add the grated ginger, garlic, and Thai red curry paste to the pot. Sauté with the onion for 1 additional minute.
- Pour the chicken broth, water, and coconut milk into the pot. Add the shredded rotisserie chicken and noodles. Heat to a boil, then reduce to medium-low for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add in the lime juice, chopped basil, cilantro, green onion, salt and pepper to the soup. Stir to combine. Serve warm.
How can I store this soup?
If you’re planning on making enough of this soup for leftovers, cook the noodles separately. This way, you can reheat the broth and make a fresh batch of noodles the next day. Noodles tend to absorb a lot of liquid when sitting overnight. Seal the broth in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe Variations
There are many different ways to dress up this soup or play with the flavors. While the base recipe is a great place to start, try mixing it up and making it your own.
- Add fresh veggies – Mushrooms, carrots, and fresh chopped pepper are all great additions to this recipe. You can also add hot peppers to kick up the spice level. Fresh kale or spinach stirred in at the end make this soup more vegetable-heavy without compromising the flavor.
- Fish sauce – Fish sauce works well with the other flavors in this dish. Be sure not to add too much (start with 2 teaspoons and add more to taste).
- Fresh lemongrass – While many Thai curry pastes have lemongrass added, there is nothing better than fresh. Try adding some fresh crushed lemongrass to this recipe while the soup is simmering.
- Swap the noodles – Instead of using noodles in this recipe, try using rice instead for a different texture.
Let us know if you try this soup recipe and any variations you may have made. This time of year, we can’t get enough soup!
Spicy Thai Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 5 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 3.5 oz uncooked rice noodles
- 13.5 oz full-fat coconut milk
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp. fresh basil chopped
- 2 Tbsp. cilantro chopped
- 2 Tbsp. green onion sliced thin
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the chopped onion for 5 minutes.
- Add the grated ginger, minced garlic, and Thai red curry paste to the pot and saute with the onion for 1 additional minute.
- Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, and shredded rotisserie chicken into the pot and stir to combine. Heat the broth to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the lime juice, chopped basil, cilantro, sliced green onion, salt, and black pepper to the soup and combine. Serve warm and enjoy!
Cooking the rice noodles
- Cook rice noodles according to package instructions and spoon the broth over the cooked noodles. Alternatively, you can prepare this soup with rice instead of noodles.
Notes
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Sliced jalapeño
- Chili garlic sauce