This soup is dedicated to a very special reader named Courtney. Courtney was a winner of an AK contest a few months ago, and the prize resulted in a recipe dedicated and inspired by her!
Courtney and I chatted a bit and I came to learn that she is quite the world traveler — she’s done everything from traveling through Europe for a year to volunteering in Africa and even teaching English in Thailand. While speaking with her, we of course talked about some of her favorite foods. One that came up was Panang curry and a Northern Thailand noodle dish called Koi Soi. We decided that I’d come up with a curry chicken noodle soup with Thai-inspired flavors to take her back to one of her favorite places with her most loved foods.
This curry chicken noodle soup is made with a soothing light coconut milk broth that’s full of nourishing fresh herbs, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, veggies, chicken, and of course, all the noodles of your dreams! So here’s to you, Courtney — I hope you love this soup and that it takes you back to a time of nostalgia.
Chicken noodle soup reinvented
Inspiration: this warming curry chicken noodle soup is a delicious, globally-inspired take on chicken noodle soup and dang, IT IS GOOD. It’s actually inspired by my very favorite Nourishing Asian Chicken Soup and is equally as amazing.
Good for you: It’s filled with flavor thanks to a few special ingredients and plenty of nourishing, immune-boosting properties thanks to fresh garlic, ginger & lemongrass. Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties, ginger is wonderful for digestion, and lemongrass includes incredible flavonoids. All of them together just make the dish incredibly tasty.
Friendly for all types of eaters: This soup is gluten & dairy free and easily made paleo by simply omitting the noodles! Though I highly recommend keeping them because they help to thicken the broth and… well, because noodles = love. Options to spice it up and make it your own below!
What you’ll need to make curry chicken noodle soup
This curry chicken noodle soup is packing all of the nourishing ingredients and tons of fresh, savory flavors. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Chicken: I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe for extra flavor, but feel free to use chicken breasts if you’d like. FYI: chicken thighs will be easier to pull apart once cooked and stay nice and tender.
- Veggies: we’re adding carrots, green onions and bok choy for a boost of veggies and texture.
- Broth: the broth for this curry chicken noodle soup is made from light coconut milk and low sodium chicken broth.
- Flavor boosters and nourishing spices: these extras give the soup an amazing, unique flavor — garlic, freshly grated ginger, curry powder, Thai chili paste, gluten free soy sauce, lemongrass and fish sauce.
- Noodles: you’ll add rice noodles to the soup to make it a true chicken noodle soup!
- Fresh herbs & toppings: I love topping my bowl with fresh cilantro, mint leaves, Thai basil, more green onion, a Thai chile and lime wedges. It makes all the difference and you can stir it right into each bowl. SO DAMN GOOD.
Easy ingredient swaps
Missing a few things? Here are some swaps I can recommend:
- If you don’t have toasted or dark sesame oil, feel free to use coconut oil or olive oil.
- You can use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
- Sriracha will work well in place of the Thai chili paste.
- If you don’t have any fish sauce you can leave it out, but I highly recommend adding it for a deep umami flavor — it really does make all the difference!
- For the toppings, regular basil and a jalapeño are great swaps for Thai basil and Thai chiles.
How to make curry chicken noodle soup
- Brown your chicken. To give the chicken as much flavor as possible you’ll want to first brown it in the sesame oil.
- Sauté the veggies. Give your veggies, garlic and ginger a quick sauté in some more oil before adding the liquid ingredients, spices and chili paste.
- Simmer the soup. You’ll then add your chicken and the lemongrass stalks directly to the soup pot and simmer everything until the chicken is cooked.
- Finish it off. Once the chicken is cooked you’ll shred it and stir it back into the soup along with the rice noodles, bok choy and fish sauce. Remember to also remove the lemongrass stalks!
- Top with freshness. Add the soup to serving bowls and top with all the fresh goods: cilantro, mint, Thai basil, scallions, Thai chile & lime. YUM. DO NOT SKIP the toppings!
Go ahead, make this soup your own
The best part about this curry chicken noodle soup? It’s super easy to customize!
- Keep it vegan or vegetarian by swapping the chicken for a can of chickpeas or cubed tofu!
- Make a paleo version by simply omitting the rice noodles
- OR add ramen noodles instead!
- Spice it up with extra Thai chili paste or sriracha
- Add extra umami flavor with mushrooms
Storing & freezing tips
- In the fridge. This curry chicken noodle soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. The broth will thicken up a lot, so you may need to add a splash of chicken broth.
- To freeze. Leave the noodles out if you’re planning to freeze this. Allow the soup to cool completely before placing it into airtight, freezer-friendly bags or containers. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply allow the soup to thaw in the refrigerator before re-heating on the stovetop or in the microwave. If you’re adding noodles, cook them separately and add them to your reheated soup when you’re ready to serve, or stir them into your hot soup (they cook very quickly).
See how to make the curry chicken noodle soup
More soup recipes to try
Vegan Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup
Golden Coconut Chicken Lentil Soup
Paleo Coconut Chicken Sweet Potato Noodle Soup
I hope you love this cozy curry chicken noodle soup! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Curry Chicken Noodle Soup
Cozy and nourishing curry chicken noodle soup filled with veggies and simmered in a flavorful coconut milk broth. This one pot curry chicken noodle soup is packed with protein and immune-boosting ingredients for a wonderful lunch or dinner during colder months!
-
1 1/2
tablespoons
toasted or dark sesame oil, divided -
1
pound
boneless skinless chicken thighs - Freshly ground salt and pepper
-
6
cloves
garlic, minced -
2
bunches of green onions, white and green parts divided -
2
large carrots, sliced -
1
tablespoon
freshly minced or grated ginger -
1
tablespoon
yellow curry powder -
1
(15 ounce) can light coconut milk -
6
cups
low sodium chicken broth -
1
tablespoon
thai chili paste (or ½ tablespoon sriracha works too) -
¼
cup
gluten free low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos -
2
stalks lemongrass, trimmed and outer layers discarded, halved lengthwise -
6
bok choy ribs with leaves, coarsely chopped -
1
tablespoon
fish sauce -
8
ounces
rice noodles - For serving:
-
½
cup
fresh chopped cilantro -
½
cup
torn Thai bail (regular basil will also work) -
1/3
cup
mint leaves, torn - Green onion (just the green part of the onion)
-
1
thai chile, to garnish (can also sub jalapeno) - Lime wedges, for garnishing
Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to a large dutch oven or large pot and place over medium high heat. Add in chicken thighs and generously season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken on both sides. You don’t need to cook the chicken all the way, just get it nice and golden brown for flavor purposes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
In the same pot, add the remaining ½ tablespoon sesame oil. Immediately add in minced garlic, white part only of the green onions, sliced carrot and ginger. Saute for 3-5 minutes, then add in the curry powder, coconut milk, chicken broth, thai chili paste and soy sauce. Add the chicken thighs back to the pot and place two lemongrass stalks in. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove chicken from the pot and transfer to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred chicken. Before adding chicken back to the pot, remove the lemongrass stalks and discard. If you’d like to add rice noodles, now is the time to do so; add them to the pot along with the shredded chicken, bok choy and fish sauce and simmer for 10 more minutes or until rice noodles are nice and tender.
Pour into bowls, then garnish with a few cilantro, mint, thai green basil, green scallions, thai chile and a fresh squeeze of lime.
To store: store this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
To freeze: leave the noodles out if you’re planning to freeze this. Allow the soup to cool completely before placing it into airtight, freezer-friendly bags or containers. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply allow the soup to thaw in the refrigerator before re-heating on the stovetop or in the microwave. If you’re adding noodles, cook them separately and add them to your reheated soup when you’re ready to serve, or stir them into your hot soup (they cook very quickly).
Nutrition
Servings: 6 servings
Serving size: 1 serving (based on 6)
Calories: 352kcal
Fat: 13.1g
Saturated fat: 5.2g
Carbohydrates: 35.9g
Fiber: 0.9g
Sugar: 1.7g
Protein: 21.1g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
