Thai Noodle Soup with Chicken
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This Thai noodle soup will awaken all of your tastebuds with its bold Thai inspired flavors of peanut, red curry paste, coconut, and lime.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
Thai food is some of my favorite food on earth. I love the spiciness, the nuttiness, the saltiness, the sweetness, and how all of those bold flavors come together in a perfect balance on my tongue.
Which is why I created this flavorful thai chicken noodle soup recipe. Not only does it satisfy any Thai food craving you may be having, but it warms you like a classic chicken noodle soup. Oh, and did I mention it can be ready in 30 minutes or less? So it is the perfect weeknight meal.
Fast – This delicious thai noodle recipe is ready in under 30 minutes!
Thai inspired flavors – Peanut butter, coconut, and red curry paste bring the flavors of Thai food to this boldly flavored dish.
Budget friendly – Just a few cost effective pantry ingredients like spaghetti noodles and peanut butter help this dish remain inexpensive.
Customizable – You can use any protein, veggies, or noodles you have on hand, making this thai noodle soup recipe both customizable and versatile.
If you have leftover noodles, consider making one of these yummy recipes; Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup, Minced Pork Noodles and Chicken Pho (Vietnamese Inspired Noodle Soup)
Ingredients
Chicken thighs – Chicken thighs are both budget friendly and full of flavor. I like to use skin on chicken thighs to help boost the flavor of the Thai chicken soup and help retain the juiciness of the chicken.
Red Thai paste – This is where this thai chicken noodle soup really gets its flavor. Red Thai paste is red curry that brings a bold rich flavor of red peppers and other spices. Curry pastes can be spicy, so be sure to choose one that is appropriate for your spice levels. You could also use a green, or yellow curry paste in this recipe if you don’t like the red.
Peanut butter – Peanut butter lends its bold nutty flavor to this recipe while also bringing a bit of sweetness.
Coconut milk – I love the flavors of coconut and the addition here really makes this dish taste Thai inspired.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
This soup can be made in many different ways. If you don’t want to make the chicken, you could use leftovers or buy a rotisserie chicken. This recipe is also great with beef, pork, shrimp or even tofu.
The noodles are definitely interchangeable. Rice noodles or egg noodles would be just fine. And a gluten free noodle would make this a gluten free dish.
If you want to try a different curry paste, I recommend the green or the yellow. And the Pak choy can be substituted with spinach or kale.
Make this vegetarian or vegan by leaving out the meat and replacing the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
Try some other delicious and filling soup recipes ; Easy Tuscan White Bean Soup (Creamy!), Roasted Vegetable Soup and Green Chili Chicken Soup
How to make Thai noodle soup with chicken
- Add the olive oil to a large saucepan on a low heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side facing down and leave to gently fry for around 6 minutes, gradually increasing the heat. This will brown the skin (making it very easy to remove) and flavour the oil (Image 1).
- Then slice the spring onions, saving the darker ends as a garnish (Image 2).
3. Add half of the chopped spring onions (whiter end) to the pan to fry for a couple of minutes (Image 3).
4. Then add the red Thai paste, peanut butter, tomato puree and a splash of water to combine. Gently fry for a couple of minutes to bloom the aromatics in the paste (Image 4).
5. Remove the chicken from the pan, don’t worry if small bits of skin are stuck to the pan, this will add to the flavour of the soup and save on a plate. Pour the coconut milk slowly into the pan whilst stirring continuously, followed by the stock (Image 5).
6. Remove the skin of the chicken thighs and place the chicken thighs back into the pan. Simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes (Image 6).
7. During this time, add the spaghetti to salted boiling water, setting your timer according to the packet (Image 7).
8. After 15 minutes, add the pak choi and optional fish sauce (Image 8).
9. Serve up the Thai broth and chicken, then add a serving of noodles into the bowl (Image 9).
10. Top with some fresh coriander, sliced spring onion (the remaining greener end), chilli flakes and a squeeze of lime. Dig in! (Image 10).
Note: Store the spaghetti/noodles separately to prevent them absorbing all of the broth if meal prepping .
Tips for the best result
- Spice is a personal preference. Make sure you make this dish at the spice level you like.
- Store the noodles separate from the soup or they will get mushy and absorb all of the broth.
- Allow time to really render out the chicken fat from the skin. This provides the best flavour base for the broth.
Need inspiration for some other Thai inspired recipes? Try my; Thai Green Chicken Curry, Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce and Easy Red Prawn Thai Curry
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Can you make it ahead?
You can most definitely make this meal ahead. Follow the same directions but make the noodles separately so they can be stored apart from the broth.
Store noodles separately so they don’t get mushy
I recommend storing the noodles and the broth separately from each other. Store each in its own airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and combine when ready to eat.
Can you freeze this?
Freezing is a great way to meal prep and great news, this thai soup freezes well. I recommend freezing the broth and the noodles separately in airtight containers. Place in a normal freezer for up to 3 months and a deep freezer for up to 1 year.
How to Reheat
Broth: If reheating from frozen, microwave until thawed and warmed through. Microwave refrigerated broth until heated through or warm in a saucepan until heated through.
Noodles: Defrost if frozen. Once thawed, add about 1 Tbsp of water to the noodles and microwave until heated through. From the refrigerator, add about 1 Tbsp of water and then microwave until the noodles are warm.
FAQs
While you can eat this soup hot or cold, I recommend eating it hot in order to get the fullness of flavor in the soup.
If you don’t like spicy food, you can opt for a mild curry paste to add to this soup.
Can I substitute the coconut milk for something else?
If you don’t have coconut milk, you could add a splash of cream to get the creaminess, but you will not be able to get the coconut flavor.
Absolutely! Cashew butter may work best because it brings a bit of sweetness, but you could also try almond butter.
Thai Noodle Soup with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 kg pack of chicken thighs (£3.14)
- 50 g spring onions, thinly sliced (£0.59)
- 4 tbsp red Thai paste (£2.40/2)=(£1.20)
- 2 tbsp peanut butter (£1.09/10)=(£0.10)
- 400 ml (1 can) of coconut milk (£0.85)
- 200 g spaghetti (£0.28
- 2 bulbs of pak choi, sliced lengthwise into quarters (£1.10)
- Fresh coriander (£0.60)
- 1 lime, cut into wedges (£0.25)
Cupboard Essentials
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1.4 litre chicken stock 2 cubes
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- Salt & Pepper
- Optional: 1 tsp fish sauce
Method
- Add the olive oil to a large saucepan on a low heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side facing down and leave to gently fry for around 6 minutes, gradually increasing the heat. This will brown the skin (making it very easy to remove) and flavour the oil.
- Remove the chicken from the pan, don’t worry if small bits of skin are stuck to the pan, this will add to the flavour of the soup. Add half of the chopped spring onions (whiter end) to the pan to fry for a couple of minutes before adding the red Thai paste, peanut butter, tomato puree and a splash of water to combine. Gently fry for a couple of minutes to bloom the aromatics in the paste.
- Pour the coconut milk slowly into the pan whilst stirring continuously, followed by the stock. Remove the skin of the chicken thighs and place the chicken thighs back into the pan. Simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes.
- During this time, add the spaghetti to salted boiling water, setting your timer according to the packet.
- After 15 minutes, add the pak choi and optional fish sauce. During this time, remove the chicken from the bone and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add it back into the pot. After 5 more minutes of cook time, you should be ready to serve up!
- Serve up the Thai broth and chicken, then add a serving of noodles into the bowl. Top with some fresh coriander, sliced spring onion (the remaining greener end), chilli flakes and a squeeze of lime. Dig in!
Note: store the spaghetti/noodles separately to prevent them absorbing all of the broth if meal prepping .
Notes
- Adjust the spice according to personal preference when preparing the dish.
- Keep the spaghetti/noodles separate from soup to prevent mushiness and preserve broth integrity.
- Ensure thorough rendering of chicken fat from the skin for optimal broth flavour.
Nutrition
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