Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup
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So much better than takeout! Packed with bites of tender chicken, rice noodles, cilantro, basil and lime juice!
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reasons to make thai red curry noodle soup
- Restaurant-quality made right at home for half the cost (and even tastier IMO)
- Fragrant, flavorful, cold weather comfort food, full of bold Thai flavors
- No-fuss one pot dinner which means less dishes, less clean up
- Great clean-out-the-fridge meal, adding in any lingering veggies that needs to be used up
- Quick and easy for busy weeknights but also fancy enough for company
what is red curry paste and where can i find it
Commonly used in Thai dishes, red curry paste is made from a blend of red chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, Thai ginger and various spices.
Red curry paste is typically used for stir-fry, soups or mixed with coconut milk for curry. It is readily available in most grocery store chains, particularly the Thai Kitchen brand, and online, with some brands containing shellfish (shrimp paste).
tips and tricks for success
- Use your favorite protein. This recipe will work well with chicken thighs, chicken breasts, shrimp or tofu.
- Use full fat coconut milk. Although lite coconut milk can certainly be used, full fat coconut milk will yield a much more rich and creamy broth.
- Fish sauce is a hero. Fish sauce is a key ingredient here, balancing out the flavors, and adding saltiness and umami without overpowering it. A little bit goes a long way.
- Mix it up. Swap the red curry paste for green, add in more veggies (cabbage, zucchini, mushrooms or bok choy) or use your favorite noodles (vermicelli, udon or soba noodles).
- Divide and conquer. When storing leftovers, separate the noodles and broth. This will help the noodles retain its texture.
what to serve with thai red curry noodle soup
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Shrimp or tofu are both great options.
We personally love Mae Ploy (contains shrimp paste). Thai Kitchen is also great with mild heat, and more readily available at most grocery stores.
Fish sauce has a strong, pungent “fishy” smell but when cooked, it brings in savory, salty, umami goodness.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days, separating the rice noodles from the broth.
We do not recommend freezing this as coconut milk tends to separate when frozen.
Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
- 4 ounces rice noodles
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
- Add garlic, bell pepper and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in red curry paste and ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken broth and coconut milk, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in chicken. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in rice noodles, fish sauce and brown sugar until noodles are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat; stir in green onions, cilantro, basil and lime juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
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This was so dang yummy! Even my teenagers loved it! My husband cannot get enough red curry. He had a very similar soup at a restaurant recently and it left me wanting more. I have always been intimidated to try making something that seems so exotic but it was really easy.
I think I’ll try cutting the chicken into dinner pieces (like the restaurants do). I also want to try it with shrimp and play around with different veggies in it. Thanks so much for sharing this delicious recipe!
Yum, so delicious! Thanks for this awesome recipe.
Made it last night and followed the recipe as close as I could with available ingredients. Used Thai Kitchen green curry instead of red, and sadly didn’t have any limes so used a combo of apple cider vinegar and lemon juice in place (would definitely use lime next time, but this worked in a pinch). I also used the leftover meat from a roasted chicken I had a couple days prior, and made a good hearty stock from the carcass for the base of this soup.
I have a question for the next time I make this (because I will make it again!) – I cooked the rice noodles separately and then added them because I was worried about the soup being starchy, but would rather avoid that step next time if not needed. Does it make the soup starchy to cook the noodles right in the broth?
Not at all! 🙂
Yum! Just made this and decided to try a chicken, tofu and shrimp combo – it was great! Also, we only had bean threads (no rice noodles) but this substitution worked!
Thanks so much for another super soup recipe for this winter!
That’s great!
Can I use green curry paste?
Yes, absolutely – but only if you’re okay with it turning into a Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup recipe! 🙂
I just made this tonight, and it was SO good! I wasn’t expecting it to taste as good as takeout, but it really did. (Plus it made a huge pot, so I have leftovers to look forward to!) I’ve tried a lot of recipes from this site and this is one of my favourites.
This was so delicious- my fiance and I both loved it!
I mistakenly bought vermicelli noodles (made from mung beans) instead of rice noodles. I followed the package instructions and soaked the noodles in hot water for 5 minutes, drained and rinsed them, and then added them to the soup at the end. It turned out great!
Do I use precooked rice noodles or uncooked?
Uncooked rice noodles as they will cook in step #6.
used spegetti squash instead of rice noodles. This was really yummy! Doubled the curry and accidently added extra brown sugar. Also added a little red chili paste for a tiny bit of heat.
I love Thai food. I am particularly fond of curries. Will this recipe substitute green curry paste for the red without negative effects?
Yes, absolutely – but only if you’re okay with it turning into a Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup recipe! 🙂
Making this for dinner tonight! Cant wait to report back. Lately I’m all about Asian inspired dishes =)
Yum, yum and double yum!!! Made this last night and it lived up to your website-damn delicious. I cruised your site a few days ago, saw the recipe and had all the ingredients; a good omen. I followed the recipe, tasted and seasoned along the way and only adjusted some of the quantities according to taste. Since I had Italian and Thai basil in the garden, used both. I served it with fresh lime wedges, Thai basil and Siracha. Perfection. It looked just like your picture (which by the way, kudos to your photographer). Can’t wait for seconds!
Love your site. Gave your cookbook to my daughter last year for Christmas and she was delighted-she knew you. I’ve been cooking for 50 years and have hundreds of cookbooks but I an always looking for new things. Your site always delivers. Thanks for sharing your passion.
Thank you, Denise! Chungah takes the pictures herself. 🙂
This was by far the BEST recipe I have tried!! I did add 4 tbs of Red This Curry paste instead of 3, and I added 1 more can of coconut milk and 1 Lb of shrimp. Outstanding!!! Everyone wanted the recipe!!
That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing!
Does this reheat well? My family is in a soup club and this looks like an awesome recipe to make for everyone – however, we often cook one day and deliver the next, so it would need to be okay reheated. If so, would you cook through step 6, and then have families add in the fresh veggies/herbs/juice at the end of reheating? Thank you!
Yes, that’s the best way to do it and assures the integrity of the recipe. But as always, please use your best judgement when it comes to storing and reheating.
This is a delicious recipe! I’ve made it at least 4 times for the family and it’s superb every time. I’m wondering if there is a way to make it more spicy? Sometimes, I’ve found it to be a little mild and would prefer some extra heat.
Do you recommend adding another 1 tablespoon of the red curry paste? Or perhaps some red chilli powder? What else could I add to kick up the heat a little while still keeping the delicious flavours of the soup?
Adding additional curry paste would be perfect! 🙂
So, I’ve made this three times (twice with chicken and once with shrimp) and it was fantastic (down to the last little cilantro leaf) each time. Except for the shrimp, I’ve always made it exactly as written—very unusual in my kitchen to not tinker around with a recipe–and it’s just a perfect, flavorful soup. Beautiful, too!
Thanks for the great ideas and recipes!
That’s great! Thanks, Renee!
I am embarrassed to have to ask this question, but I am asking it anyway haha. For the rice noodles, would I be using 4 oz total or 8 oz? Yoy say 1/2 of a package, and I wasn’t sure if yoy meant half of an 8 oz package or if you meant that half a package would equal 8 oz. Again, my apologies for what appears to be a silly question … I looked through the comments but didn’t see anyone else ask it. Thank you! I hope to make within the next week!
Kristen, the recipe calls for half of an 8-ounce package, so four ounces total is correct. 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. It means a lot. I made this tonight and it was delicious!! I have loved every single dish that I have made of yours. I can always trust your site to make a successful meal! Thank you thank you!!
You are so welcome!
Does it make a difference if you put green curry and what type of curry do you suggest ” Thai” , because i find i cant eat all types because some are stronger then other’s
Yes, absolutely – but only if you’re okay with it turning into a Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup recipe! And yes, a Thai variety is best. 🙂
Amazing recipe! I followed it precisely except for the addition of fish sauce. Turned out great! My family of four has requested this to be our regular Friday night dinner 🙂 Thank you, Chungah!
That’s great!
I have never cooked with curry but I have curry powder. Do you know whether I would use more or less than the recipe stated? Cant wait to try this!
Vanessa, curry powder is not a suitable substitute for red curry paste.
Just made this and it turned out amazing!! Honestly so much better than a restaurant and so easy!! Thank you!!
Thank you, Caroline!