This Thai Chicken Noodle Soup recipe takes classic chicken noodle soup ingredients and mixes in a blend of Thai herbs and spices into a creamy coconut broth. It’s an easy way to get a perfect bowl of soup with specialty flavors.
The next time you are in a grocery store or drive by your local Asian market, be sure to head to the Thai aisle to pick up ingredients for the best Thai Chicken Noodle Soup you will ever make. It will make you feel like you have flown to Thailand.
It really is the perfect balance of flavors. With its creamy coconut broth, tangy lime, savory fish sauce, sweet red pepper, and umami goodness in the stock, you get a completely satisfying dish.
But the best part about this Thai noodle soup recipe is how your house smells when you make it. It will fill your house and make everyone excited to eat.
Whether you make it mild or spicy Thai Chicken Noodle Soup, this recipe is one you will come back to again and again.
What is Thai Chicken Noodle Soup?
Thai Noodle Soup is a traditional Thai dish that uses shredded chicken, rice noodles, and a broth infused with ginger, lemongrass, red curry, cilantro, and coconut milk. The blend of Thai spices gives the soup its signature bold and flavorful taste.
What ingredients are in Thai Chicken Noodle Soup?
- Garlic: this adds perfect garlic notes to the paste
- Onion: this savory base gives a great flavor to the soup paste
- Red Bell Peppers: this adds a sweetness to the base of the paste
- Fresh Ginger: this is one of the classic Thai spices that gives flavor to the soup
- Lemongrass Paste: another spice that brings a distinct Thai food taste to the dish
- Red Curry Paste: this blend of spices mixes perfectly with Thai flavors
- Cilantro Paste: this adds depth to the broth
- Red Chili Paste or Fresh Red Chilies: use this to control how spicy your soup is
- Coconut Oil: use this to sauté the paste
- Lime: zest and juice bring a zingy tang to the soup
- Fish Sauce: adds savory umami notes to enhance the overall taste
- Chicken Stock: provides a rich and savory base for the soup
- Coconut Milk: brings creamy lusciousness to the chicken broth
- Shredded Chicken: tender, cooked chicken adds protein and substance to the soup
- Rice Noodles: a classic choice for Thai noodle soup recipes; I like to use thin rice noodles
- Cilantro: fresh herbs make a perfect garnish; they bring the flavors together
- Green Onions: I like the crunch these add as a garnish
- Green Chili and Red Chili: peppers on top look great and add a little extra spice to the soup.
Pro Tip: This Thai-inspired chicken noodle soup is a great recipe to use leftover chicken. If you know you are going to make soup the next day, shred your leftovers so you can easily toss them into your large soup pot.
How to Make Thai Chicken Noodle Soup:
- Blend paste ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
- Simmer paste in a pot over medium heat.
- Add chicken stock and coconut milk, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to low and let it simmer.
- Add shredded chicken and cook.
- Cook rice noodles separately and drain them.
- Add fish sauce, lime juice, lime zest, and rice noodles to the soup.
- Garnish with cilantro, green onions, and sliced chilies.
Pro Tip: For an extra burst of freshness, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice just before serving.
Is Thai Chicken Noodle Soup Spicy?
Yes, Spicy Chicken Thai Noodle Soup can be spicy, depending on the amount of red chili paste or fresh chilies used. You can also make this thai-inspired soup not spicy by using less chilies.
Pro Tip: If you are a first time Thai food chef, go easy on the chilies. You can make this mild or very fiery depending on how much you add, but it’s always better to start light if you are nervous about it being too spicy.
Can You Freeze Thai Chicken Noodle Soup?
Yes, you can freeze Chicken Thai Noodle Soup, but it’s best to do so without the noodles. Noodles will get very soggy and soak up extra broth.
When you are ready to eat Thai Chicken Soup with Noodles, pull it out of the freezer, gently heat it, and add the noodles separately.
How to Store Thai Chicken Noodle Soup:
Store any leftover Spicy Thai Soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also store it in a freezer safe bag or container that is also airtight.
Pro Tip:Let your soup cool in the fridge overnight before sticking in the freezer to avoid extra ice crystals building up.
How Long Does Thai Chicken Noodle Soup Last?
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup can last about 4 days in the fridge. It can also stay fresh for up to 3 months in the freezer if stored properly. Be sure to keep it cool when not eating it, and only reheat the portions you are ready to eat!
How to Reheat Thai Chicken Noodle Soup:
Reheat Thai Chicken Noodle Soupgently on the stove top over low heat. I like to add extra broth as I reheat it to get the right consistency. Sometimes noodles will soak up too much broth, and I want my soup thinner.
What to Serve with Thai Chicken Noodle Soup:
Serve this Thai Chicken Noodle Soup with garden fresh vegetables like snow peas and red bell pepper. You can also sautee bok choy for a delicious veggie side. My family likes to serve it with rice or bread to help soak up the yummy broth. And sometimes I serve it by itself as my better than Thai takeout homemade dish.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love…
- Ginger Butternut Squash Soup
- Soup with Cheese
- Bacon and Beans Soup
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup with Kale
- Easy Squash Soup Recipe
- Ham Bone Soup Recipe
- Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Butternut Squash Potato Soup
- Lentil Noodle Soup
- Chicken Corn Chili
- Salmon Corn Chowder
- Colorado Green Chili Recipe
- Fast Beef Stew
- Bacon Potato Corn Chowder
- Pasta Fagioli Soup
This Thai Chicken Noodle Soup is full of great flavors, has a nice amount of spice, and is the chicken soup recipe I reach for again and again. If you like Thai food, you will love this recipe.
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
Skip the takeout! This Thai Chicken Noodle Soup is easy to make at home with ingredients you can find in your local supermarket. If you love Thai food, you need to try this recipe!
Ingredients
Soup Recipe:
- 2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons ginger paste or fresh ginger
- 1 Tablespoon lemongrass paste
- 2 Tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 Tablespoon cilantro paste, or minced fresh cilantro
- 1 Tablespoon red chili paste (can also used 2 red chilies, chopped)
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can of coconut milk
- 2 cups shredded chicken, Rotisserie Chicken works great!
- 7 ounces of rice noodles
Garnish:
Instructions
- Combine garlic, onion, red pepper, ginger paste, lemongrass paste, red curry paste, cilantro paste, red chili paste and coconut oil in a food processor, and process until a paste forms.
- While you are making your paste, start boiling water for the rice noodles.
- Add the paste to a medium pot and fry it for a couple of minutes, just until it's fragrant.
- Add the chicken stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil, Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- In the last couple of minutes, add your shredded chicken.
- While the soup is simmering, cook your noodles according to the package directions and drain.
- Add your fish sauce, lime juice and zest and rice noodles to the soup.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro, green onion and green and red chilies.
Notes
If you plan on making enough for leftovers, add the rest of your noodles when you're heating the leftovers or they'll soak up a lot of the liquid!
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 410Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 39mgCarbohydrates: 91gSugar: 38gProtein: 11g
Originally Posted: September 9, 2016
Photos & Text Updated: August 14, 2023
Recipe Inspired by: An Affair from the Heart
Jen
Thursday 17th of October 2019
We really liked this! I made a few tweaks - the great thing about this recipe is how customizable it is. I added about twice as much chicken, used precooked pho noodles (2 5.3oz packets), one more clove of garlic. I added the fish sauce and lime with the chicken and did a 45 min simmer for a bit more depth of flavor - it would be good longer, but I didn't start in time! Then squeezed a bit of lime on in the bowl for the brighter fresh acid. I used the red chili paste, but think I'll use the red chilis next time, as there wasn't any heat and it would definitely benefit from some. Love using the pastes - I've never done that before and it was so much easier!
Johna
Wednesday 13th of March 2019
This is such an EXCELLENT recipe I have made it Several times. However, I feel like your prep time is way off it is a lot of work!
Anisha
Monday 31st of December 2018
OMG SOOOOO GOOOOD, Amazing vegan recipe when you omit the chicken and fish sauce and use tofu and soy sauce instead!
Laura A
Monday 26th of November 2018
Hi there! I really want to make this soup. My husband is allergic to bell peppers. Is there something else you can think of to substitute? He can have poblano, would that work? I know I can just omit it as well, I'm hoping that won't impact the overall bulk or quality of the soup. Any advice you have would be appreciated. Thanks!
Michelle Nahom
Thursday 29th of November 2018
I would leave them out or add a pepper he can have. Poblano would change the spice level, but let me know if you try it. :)
Things That Inspire
Monday 24th of April 2017
Made this tonight, and it was a home run. My youngest doesn't like spice so I halved the red pepper paste, but I think I could have done the full tablespoon.