Thai-Inspired Chicken & Rice Noodle Soup
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Cozy, comforting, and fragrant, this flavor-packed Thai chicken noodle soup will warm you right up.
This spicy, fragrant, slurpy noodle soup, inspired by some of my favorite Thai restaurant dishes, is like sunshine on a dreary day. What’s more, it’s made with rotisserie chicken and Thai pantry staples available in most supermarkets—such as green curry paste, fish sauce, coconut milk, and fresh ginger—so it’s almost instant gratification.
Whether I’m feeling worn down or just in need of a little comfort, there is nothing like a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and this is one of my favorite renditions. Be sure to keep the rice noodles separate from the soup until ready to serve. If you put them in the broth before serving, they will continue to cook and become too soft.
Table of Contents
“A wonderful melding of flavors, and it tastes truly authentic as Thai cuisine…My wife, a former restaurant reviewer, used words like ‘amazing’ and ‘delicious,’ so I knew I had a real winner.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken & Rice Noodle Soup
You’ll notice that the recipe calls for Thai green curry paste, an excellent substitute for hard-to-find Asian ingredients, like lemongrass and galangal. You can find it, along with the other Asian pantry staples, in the Asian section of most large supermarkets. Along with Thai red curry paste, green curry paste is a wonderfully versatile ingredient; I use it to make many Thai-style recipes, such as Thai shrimp curry and red chicken curry, butternut squash soup with coconut milk, and curry chicken skewers with coconut-peanut sauce.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by heating the oil in a medium soup pot. Add the shallots and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Next, add the green curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more.
Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and turmeric; bring to a gentle simmer. Continue simmering for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles by dropping them in boiling water.
Let sit for a few minutes to soften.
Then drain.
When ready to serve, divide the noodles and chicken into serving bowls.
Ladle the broth over top and sprinkle with cilantro and scallions. Serve with Sriracha sauce and lime wedges.
“Thank you for an excellent recipe. This is one of those great under 30 minute dinners when I’m in a pinch but want a satisfying restaurant-quality soup without going out.”
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Thai-Inspired Chicken & Rice Noodle Soup
Cozy, comforting, and fragrant, this flavor-packed Thai chicken noodle soup will warm you right up.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup thinly sliced shallots, from 1-2 large shallots
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, from a 1-inch knob (see note)
- 2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (13.5 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4 packed teaspoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
For Serving
- 4 oz thin rice noodles
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, from a rotisserie chicken
- Handful chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 scallions, light and dark green parts, thinly sliced
- Sriracha sauce
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and turmeric; bring to a gentle simmer. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions.
- When ready to serve, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Gently reheat the noodles in the microwave, if necessary. Divide the noodles and chicken into serving bowls. Ladle the broth over top and sprinkle with cilantro and scallions. Serve with Sriracha sauce and lime wedges.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
- Note: As the soup sits on the stove, some of the fat may rise to the surface; skim it, if necessary.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 530
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated fat: 20 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Sodium: 942 mg
- Cholesterol: 53 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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So easy and yummy! I chopped up the shallots, ginger and rotisserie chicken the night before for a quick weeknight meal. Added garlic bc I love garlic. Hands down one of the easiest and delicious soups I’ve made! Thanks!
This soup is the bomb! I followed the recipe exactly except I had no chicken so used ground turkey, sautéing it a bit before adding the shallots and ginger to it. What ever you do, don’t skip the sliced onions/cilantro garnish! It makes it taste so fresh and healthy.
The next night I didn’t have enough left over soup for two so I sautéed a sliced portobello and added to it along with 1/2 package of cubed extra firm tofu. Also cooked a package of Tyling Chinese Noodles to serve under the last of my soup. My husband and I both loved it!
We savored every sip and bite of this soup. Wonderful blend of flavors and garnishes. This is actually the second time I made it, but forgot to give it a review the first time.
I would like to try this recipe but have powdered ginger on hand. Would this work? If so, how much should I use?
Yes, you can get away with it if that’s all you have on hand. I’d recommend 1/4 tsp. Hope you enjoy!
This soup packs a punch of flavour! Made it exactly as laid out in the recipe – absolutely delicious!
This was freaking amazing!
Hi Jenn, can you share feedback on if chicken bone broth can be substituted for chicken broth? I don’t believe so but never want to impact your amazing recipes.
Hi Jason, I think it should be fine. Please LMK how it turns out!
Perfection! Used shrimp and was OUTSTANDING.
This was fantastic! My husband wasn’t feeling good and wanted something “hot and soupy and spicy.” I found this recipe but I modified some things to make it vegetarian and because I didn’t have everything readily available at home. I used vegetable broth made from Better than Bouillon. I used a regular onion instead of shallots. I used tofu instead of chicken and red curry instead of green curry. I also substituted Tamari for the fish sauce. I left all the amounts the same with my substitutions. The sriracha at the end really made it absolutely perfect. It lacked a little something until we put that in as the recipe suggests. And then topped with cilantro. It’s beyond amazing!! The recipes on here are consistently fantastic! I’ve found it very easy to make minor changes when needed to make something gluten free and vegetarian.
I made this last night and it was AMAZING. Even better for lunch today! I threw in some chopped up peanuts and it made an excellent addition. I will definitely be keeping this in the rotation!
I liked this with slight modification. I found it too bland, especially for something referred to as Thai. I added about 1/2 tablespoon of sambal oelek which made it more to my liking. It also seemed a bit too sour for my taste so I increased the brown sugar by about 1/2 tablespoon as well. I used red curry paste as that’s what I had on hand. I also just made it as I would any other soup. I put everything in the pot rather than constructing it in each serving bowl.
Jenn, I absolutely love this recipe and have made it many times! Thank you for sharing!
I was wondering though, Would it be OK if I used the red curry paste instead? Simply because I have more of that in the refrigerator and not enough of the green!
Sure, red curry paste will work here! 🙂
This soup is delish. Just a bit of heat that quickly dissipates. So easy to make just chop the shallots and ginger and cook then the rest of the ingredients get added. Boil the noodle (so fast 4 min) and done. I like to cook and freeze. You can not freeze the broth once the coconut milk is added so next time will make a double batch of the broth and freeze, then add coconut milk, chicken, noodles and toppings to make it even quicker. I have yet to make a recipe from this blog that I haven’t loved.
Even easier, just add the rice noodles (rice stick) to the broth. Saves on dishes and cooks them perfectly!
We loved this quick and easy recipe. For my family, we wanted more veggies. I sautéed mushrooms and also frozen petite peas. Yummy!
I love this recipe! I cook A LOT, often 3 meals a day plus snacks for my family. My 3 little boys, under 6, devour this and especially love to slurp the noodles. I love to make it for myself as an easy comfort meal and deliver it to sick friends and new moms. I’ve used all of the curry flavors in it: red, yellow, masaman and they work nicely as well though green is still my favorite. Other add-ins that I use frequently: mushrooms, matchstick carrots, bean sprouts and gochujang. I also typically double this recipe each time I make it. It is A fantastic recipe!
Super easy and yummy on a stormy evening! I added a some small broccoli flowers, thin red pepper strips and a handful of baby spinach. Healthy and delicious! Thank you, Jenn!
Made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS! I only had the red curry paste and thought it was perfection! All the scallions, lime and cilantro made all the flavors really pop. I will be making this again and again.
Hi, Jenn
Can’t wait to make this. Reviews are outstanding.
My Kroger doesn’t carry green curry paste. I have
red curry paste in my pantry though. Can I sub that?
Thank you. Lisa
Sure – hope you enjoy! 🙂
Easy and delicious!
Can this be made with an alternate protein like, say, shrimp?
Sure!
I love this recipe. I made it on a whim thinking my children and teenager wouldn’t eat it. Everyone loves it and we’ve had it three times now. It’s a really nice alternative to chicken noodle soup on a rainy day or if fighting a cold.
Most amazing soup ever. Flavours are awesome. Could eat at least 3 times a week. Love your recipes😊😊💕💕🇨🇦
LOVE this soup, thank you so much. Made it just as written except for the rice noodles (diabetic and even a 1/4 serving size shoots the blood sugar up). Love the explosion of flavors and so very easy.
Terrific soup. It matches the profile of one of our favorite Thai restaurants. I had a tube of ginger in the fridge and used that–otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. With the Sriracha added on top, I could dial up the heat for family members that liked spice or take it down for those who don’t. Can’t wait to make it during cooler days!
This is the best soup, hands down, I have ever made. The flavor of the broth is amazing! Thank you for this recipe! My family absolutely loves it!
Oh my goodness so good! This soup is outstanding and as with your other recipes so easy to make! Wondering if I can freeze some? I kept the chicken separate from the broth. Made a double batch. Thanks again for another delicious recipe!
Hi Yolanda, so glad you enjoyed this! I don’t think the soup as a whole would freeze very well but you can definitely freeze the broth. Hope that helps!
Thank you for this simple yet flavorful and delicious recipe. I followed the recipe exactly and my family raved about it…said it was better than anything at our favorite Thai restaurant.
Had it for dinner tonight and it was excellent. Nice amount of heat.
This was fabulous! Didn’t change a thing and my three kids loved it too! I’d say shrimp would be an amazing addition to this though. Next time!
I have a piece of lemon grass I’m interested in using. Would you recommend briefly steeping it in the broth?
Sure, P, that should work. Enjoy!
Wow wow wow!! Talk about amazing! I would like to make it again next week but I don’t have any shallots. Is there a good substitute? I have yellow and red onion 😊
Hi P, Glad you liked this! You can get away with using yellow onion here.
Oh my goodness so good! This soup is outstanding and as with your other recipes so easy to make! Wondering if I can freeze some? I kept the chicken separate from the broth. Made a double batch. Thanks again for another delicious recipe!
So glad you liked it! I don’t think the soup as a whole would freeze well, but that the broth would freeze nicely. 🙂
I made this soup for lunch today. It was the most simple and fantastic thing I have ever made. I ate a big bowl and then about an hour later, I had to have another! I’m telling you what, this recipe is spot on. Don’t change a thing and it is the best flavor ever.
I made this last night – fantastic! I had a jar of yellow curry paste so I used that. This tasted really good. Thank you for continuing to be a cooking inspiration for home-cooked meals.
Tripled the recipe thinking my family of 5 would get 2 meals out if it. No such luck, everyone wanted seconds.
Will definitely be added to the meal rotation. I did add 6 cloves of crushed garlic and also simmered the broth with a couple of stalks of lemongrass.
We have made this soup twice in the last 3 weeks. It is delicious and super easy. We keep the extra broth and serve it over rice. The flavor gets even better the next day. So glad to have found this. I have been making it in the Instant Pot and throwing chicken in as well instead of using the rotisserie option. I would be proud to serve this to guests.
This was so good!!! And so easy to put together! I think it would be great with tofu instead of the chicken. We also added just a touch of Asian chili-garlic sauce to give it a kick! Going into our meal rotation!
Would it be possible to freeze the broth only?
Sure!
This recipe has been a staple to our kitchen for a couple of years. It’s so simple yet so rich in flavor . The broth is delicious. My husband and I started the Keto / low carb lifestyle since mid 2019. I love that we can still do this recipe, the only thing we substitute now is the sugar (we use monkfruit) and the noodles (we make our own keto friendly noodles). Soo delicious
Oh my gosh I just love this soup. I just made it for the second time. It’s probably in my top five favorite recipes EVER. So delicious!
My family and I love this recipe. I usually struggle to find all the ingredients for Thai recipes at our local store but everything on this list was easy to find and it turned out great! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Best recipe ever! I make this once a week, always delish!
I have a jar of Thai red curry in the pantry… would that make it taste a lot different than green? If so, I’ll go back to the store and grab green. I’m excited to try this! I have been a follower for years!
So glad you like the recipes, Laur! 🙂
While green and red curry paste have a slightly different flavor, they are generally interchangeable in recipes so save a trip to the store. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Laur! Would love to know how the recipe went with red curry paste!
~P
Made this last night and it was amazing…a definite keeper along with every other recipe I have tried from Jenn. Very easy to follow, however strongly suggest getting everything prepped before you start cooking as it cooks pretty quickly. **TIP** Jenn has a great guide on how to handle ginger root (just use search bar). Only alteration and not ever a big one was added chicken to the soup to let it absorb some more of the flavor and also rewarm it since it was cooked earlier in day. Thank you for all the time you invest in providing us with easy, flavorful, and healthy cook at home meals!
Made this soup and it was heavenly. The broth is so good. A definite comfort food. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It will now be a staple in my home.
This was quite good! I doubled the recipe and took all the meat off a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and just tossed it in for a few minutes at the end rather than putting it in bowls at serving. This way I can have left-overs ready to go. I also had this with rice as leftovers, and the consistency is thick enough in my opinion to eat it that way, like a regular curry. I’ll definitely make this again.
Wow! This a delicious soup! It is the first time I have ever made anything Thai. I was a little nervous when I saw HOT on the the Green Curry Paste jar. I followed the recipe exactly and it was soooo good! Both my husband and I love it! I love all the recipes I have tried, Jenn. I also purchased your cookbook which I don’t usually do. Thank you, Jenn! BTW – I plan on making your Focaccia bread, make ahead mashed potatoes and the Pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving this year.
Glad you enjoyed the soup (and hope you enjoy all the Thanksgiving dishes)! 🙂
The broth is fabulous! I usually use the amounts as a guideline, then adjust according to my taste. I added extra green curry and fish sauce, some minced Serrano pepper, and lots of extra ginger. Also, added raw chopped baby bok choy and thinly sliced red pepper to the bowls filled with chicken and noodles. Delicious and will definitely make again!
Serrano chiles? What a great idea! I will try it !
Love Love Love this soup. One of my favorites. I make it often. Thanks again Jen for another wonderful recipe.
I made this last night and hubby (big fan of Malaysian food) looovvved it! So quick and fresh! Another hit!!
This took no time to make and was perfect for a fall day! My kids loved it
Didn’t know how this would turn out, I used freezer rotisserie chicken from Costco. It. Was delicious.. don’t hesitate to try this recipe…
The family loved this recipe! I bought the bigger noodles and I feel like that was a mistake. Next time I will buy the extra thin noodles. Great flavor and sooo easy! Thanks for another great recipe!
My picky 8 year old and 5 year old loved this! I’m not going to lie, I was skeptical, but the reviews were unanimous, and your recipes have been winners for our whole family! I’m so glad we tried it! Thank you for such an easy, delicious dinner recipe!
Made this today. DOUBLED the recipe having confidence after reading reviews. It was fantastic!! Only sub I had to make was some of my shallots weren’t usable so I diced up green onion and minced some garlic to replace it for sauteing in the first step. I added about 1 tsp more of the green curry paste (def a difference from the red curry paste I use everywhere else!). At first I thought there was too much fish sauce when I tasted in the pot, but once the add-in ingredients were in the bowl everything was perfect. My daughter told me to put it in the keeper pile. (By the way, I had to go to my local Asian food store to find the green curry paste. Definitely use that because it’s a great taste and I know the red would have been such a different flavor profile.)
Wonderful! Thanks for another great recipe.
I really enjoyed this. My kids were a little fussy about it. Next time I’ll grate the ginger rather than mincing it, and cook the noodles in a seasoned broth or perhaps salt the water.