Main dish

Thai Red Curry Chicken Noodle Soup recipe

Name: Thai Red Curry Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: handful of cashews or peanuts; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 banana shallots or small onions, sliced; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped (I use frozen); 250g skinless, boneless chicken thighs; 2 cloves of garlic, chopped; 60g Thai red curry paste (I use Thai Taste); 1 tin of coconut milk (400ml); 1 tbsp fish sauce; small handful of Thai basil, sliced (around ⅓ of a 25g pack, small leaves reserved); small handful of coriander leaves and stalks, chopped (optional); 600g wok-ready noodles (or 300g dried rice noodles, see notes); 200g button mushrooms; 1 bell pepper, sliced; 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets; 1-2 limes; 150-250ml low salt stock (I use chicken or vegetable, see notes)

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Thai noodle soup, easily customised and packed with veg. Use wok-ready noodles to speed up the cooking.

Prep15m
Cook30m
Total45m

chicken noodles thai

Red Thai curry chicken noodle soup with broccoli and cashews

You don’t need to include chicken in this recipe. I often use tofu or 100% veg. I’m currently favouring broccoli, button mushrooms and cashews but choose whatever you fancy - sweet potatoes, spinach, peppers, mange tout, sugar snap peas - almost any veg will work.

Straight to wok noodles partner well with soup-based dishes (I discovered this after cooking Itsu’s ramen broth). You can absolutely use dried noodles but cook them separately if you plan on having leftovers (see notes).

If you’re a coriander-hater, rejoice. Thai basil is the most important herb here but definitely use both if you can.

Notes

Low salt stock is a must if using fish sauce, otherwise the dish will be too salty. Leave the fish sauce out if you only have regular stock.

The amount of stock needed varies. Some veg (mushrooms) release a lot of water and others (broccoli) soak it up. Adding the stock at the end means you can control the consistency of the soup. I like it fairly thick so I add around 150ml of stock.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Noodles

If using dried noodles (300g total, 75g per person), I'd recommend cooking them separately rather than in the soup. Follow the instructions on the packet (reduce the time by 1-2 minutes), drain and lightly oil. Divide into four bowls or store half in the fridge if cooking for two.

I know it’s a pain but the noodles will become mushy if left in the soup and reheated. I’d like to make the case for wok-ready noodles again (I use M&S and Amoy). You’ll need roughly 150g per person. Amoy’s noodles come in 150g portions (two per pack). M&S’s packet weighs 275g and will feed two.

I often forgo the second round of noodles and serve leftovers with rice. It makes a nice change the next day.

Recipe

Thai Red Curry Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep15m
Cook30m
Total45m

Serves: 4

Ingredients

handful of cashews or peanuts
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 banana shallots or small onions, sliced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped (I use frozen)
250g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
60g Thai red curry paste (I use Thai Taste)
1 tin of coconut milk (400ml)
1 tbsp fish sauce
small handful of Thai basil, sliced (around ⅓ of a 25g pack, small leaves reserved)
small handful of coriander leaves and stalks, chopped (optional)
600g wok-ready noodles (or 300g dried rice noodles, see notes)
200g button mushrooms
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1-2 limes
150-250ml low salt stock (I use chicken or vegetable, see notes)

Method

Curry: Place a large saucepan or wok over a medium heat and add a handful of cashews or peanuts. Dry fry until toasted, remove and set to one side.
Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the wok then add 2 sliced banana shallots or onions. Fry for 5 minutes then add 1 tablespoon of chopped ginger and 250g of chicken thighs, sliced into 1 inch chunks. Fry for 5 minutes then add 2 chopped cloves of garlic. Fry for another 5 minutes until the garlic starts to colour.
Add 60g of Thai red curry paste to the pan, fry for 1 minute then stir in 1 tin (400ml) of coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce (omit if using regular rather than low salt stock), a small handful of sliced Thai basil (reserve the small leaves) and a small handful of coriander (if using, reserve a few leaves).
Noodles (see notes for dried noodles): Add 150g of wok-ready noodles to each bowl.
Curry: When the curry starts to bubble add 200g of button mushrooms and 1 sliced bell pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes then add the florets from 1 head of broccoli.
Simmer for 5 minutes then squeeze in the juice from 1 lime. Add 150-250ml of low salt chicken or vegetable stock, depending on how thick you want the soup to be.
Taste the curry and add more juice from ½ a lime, if needed. Cut any remaining lime into wedges.
To finish: Turn off the heat and pour the curry over the noodles. Top with toasted cashews or peanuts, the lime wedges and the reserved Thai basil and coriander leaves.