Nothing warms the soul quite like a steaming bowl of Thai Curry Chicken Noodle Soup. This dish is a fiery embrace of bold spices, creamy coconut, and tender chicken, ladled over silky noodles. With layers of authentic Thai flavours, it’s a meal that satisfies both the adventurous eater and those craving comforting warmth. Perfect for chilly evenings or whenever you need a flavour-packed pick-me-up, this soup brings together the best of Thai cuisine in a single, nourishing bowl.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Breakdown
- Crafting the Curry Paste
- Choosing the Best Coconut Milk
- Makrut Lime Leaves in Thai Cooking
- Fish Sauce: The Umami Powerhouse
- Choosing the Right Noodles
- More Noodle Soups
Ingredient Breakdown
- Dried red chillies: Bring depth and spice to the homemade curry paste.
- Garlic & echalion shallot: Create a fragrant base with subtle sweetness.
- Makrut lime leaves: Add citrusy, floral notes to both the paste and soup.
- Coriander stems: Offer fresh, earthy flavour.
- Lemongrass & galangal: Essential for that signature Thai aroma.
- Ground white pepper, coriander & cumin: Boost warmth and complexity.
- Shrimp paste: Enhances the umami depth of the curry base.
- Vegetable oil: Helps blend the curry paste smoothly.
- Chicken thigh fillets: Juicy, flavourful protein that absorbs the aromatic broth.
- Chicken stock: Forms a rich, savoury soup base.
- Fish sauce & soy sauce: Balance saltiness with deep umami.
- Sugar: Slightly offsets the spice and enhances the coconut.
- Coconut cream: Lends a velvety, slightly sweet richness.
- Lime zest & juice: Brightens the dish with fresh acidity.
- Thai basil: Brings a sweet, anise-like freshness.
- Udon noodles: Thick, chewy strands that soak up the broth beautifully.
Crafting the Curry Paste
A good Thai curry starts with a bold, fragrant paste, and this one is no exception. Instead of store-bought versions, making your own delivers unparalleled freshness and depth of flavour. The trick lies in the balance: the fire of dried chillies, the zing of lime leaves, the punch of galangal and lemongrass. These ingredients, combined with coriander stems and shrimp paste, form the backbone of the dish.
Blitzing everything together into a smooth (or slightly textured) paste ensures every spoonful of soup is packed with spice and aromatics. To fully develop the flavours, gently cook the paste in oil before adding any liquids. This step transforms the raw ingredients into a deeply savoury foundation for the soup.
Choosing the Best Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is a cornerstone of Thai cuisine, and selecting the right one makes all the difference in Thai Curry Chicken Noodle Soup. With so many options available, knowing what to look for ensures a rich, flavourful broth. High coconut extract content is key. Aim for a brand with at least 60% coconut extract and minimal additives.
Many store-bought varieties contain stabilisers, thickeners, or preservatives, which can alter the taste and texture. Full-fat coconut milk is ideal, as it provides a creamy consistency that blends seamlessly with the spices. Shake the can before opening. If it sounds too watery, it may not be rich enough.
If using coconut cream, opt for one with a thick, spoonable texture rather than a runny consistency. Avoid “lite” versions, as they lack the depth needed to balance the spice in this dish. A high-quality coconut milk elevates the soup from good to exceptional, making it silky, aromatic, and indulgent.
Makrut Lime Leaves in Thai Cooking
Makrut lime leaves are one of the most distinctive ingredients in Thai Curry Chicken Noodle Soup, adding an unmistakable citrusy fragrance that defines the dish. Unlike regular lime zest, kaffir lime leaves have a deeper, more floral aroma that infuses the broth as they simmer.
Fresh leaves are ideal, but dried or frozen versions work well too. To maximise their flavour, they should be finely chopped or bruised before adding them to the soup. This releases their natural oils, ensuring that their fragrance carries through every spoonful. If fresh leaves aren’t available, a combination of lime zest and a touch of lemongrass can mimic their bright, citrusy notes. However, nothing quite compares to the authentic depth they bring. In Thai cuisine, makrut lime leaves are often paired with coconut, chillies, and lemongrass to create a balanced, aromatic profile that’s both refreshing and complex.
Fish Sauce: The Umami Powerhouse
No Thai dish is complete without fish sauce, and Thai Curry Chicken Noodle Soup is no exception. It might seem like a simple ingredient, but fish sauce is packed with deep, savoury umami that enhances every other flavour in the broth. Made from fermented anchovies and salt, it has an intensely salty and slightly funky aroma that mellows beautifully when cooked.
The key is balance. Too little, and the soup lacks depth; too much, and it overpowers the other flavours. High-quality fish sauce should have a clear, reddish-brown colour and be made with minimal ingredients, ideally just fish and salt. Thai brands tend to have a milder, slightly sweeter flavour compared to Vietnamese varieties, which are more pungent. When combined with soy sauce, fish sauce rounds out the saltiness and enhances the natural sweetness of
Choosing the Right Noodles
Noodles play a crucial role in Thai Curry Chicken Noodle Soup, serving as the foundation that soaks up the bold, aromatic broth. While traditional Thai versions often use rice noodles, this recipe opts for quick-cook udon noodles, which bring a satisfying chewiness that contrasts beautifully with the silky broth.
The key to perfect noodles lies in cooking them separately rather than in the soup itself. This prevents excess starch from thickening the broth and ensures each bowl has just the right texture. Straight-to-wok udon noodles make preparation quick and easy, but if using dried varieties, it’s important to cook them to just shy of al dente, as they will soften further when served with the hot broth. A quick rinse under warm water after cooking helps remove excess starch and stops them from sticking. The result? A perfectly textured noodle that carries every bit of flavour from the soup.
More Noodle Soups
If you loved this Thai Curry Chicken Noodle Soup, why not try some of my other noodle soup recipes?
- Golden Thai Curry Chicken Noodle Soup: This soup is quite literally a hug in a bowl. It’s hearty, comforting and so incredibly delicious. The star of the show is the umami, flavour-packed broth, which comes together in just 20 minutes.
- Teriyaki Pork Miso Ramen: This ramen is so incredibly flavourful, which is surprising given that the broth comes together in just 5 minutes. The secret weapon is instant dashi, which packs an umami-packed punch that makes any broth taste like it’s been simmering for hours.
- Miso Mushroom Noodle Soup: This soup is so flavourful, which is surprising because the broth takes less than 5 minutes. The secret weapon is instant dashi, which packs an umami-packed punch.
See how I make all these recipes and more over on my Instagram!
Thai Curry Chicken Noodle Soup
A winter warmer in every sense of the word – it’s fiery, full of flavour and absolutely delicious! It start with a homemade curry paste packed with authentic Thai flavours. Add coconut cream, kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil, fish sauce and a few other aromatics and you’ve got yourself a delicious, coconutty soup base. Ladle it over the seared chicken and noodles and enjoy. Be warned, this recipe is on the spicier side!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Chicken, Soups, Noodles
Ingredients
- 7 dried red chillies, chopped into 1 cm pieces, seeds shaken out
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 echalion shallot, finely chopped
- 6 fresh makrut lime leaves, finely chopped
- 10 g fresh coriander stems, roughly chopped
- 1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer layer removed, finely sliced
- 10 g galangal root, grated or finely chopped
- 1½ tsps ground white pepper
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- 640 g chicken thigh fillets (boneless and skinless)
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 2 tsps fish sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp sugar
- 250 ml coconut cream
- 1 lime, zest only
- 1 small handful Thai basil leaves, roughly torn
- squeeze of lime juice, optional
- 600 g quick-cook/straight-to-wok udon noodles
Instructions
- Soak the dried chillies in 250 ml of boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain well.
- Add all the curry paste ingredients to a blender or high-powered food processor and blitz until smooth (or smooth-ish). Set aside.
- Place your chicken thigh fillets in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp of the curry paste and toss to coat. Let sit at least 15 minutes, or up to 4 hours.
- Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or non-stick heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high. Sear the chicken, cooking it for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate, leaving the oil and juices behind.
- Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, fish sauce, soy sauce and kaffir lime leaves and stir to combine. Return the chicken to the pot and bring everything to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 8 mins.
- Turn the heat up to medium. Add the sugar, coconut cream and lime zest and stir to combine. Bring everything to a simmer then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 mins.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the Thai basil. Taste, season with salt, if necessary, and add a squeeze of lime juice (optional).
- Using tongs, remove the chicken from the soup and let rest for 5 minutes. Use this time to cook your noodles. Drain and divide between bowls.
- Slice the chicken and add it to the serving bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles and chicken and serve with extra lime wedges on the side.
Equipment
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