Thai Red Curry Chicken and Noodle Soup

orange thai chicken soup with yellow noodles in a white bowl.

Thai Red Curry Chicken and Noodle Soup

This Thai Red Curry Chicken and Noodle Soup is easy to make using spaghetti! It is light, full of aromatics and vegetables, and ready in 30 minutes!

Course Soup

Cuisine Thai

Keyword red curry chicken soup, red thai chicken soup, red thai soup, thai chicken curry soup, thai red curry chicken soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 725kcal

Author Maria Doss

Ingredients

3 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch pieces)
1 teaspoon salt, divided (depends on the type of stock used)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ cup chopped onion (about 1 small onion)
3 large garlic cloves, grated
2 teaspoons grated ginger
¼ cup Thai red curry paste
2 cups chicken stock (I used 33% reduced sodium)
1 ½ cups coconut milk
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 to 1 handfuls baby spinach
½ lemon or lime
chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

Cook spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and immediately rinse well under cold water. This stops the cooking process, removes excess starch, and helps keep the noodles separate.
👉 The spaghetti will cook for another 2 minutes in the soup, giving it time to soak up all those delicious flavors. So, be careful not to overcook it—you want the noodles perfectly slurpable.
Cook chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium stockpot over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound chicken in a single layer and season with some salt and pepper. Cook until golden on both sides, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Saute onion. Reduce the heat to medium and add ¾ cup chopped onion along with a splash of water to deglaze the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and turns golden.
Saute aromatics. Add the 3 garlic cloves, 2 tsps ginger, and ¼ cup curry paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture looks glossy and fragrant.
Simmer soup. Add 2 cups stock, 1 ½ cups coconut milk, 2 carrots, 2 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, cooked chicken with any accumulated juices, and the remaining salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir, cover, and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.
Finish. Add the cooked spaghetti and spinach. Simmer for about 2 minutes, until the spinach is wilted. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice, then taste and add more brown sugar or lemon juice if needed.
Serve. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro, roasted peanuts and scallions.

Notes

Vegetables – I love the simple combination of carrots and spinach for their color, texture, and easy availability. You can also swap the carrots for red bell pepper.

Chicken stock – I used 33% reduced-sodium chicken stock. If you’re using regular or unsalted stock, adjust the amount of salt to taste.

Salt – The amount you need will depend on the type of chicken stock you use, so taste the soup before adding more.

No spaghetti? – Skip the spaghetti altogether and use cooked rice noodles instead, or serve the soup with cooked rice on the side.

Using chicken breasts? – Chicken breasts are leaner than thighs, so add an extra 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil when sautéing the onions to keep the soup flavorful and the chicken tender.

Nutrition