This easy Khao Soi recipe is rich, fragrant, and delicious! It’s a Coconut Curry Noodle Soup that hails from Northern Thailand and can be made with chicken, shrimp, tofu, or our crispy tofu. Vegan-adaptable, GF. Watch the Video!
No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again. ~Buddha
This Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup recipe (called Khao Soi) hails from Northern Thailand (Chiang Mai) where the weather stays a bit cooler. It’s a godsend when time is short or you are feeling a bit lazy, yet you crave something warm, rich, and spicy.
The coconut broth is fragrant and rich, coating the noodles well. And once the flavorful coconut soup base is made, you can add whatever you like. I really recommend doubling the broth!
Why this recipe works!
- It is fast and easy! This simple recipe comes together in under 30 minutes!
- Adaptable. Use chicken, shrimp, or tofu, or a combo. Vegan adaptable!
- Cozy and warming! A rich soup, perfect for chilly nights.
Ingredients in Khao Soi
This simple version of Khao Soi is made even easier with store-bought red curry paste.
- Noodles: Khao soi is tradionally made with egg noodles but rice noodles, ramen noodles or even linguini will work here!
- Protein: chicken breast, tofu, shrimp (or sub our crispy tofu)
- Coconut oil, peanut oil or olive oil
- Shallot, garlic cloves, and lemon grass – for savory, punchy flavor.
- Thai Red Curry Paste (store-bought, I like this brand), more for spicier
- Spices: Ground turmeric or fresh turmeric root, yellow curry powder, ground cardamom
- Coconut milk– or coconut cream- use full-fat
- Chicken stock or veggie broth – for rich flavor.
- kaffir lime leaves – fresh is best, but frozen or dried will work too.
- fish sauce– or sub vegan fish sauce or more salt.
- soy sauce or try shrimp paste
- Brown sugar, palm sugar or an alternative substitute
- Chili garlic sauce– or try Sambal Olek.
- Fresh limes– for a little acid, and serving.
- Optional Veggies: red bell pepper, snow peas, or any other quick-cooking veggies to drop in the broth.
- Optional Garnishes: fresh basil (Thai basil is best!) or cilantro, bean sprouts, lime wedge, pickled mustard greens, crunchy noodles, thinly sliced red onions or scallions.
How to make Khao Soi
Cook Noodles. Cook egg noodles according to package directions. If using rice noodles, place them in a large baking dish, pour boiling water over the noodles, and let them sit, stirring occasionally, until they are soft.
Make the Broth. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic, and lemongrass. Sauté until fragrant and golden, about 3-4 minutes. Add red curry paste, ad the spices, sauté for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, and lime leaves and bring to a simmer, stirring. Once gently simmering, add the fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, and chili garlic paste.
Protein: Add the chicken or prawns ( or crispy tofu) and gently simmer covered, until cooked through. Chicken breasts will take about 10 minutes, prawns about 3 minutes. At this point, you can drop in quick-cooking veggies too.
If adding whole chicken breasts, shred with two forks and simmer for a couple of minutes.
Taste and Season. Give a generous squeeze of lime. Taste, adding more lime/salt/pepper/ red curry paste if necessary. Find the balance between salty, sweet, acidic, and spicy. ***You want the broth to be punchy and flavorful to hold up the noodles. If the broth lacks depth, more fish sauce, salt, or even a boullion cube will help. Heat it up, so it’s hot.
Serve. Divide noodles into the bowls and ladle the hot, flavorful soup over top this way it is a bit easier to handle.
Garnish with fresh basil, fermented mustard greens (chopped small), crispy noodles, bean sprouts, thinly sliced red onion, lime wedges, or chopped scallions.
Variations of Khao Soi
- Vegan. You can make this Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup vegan by using crispy tofu and vegan fish sauce, and swap in veggie stock for the chicken stock. You can add more veggies to the broth.
- Shrimp: Drop in peeled and deveined shrimp into the broth.
- Veggies: Simmer quick-cooking veggies into the broth- bell pepper, snow peas, zucchini, mushrooms, etc.
Serve Khao Soi with These Traditional Toppings
- Pickled mustard greens or stems, finely chopped- these truly add to the dish; find them at your local Asian market. I have linked them here, but honestly, I don’t like this brand- just want to show you.
- Crunchy noodles
- Fresh herbs: cilantro or Thai basil
- Lime wedges
More Thai recipes you may like:
- 33+Easy Thai Recipes!
- Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup
- Easy to Make Pad Thai with Chicken Shrimp or Tofu
- Authentic Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
- Thai Green Curry with Vegetables
- Instant Pot Thai Curry Chicken
- Thai Burrito with Peanut Sauce
- Thai Fried Rice
How to Make Khao Soi! | 30-sec video
more favorites from feasting at home
Khao Soi (Thai Coconut Noodle Soup)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
- Category: Main, soup, seafood
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai, northern Thao
Description
A flavorful and very addictive Northern Style Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup, called Khao Soi. Easy and fast, and so yummy. This simplified version uses store-bought red chili paste. I highly recommend doubling the broth for extra brothy.
Ingredients
- 6–8 ounces dry rice noodles or egg noodles (or sub ramen noodles, or linguini). This dish is typically made with Chinese egg noodles.
Coconut Broth
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, (or peanut oil or olive oil)
- 1 large shallot, finely diced (or sub half an onion)
- 2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste (store-bought, I like Maseri brand), add more for spicier
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (or use grated turmeric)
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom powder
- 14-ounce can of coconut milk, full-fat
- 1 cup chicken broth (or veggie broth, or use water and one chicken bouillon cube)
- 6 fresh kaffir lime leaves (optional, but delicious!)
- 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper (optional- sub other veggies)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce- or vegan fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce ( perhaps reduce if using vegan fish sauce, or use to taste)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, palm sugar or an alternative substitute
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (Sambal Olek)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lime, more for serving
Protein
- 8–16 ounces protein: raw chicken breast (see notes), prawns, crispy tofu, or leftover baked chicken or rotisserie chicken)
Garnish with pickled mustard greens, crunchy noodles, cilantro, or Thai basil (or both) and more lime wedges.
Instructions
- Cook Noodles. Cook egg noodles according to package directions. If using rice noodles, place them in a large baking dish, pour boiling water over the noodles, and let them sit, stirring occasionally, until they are al dente.
- Make the Broth. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic, and lemongrass. Saute until fragrant and golden, about 3-4 minutes. Add red curry paste, turmeric, yellow curry powder and cardamom. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, and kaffir lime leaves and bring to a simmer, stirring. Once gently simmering, add the fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, and chili garlic paste.
- Protein: Add the chicken breasts (or prawns) and any quick-cooking veggies, and gently simmer covered, until cooked through. Chicken will take roughly 10-12 minutes, and prawns will take 3-4 minutes. If adding whole chicken breasts, shred and return to the soup, simmer two minutes. See notes for Crispy Tofu.
- Taste and Season. Give a generous squeeze of lime. Taste, adding more lime/salt/pepper/ red curry paste if necessary. Find the balance between salty, sweet, acidic, and spicy. You want the broth to have flavor and depth to hold up to the noodles. Fish sauce really helps here. Heat up the broth so it is nice and hot.
- Serve. Divide cooked noodles into the bowls and ladle the hot, flavorful soup over top- this way it is a bit easier to handle.
- Garnish the bowls with pickled mustard greens (chopped up small), crispy noodles, fresh herbs ( basil and cilantro) and lime wedges.
Equipment
Notes
Thai Red Chili paste: The quality of the red chili paste makes all the difference here. I like Mae ploy or Masseri! The “Thai Kitchen” brand will lack flavor!
Chicken: You can simmer small chicken breasts “whole” in the broth (10-12 minutes), then once tender and cooked through, shred with two forks.
Crispy Tofu: Add it to the broth, right at the end. I like adding a little curry powder to the crispy tofu at the end.
Make Ahead: Feel free to make the soup broth the day before and keep in the fridge, keeping the noodles separate (they will swell in the soup) and simply reheat.
To bump up the heat, add more red chili paste or a few thinly sliced fresh chilies (as a garnish). A few slices of galangal are a nice addition too.
If the soup lacks depth, more salt, fish sauce, or even a bouillon cube will work.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 bowls – with chicken breast
- Calories: 428
- Sugar: 10.3 g
- Sodium: 1075.7 mg
- Fat: 17.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 13.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 50.3 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 18.3 g
- Cholesterol: 41.4 mg
would love to try this soup but lemongrass is not available to me. Is there a sub for it?
Hi Terry, You may be able to order dried lemongrass online? I have also heard of substituting with lemon zest (probably 1/2 the amount). I haven’t tried this but it is worth a go.
One of my family favorite soups.
Glad you all are enjoying Veronika!
Love Thai soups.
This was so so good.
Enjoyed
We love them too! Appreciate your review. 🙂
This soup looks so yummy. I have added the ingredients to my shopping list and can’t wait to try it.
Love to hear what you think Karen!
“Wow! This Khao Soi recipe is absolutely amazing. The coconut curry broth is rich and flavorful, and the crispy noodles add the perfect crunch. I made it with tofu for a vegan version, and it turned out delicious. Thank you for sharing this authentic Northern Thai dish!”
Great to hear Airin! Glad you enjoyed, one of my favorites.
This was AMAZING!! Not too spicy- just warm comfort. Didn’t have the chili crunch so I subbed Harissa. Instead of shrimp I had fresh stone crabs. Yummy!!
Love it, sounds yummy!
Love coconut noodle soup!!
So easy and yummy!
Great to hear!
We made this with no meat and it was fantastic! We LOVE the vegetarian recipies on this site, it has literally changed our lives.
Amazing- love hearing this Sheryl! Thanks for the kind review.
I have made this “soup” several times and we enjoy more each time. The spice level as directed is a bit mild but easy to increase the heat factor.
Glad you are enjoying Holly!
Absolutely fabulous! This recipe was cooked on a TV cooking show My Kitchen Rules. The home cooks , from nth Thailand got a top score…then I found your recipe
I used to chicken drumsticks and broccoli . Will make again. Thankyou
Glad you gave it a try Merry!
Love this recipe. Had the dish in a Thai restaurant in Poulsbo and it was amazing. Searched for a recipe and found yours. Hits perfectly! I make homemade noodles and chicken thighs! Thank you!
Perfect! So glad you gave it a try.
This was my second time making this and it is a huge hit in our house. Thank you!!!
So glad to hear it was a hit!
Sooooo damn good!
Yay! Thanks for the review. 🙂
This was fantastic!! I cleaned out my fridge, adding sliced mushrooms, shredded carrots, cabbage & zucchini, snap peas and leeks. I also used half red curry and half massaman curry paste. Loved it!!
Love it Karen, yummy clean out meals are the best! Thanks for leaving a review.
I’m curious if you’ve ever tried freezing the broth (without the noodles of course!) and if so how it holds up?
I have not tried this particular recipe, but find that in general coconut based soups or broths do generally well being frozen. I think it would freeze great.
I want to try this, but I can’t find fresh kaffir lime leaves. Would the substitute be dried kaffir leaves? Love your recipes, and I just bought the add free subscription- worth the price!
Awesome Geri! I use dried makrut (kaffir) lime leaves all the time- they work great!
My grocer carries it in the international produce section. You could also find it at an Asian or Indian specialty store.
Yes, easily found at a local Asian market.
Also: Amazon
Dried leaves available on amazon
This is a great recipe. We loved the flavor–it was incredibly tasty and satisfying. I would be over the moon if I got this in a restaurant. I cooked it almost exactly as written, but added a little bit of cilantro to the finished dish, plus I added extra broth that I had on hand. I only had coconut cream, not milk, so the broth was rich, but I like it that way so it was fine. When I make this again, I will cut the garlic chile sauce by half. A full tablespoon pushes my spicy tolerance a bit (it could also be the brand or type of sauce I used, though). For those who might be sensitive to spice maybe add a teaspoon at a time. I think this would also be good with rice, if you run out of noodles or do not have them on hand.
Glad you gave it a try Lynn! Really appreciate hearing your process.
amazing!! Wanted to use up some old egg noodles, and did a mix of chicken and tofu sheets. Next time I might add some more broth for a higher soup to stuff ratio. Going on the rotation:D
Great! Glad you gave it a try. Really appreciate you taking the time to review!
This was my third and best attempt at khao soi. A wonderful recipe! My local Asian grocer didn’t have lemongrass or kaffir lime today but lime juice, crispy onions and Thai basil really made it come together in the end. Added Orange bell pepper instead of red and leftover chicken breast, sliced thin, along with crispy tofu. Sooooooo yummy!!!! A great balance. Didn’t change your spices or sauces.
Love this Amy, glad you gave it a go again! Sounds great.
I followed the recipe and added frozen mustard greens in with the noodles towards the end of cooking. Truly fantastic.
Awesome Lex!
This recipe is a family favourite – a wonderful blend of spices that give you a hug
Love that description! Thanks so much for the rating and review.
As usual, your recipe did not disappoint. This one however, is truly fantastic! My son asked for this on his last night home for the holidays. It’s a favorite at a local restaurant. This was amazing! I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing. It was a huge hit! Thank you so much for helping me take care of the people I love through healthy, delicious food!
So glad to hear this Heather! Cooking truly is an act of love.
Made this tonight for the first time and it was SO GOOD! I had never worked with some of these ingredients before, so was sure to follow the recipe exactly and it turned out amazing! A new favourite for sure. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Great to hear this Kendra! Glad you enjoyed. Thanks for circling back and rating it!
I added mushrooms and spinach. Absolutely delicious! Fantastic recipe!
Great to hear Anne!
Dear Sylvia, sorry for mixing it up in my last comment. You never wrote to mix in the veggies while prepping the sauce, totally my mistake. So again, that dish is so wonderful and the “delution” of taste by mixing in veggies was totally my bad. Sorry for any confusion and surely you can delete my comment, will be happy to write a new one .. all best Christoph
Hi Christoph, I am not seeing your previous comment. I am so happy you are enjoying this!