Ingredients
Noodles
- 6-8 ounces dry rice noodles or egg noodles (Chinese egg noodles preferred, can substitute ramen or linguini)
Broth and Aromatics
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or peanut oil or olive oil)
- 1 large shallot, finely diced (or substitute half an onion)
- 2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste (store-bought, Maseri brand recommended)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (or grated turmeric)
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom powder
- 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth, or water with one chicken bouillon cube)
- 6 fresh kaffir lime leaves (optional)
- 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper (optional, or substitute other vegetables)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or vegan fish sauce)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (adjust if using vegan fish sauce)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, palm sugar, or alternative sweetener
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (Sambal Olek)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lime (for juice), plus extra for serving
Protein
- 8-16 ounces raw chicken breast (or prawns, crispy tofu, leftover baked or rotisserie chicken)
Garnishes
- Pickled mustard greens, chopped small
- Crispy noodles
- Fresh herbs such as basil and cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Cook Noodles: Prepare the egg noodles according to the package directions. For rice noodles, place them in a large baking dish, pour boiling water over, and let them soak, stirring occasionally, until they reach an al dente texture.
- Make the Broth: Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced shallot, chopped garlic, and lemongrass, sautéing until fragrant and golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the red curry paste, turmeric, yellow curry powder, and cardamom powder, and cook for 1 minute to release the spices’ aromas. Pour in the coconut milk, chicken broth, and add the kaffir lime leaves, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer while stirring.
- Add Flavorings: Once simmering, mix in fish sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, balancing salty, sweet, acidic, and spicy notes for a deep, flavorful broth.
- Add Protein and Vegetables: Place the chicken breasts or prawns and any quick-cooking vegetables like red bell pepper into the simmering broth. Cover and gently cook until the protein is done—approximately 10-12 minutes for chicken, 3-4 minutes for prawns. If using whole chicken breasts, shred them after cooking and return to the pot, simmering an additional 2 minutes. For crispy tofu, see notes.
- Taste and Season Further: Squeeze in the lime juice and taste the broth again. Adjust with more lime, salt, pepper, or red curry paste as needed to enhance the flavor depth and brightness.
- Serve: Divide the cooked noodles into serving bowls. Ladle the hot, flavorful broth with protein and vegetables over the noodles to make handling easier.
- Garnish: Top each bowl with pickled mustard greens, crispy noodles, fresh basil and cilantro, and lime wedges for added freshness and texture.
Notes
- If using crispy tofu, fry the tofu cubes separately until golden and add them on top just before serving.
- Adjust the amount of red curry paste based on your preferred spice level.
- Kaffir lime leaves are optional but add authentic aromatic flavor.
- Substitute vegetable broth and vegan fish sauce to keep the dish vegetarian or vegan.
- For a thicker broth, you can gently simmer longer or use less broth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
