As an ardent fan of absolutely anything having to do with noodles and hot soup, I consider myself to be somewhat of an authority on the subject.

Having posted recipes on Chinese classics like Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup, and Noodle Soup with Pork and Pickled Greens, this Coconut Curry Noodle Soup is a bit of a departure from our normal fare. It’s has a bit of Thai influence, making use of Thai red curry paste and coconut milk. If that’s not enough for you (though considering what I’ve learned about the awesomeness of TWOL’s readership over the past two years, I highly doubt it), here are a few of the other things this noodle soup has going for it:

1. It’s incredibly simple to make, taking only about 15 minutes from start to finish (No joke. We’re not playing games here).

2. Despite the speediness of its assembly, it has an amazingly complex, flavor. The richness of the coconut milk, the spicy of the curry paste, the tangy bite of the lime, the funky awesomeness of the fish sauce…I’ll stop there, because I’m basically acting like an incredibly annoying Iron Chef judge right now.

3. It can all be made in one…count ’em ONE…pot. Most noodle soups at least require you to boil the noodles in a separate pot, not to mention the other elements of the dish, but not this one. Because it uses thin rice noodles, you can just throw them into the pot at the end and serve almost immediately, or put the dried noodles in a bowl and pour the broth over the top.

4. It is a restaurant quality dish. If I was given this noodle soup at a restaurant, I would gladly fork over ten bucks for it, and probably go back the next day for another bowl.

Take a look at our Noodles and Wrapper Ingredients page to see the variety of noodles you can use for this dish. The rice vermicelli noodlesare our favorite for this one!

We use Maesri brand Thai red curry paste that comes in little 4 ounce cans.  Peruse our Chinese Sauces Ingredients page to look for images and links for where to purchase it!

You’ll need:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 8 oz. boneless chicken breast or thighs, sliced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2/3 cup coconut milk
• 6 oz. dried rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 lime, juiced
• Sliced red onion, red chilis, cilantro, scallions to garnish

In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil, garlic, ginger, and Thai red curry paste. Fry for 5 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the chicken and cook for a couple minutes, just until the chicken turns opaque.

Add the chicken broth, water, fish sauce, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. At this point, taste the broth for salt and adjust seasoning accordingly (add salt if needed, or if it’s too salty, add a bit of water).

Pour the boiling soup over the dried vermicelli noodles in your serving bowls, add a squeeze of lime juice and your garnishes, and serve. The noodles will be ready to eat in a couple minutes.