Thai Chicken Soup is a flavorful, easy one-pot meal packed with Thai-inspired peanut and coconut flavor. This versatile soup can be made with or without chicken and can include rice noodles or other pasta options for a quick, comforting dinner.
Thai Chicken Soup:
This cozy, flavor-packed soup is a great change of pace from classic comfort soups. It starts with sesame oil and a mix of aromatics—green onions, red bell pepper, garlic and ginger—then builds richness with coconut milk and creamy peanut butter. Red curry paste gives it heat and depth, while fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice and brown sugar balance the savory and sweet notes to create a well-rounded broth. The peanut butter adds creaminess without making the soup taste overly peanut-forward.
The recipe in this post used about 4 ounces of rice noodles (roughly half a standard package), which are commonly found in the Asian foods aisle at most grocery stores. If you prefer, you can swap in ramen (discard the seasoning packet), angel hair pasta, or other thin noodles.
Notes and Tips for Making This Soup:
- If rice noodles are unavailable, use 1–2 packages of ramen (discard the spice packet) or angel hair pasta as a substitute.
- Chicken breasts are cooked directly in the broth in this version, but you can speed things up with shredded rotisserie chicken.
- If you don’t eat peanut butter, smooth almond or cashew butter (cashew preferred) makes a good swap to maintain creaminess.
- Fish sauce contributes a distinctive savory umami. If you don’t have it, increase soy sauce to taste or use oyster sauce as an alternative.
- To make ahead, cook the soup without the noodles, then freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and add noodles when reheating.
- To make the soup meatless, omit the chicken and add extra noodles or vegetables to make it heartier. You can also serve the soup with shredded chicken on the side if desired.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Thai Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 4 Green Onions White and green parts, chopped
- 1 Red Bell Pepper Chopped
- 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 teaspoon Minced Ginger (or 1/2 tsp ginger powder)
- 2 Tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste
- 5 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1 Can Coconut Milk
- 1/3 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 1 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 4 Ounces Rice Noodles See note
- 1 Large Lime
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro Chopped (optional)
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Peanuts Optional
Instructions
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Heat the sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat.
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Add the green onions, red bell pepper, garlic, ginger and red curry paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
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Pour in the chicken broth and coconut milk. Whisk in the peanut butter, soy sauce, fish sauce and brown sugar until combined.
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Add the chicken breasts and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 12–15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
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Remove the chicken, shred it, then return the shredded chicken to the pot.
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Stir in the rice noodles and simmer 2–3 minutes, just until they soften. Timing may vary by noodle type—watch closely to avoid overcooking.
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Remove from heat, squeeze in the lime juice, and stir to combine.
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Serve hot with extra lime wedges, chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts if desired.
Notes
- If you can’t find rice noodles, use 1–2 packages of ramen (discard the seasoning packet) or angel hair pasta as a substitute.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.