For a flavorful and wonderfully soothing soup, try this Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. This soup will awaken your taste-buds with its incredible taste combination of chicken, lemongrass and coconut in addition to ginger, garlic, and chili. This potent mix will also boost your immune system and help alleviate any cold or flu symtoms you might be experiencing. As a bonus, it's a cinch to make - you'll be ready to indulge in its soothing warmth in less than 30 minutes. (Note: if you happen to have leftover chicken bones in the house, throw those in too for extra flavor!) ENJOY!
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Yield: SERVES 3-4
Ingredients:
- 6 cups good-tasting chicken stock
- 8-10 oz. thin rice noodles (or enough for 2-4 people)
- 1-2 fresh chicken breasts OR 2-4 thighs, chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 can good-quality coconut milk (not 'lite')
- 1-2 stalks lemongrass , minced OR 3 Tbsp. prepared lemongrass (frozen or bottled)
- 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 kaffir lime leaf OR 1 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1 fresh red chili, OR 1/2 tsp. dried crushed chili
- 1/2 tsp. shrimp paste (or substitute 1 Tbsp. soy sauce)
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 5-6 mushrooms, sliced
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 2-3 Tbsp. fish sauce
- handful bean sprouts
- handful fresh coriander and/or basil
Preparation:
- Bring a pot of water to the boil and dunk in the rice noodles. Simmer until 'al dente', then drain. Rinse with cold water to keep from sticking and set aside.
- Place stock in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil and add the lemongrass, galangal or ginger, garlic, lime leaf or juice, chili, and shrimp paste. Boil 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken, celery, and carrot. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to medium or medium-low. Cover and simmer 5-7 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and red pepper and continue simmering another 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and add the coconut milk and fish sauce. Stir well. Taste-test the soup for salt and spice, adding more fish sauce if not salty or flavorful enough. If too salty, add 1 Tbsp. fresh lime or lemon juice. If too spicy, add more coconut milk. If you'd prefer it sweeter, add 1/2 to 1 tsp. sugar.
- To serve, portion out noodles into bowls, then ladle over the soup. Top with bean sprouts and fresh herbs. For an extra hit of flavor, you can also add a little Thai Nam Prik Pao Chili Sauce . ENJOY!
