Thai Curry Soup with Chicken

Thai Curry Soup with chicken and rice noodles is so quick and easy to make, and full of wonderful red curry flavor.

By: Diana Last updated on January 17, 2025

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This easy recipe for Thai Curry Soup with chicken and rice noodles is so quick to make, full of wonderful red curry flavor. It’s a delicious and warming soup that’s perfect for a busy weeknight!

Overhead view of Thai curry soup with chicken, noodles, and red peppers, garnished with fresh herbs and lime wedges.

If you love Thai-inspired flavors and creamy coconut curries, you are going to go crazy for this delicious and quick Thai Curry Soup!

It’s made with tender chicken and a creamy coconut milk broth infused with ginger, red curry paste, lime juice and more .

It’s easy to use fresh chicken breasts to make this chicken soup, but it works well with rotisserie chicken or leftovers too.

For more Thai food and all of the wonderfully complex flavors that come with it, be sure to try my Thai Pineapple Fried Rice, Thai Beef Stir Fry (Pad Kra Pao) or easy Instant Pot Chicken Pad Thai next.

Thai curry soup with rice noodles in a dutch oven, served with a ladle.

Thai Curry Soup Recipe Highlights

Fresh, Amazing Flavors – The flavors in Thai food are complex, but this recipe makes them uncomplicated! Stock your pantry with the basic Asian seasonings and you’ll have no trouble putting this delicious recipe together whenever the mood strikes.
20 Minute Soup Recipe – Give yourself 20-30 minutes to make this recipe from start to finish! The trickiest part might just be chopping up the vegetables, as the soup itself will be ready in around 15 minutes!
Adjustable Heat Level – If you like spicy Thai food, be sure to add fresh thai chilis. For a milder version, simply leave them out.

Key Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this amazing Thai chicken curry soup:

The ingredients needed to make fresh Thai curry soup, including chicken stock, rice noodles, bell pepper, and seasonings.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Chicken: You’ll need about a pound of chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces. You could also use chicken thighs, or stir in pre-cooked chicken (like leftovers or rotisserie chicken) at the end.
Chicken Stock: This is the base for our delicious broth. I like to make my own, but any good-quality packaged chicken broth can be used as well.
Coconut Milk: This soup gets it’s creaminess from a can of full-fat coconut milk. Be sure to buy canned coconut milk that’s meant for cooking, rather than the boxed milk that’s meant for drinking.
Garlic, Ginger, and Lime: These three give the curry soup so much amazing fresh flavor. Use fresh ginger root, and be sure to grate it finely.
Chili Peppers: Look for Thai chilies or use cayenne or serrano peppers if they are easier to find. For a less spicy soup, you can skip these!
Fish Sauce: This Asian condiment should be available in most large grocery stores. It adds delicious depth and umami flavor.
Red Curry Paste: Also available in the Asian section of the grocery store, this is how we get the warm curry flavor into the dish.
Rice Noodles: Dried rice noodles are added to the soup and cooked for just a few minutes until they’re soft.
Bell Pepper: Red bell pepper strips add color and sweetness to the soup.
Fresh Herbs: Cilantro and Thai Basil are the perfect finishing touches!

How To Make Thai Curry Soup

diced onion sauteed in a dutch oven stirred with a red spoon. — 1. **Saute Onions:** Cook the onions in coconut oil in a Dutch oven for about 2 minutes.

Chunks of briefly cooked chicken in a dutch oven with red curry paste, garlic, and ginger — 2. **Cook Chicken and Seasonings:** Add the chicken and cook for 1 minute. Then add the curry paste, garlic, ginger, and chili pepper, and cook for another minute.

Tip!

The chicken will not be fully cooked at this point! It will finish cooking while the soup simmers.

Coconut milk added to a dutch oven of curry seasoned cooked chicken. — 3. **Make the Broth:** Pour in a can of coconut milk, chicken stock, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil.

Thai curry chicken soup simmering in a dutch oven, viewed from overhead. — 4. **Simmer:** Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 5 more minutes.

Dry rice noodles and sliced red peppers added to a pot of curry soup. — 5. **Add Noodles and Peppers:** Add rice noodles and sliced peppers to the simmering soup, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

A finished pot of Thai curry soup with noodles added. — 6. **Garnish and Serve:** Remove the soup from the heat and stir in fresh lime juice. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and Thai basil.

Tip!

Read the instructions on your package of rice noodles! Mine needed three minutes to cook, so it made sense to add them in with the peppers. Adjust the timing if needed.

Recipe Tips

Use Fresh Ingredients: The flavor of your soup is dependent on the ingredients that you use. Fresh garlic, ginger, and lime juice, as well as fresh herbs are key in this recipe.
Make it Vegetarian: Skip the chicken, or replace it with chick peas. You can add the beans at the end with the bell peppers. Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock too. Instead of fish sauce, you can use vegetarian worcestershire sauce, or skip it!
For more spice, serve this soup with some sriracha hot sauce, or use a spicy chili paste to make the broth.
Add Veggies: Try stirring in some fresh baby spinach or baby kale along with the noodles. This soup would also be good with snow peas!

A bowl of thai curry soup with noodles and chicken. Chopsticks rest on the side of the bowl, and it's garnished with fresh cilantro and thai basil.

Storing Tips

Storing Leftovers: Keep leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you know that you’ll have leftovers, wait to add the rice noodles to the soup, or cook and store them separately. They have the tendency to fall apart if left in liquid for too long.
Make Ahead: If you know that you’ll have leftovers or want to make this recipe ahead of time, wait to add the rice noodles to the soup, or cook and store them separately. They have the tendency to fall apart if left in liquid for too long.
Freezing: Freeze chicken curry soup, without noodles, in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Recipe FAQs

What is the Secret to Thai Curry?

I think that the secret is using fresh, flavorful ingredients! be sure that you’re including fresh garlic, ginger, and lime along with your curry paste to really make the flavors sing.

Is Thai Curry Spicy?

Thai curry can be spicy or mild, depending on how much hot peppers are added to it. In this recipe, you can adjust the amount of chilies to suit your family and their preference for spicy food.

Can you freeze red curry?

Yes! This recipe will freeze quite well. Be sure to freeze it before adding the noodles though, as they will turn to mush when reheated.

Can I add more Thai red curry paste to my soup after finishing the recipe?

Sure, although curry paste is best when it’s been cooked for a minute to bloom the spices and herbs first. Taste the soup when it’s done, and then feel free to adjust any of the seasonings.