Curry Noodle Soup is an easy, family-friendly, weeknight meal that can be on the table in 30 minutes or less! A luscious coconut-curry broth is filled with bright peas, succulent ramen noodles, and tender chicken.

If you’d prefer to use green curry paste, try our Green Curry Noodle Soup instead!

Curry Noodle Soup

Red Curry Noodle Soup

This simple Curry Noodle Soup is the perfect recipe to quell the curry cravings while delivering a super-warming and hearty meal. From the curly ramen noodles to the ultra-tender chicken to the luxurious coconut and pea-studded broth — every bite is like a warm hug!

When cold weather strikes or a common cold hits, nothing comforts like a good bowl of noodle soup and this one is hard to beat!

Process shots of Curry Noodle Soup: browning the aromatics in coconut oil; adding spices; continuing to cook

How To Make Curry Noodle Soup

This chicken Curry Noodle Soup has three main components: the noodles, the chicken, and the coconut-curry broth. More on each below:

Noodles

  • We use instant ramen noodles in this soup. Start by discarding the seasoning packets (or save for another recipe) and use just the noodles for this recipe.
  • You can also use chow mein noodles, lo mein noodles, or even thin spaghetti instead of ramen.

Quick Tip

Whatever noodles choose, be sure you’re using about 5-6 ounces — we’ve found this to be the perfect amount for the broth and chicken quantity.

Chicken

Use pre-cooked and seasoned chicken or you can purchase rotisserie chicken meat already pulled from the bones and shredded or diced — many grocery stores sell this! Or make this grilled chicken and save some leftovers for this recipe (our personal favorite!).

One of the best things about this soup is that you don’t need to re-warm the leftover chicken; simply throw it in the bowl and let the warm broth heat it through.

Coconut-Curry Broth

The broth in this Curry Noodle Soup starts with sautéed aromatics (shallots, ginger, and garlic). Next, we sauté the curry paste and curry powder to bring out the flavors. Add in some chicken stock, coconut milk, frozen peas, and a few other ingredients and the broth is ready!

Process shots: add chicken stock to the pan; mix in the coconut milk; stir in peas, soy sauce and lime juice.

 Curry Noodle Soup Tips

  • Take time to sauté the curry powder and curry paste. This is going to unlock a heightened flavor dimension. 
  • Finishing the soup. After the soup has simmered, it’s time to really bring the flavors alive! Salt is hugely important in helping to bring out and enhance existing flavors.
  • Fish sauce is a common finishing ingredient in Thai cuisine — it adds that final seasoning and umami flavor. Feel free to replace the soy sauce with fish sauce if preferred.
  • Not a fan of frozen peas? Try frozen shelled edamame instead!

Process shots: boil and drain ramen; divide noodles between serving bowls; add chicken; add broth and serve.

Ingredient Notes

  • Coconut milk is an integral part of this Curry Noodle Soup. It’s sweet and nicely balances the spice from the curry paste. It’s also thick and creamy which makes the soup taste rich and indulgent. Look for shelf-stable, not refrigerated, cans of coconut milk. You’ll find canned coconut milk on the international aisle, with Latin or Asian products. We used Imperial Kitchen® in the testing of this recipe.
  • Red curry paste adds loads of flavor without requiring additional (often hard-to-find) ingredients. Curry pastes can vary from brand to brand, particularly in spiciness. We use Thai Kitchen® which I would say is mild and has a great flavor. I’ve also used Maesri® red curry paste, which is incredible flavor-wise, but it’s a lot spicier than Thai Kitchen. When making this recipe for my kids, I use Thai Kitchen.
  • Garlic and ginger. We use refrigerated garlic paste and refrigerated minced garlic to keep prep as quick/simple as possible.

Close-up of Curry Noodle Soup

Storage

Curry Noodle Soup Storage

One of my favorite things about curry recipes is how well they store. Leftovers only get more and more flavorful as they sit.

That said, this soup is best stored separately — the broth from the noodles and chicken. If you won’t be eating all of the soup on the same day, package up the noodles and chicken in one container with the broth in a separate one. To enjoy leftovers, heat the broth and pour over the chicken and noodles to warm those through.

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Curry Noodle Soup

This Curry Noodle Soup is a weeknight winโ€”ready in 30 minutes with a rich coconut-curry broth, tender chicken, ramen noodles, and bright peas!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 large bowls

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots or use green onions
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger see note 1
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste
  • 2 tablespoons red curry paste see note 2
  • 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
  • 1 (32-ounce) carton chicken stock 4 cups
  • 1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fatย coconut milk see note 3
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 lime
  • 1-1/2 cups frozen peas
  • 2 (3-ounce) packets instant ramen noodles
  • 2 cups cooked chicken diced rotisserie or leftover grilled chicken
  • Serving suggestions see note 4

Instructions 

  • Add oil to a large soup pot over medium heat. Thinly slice shallots and add to pot along with ginger and garlic. Sautรฉ until golden, 3โ€“5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil for the noodles.
  • Once the shallots are golden, add in curry paste and powder. Stir constantly for 2โ€“4 minutes or until very fragrantโ€”donโ€™t rush this; weโ€™re creating the foundation of flavor. Increase heat to medium high, and while stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot, gradually add in 1 cup of chicken stock until incorporated. Add in the rest of the chicken stock and the coconut milk. Stir until smooth.
  • Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook (uncovered) for 5 minutes. Add in frozen peas, soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. (I typically add 1/4 teaspoon of each.) Hereโ€™s where you can take a minute to adjust other flavorsโ€”see note 5.
  • Meanwhile, the water should be boiling. Discard seasoning packets and boil the noodles according to package directions. Drain but do not rinse. Right after draining, use tongs to divide the noodles equally among 4 soup bowls. Dice the chicken and divide evenly among the bowls (1/2 cup per bowl).
  • When ready to serve, ladle broth and peas right on top of the noodles and chicken. Garnish bowls, if desired, with fresh cilantro, thinly sliced green onions, additional lime wedges, and a drizzle of Sriracha if desired. Enjoy immediately.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: To keep things quick, use refrigerated minced garlic and refrigerated ginger paste.
Note 2: Red curry paste provides the main flavor for this soup. Youโ€™ll likely find it in the international section of your grocery store, at an Asian grocery store, or online. Iโ€™ve tested both Maesriยฎ and Thai Kitchenยฎ in this recipe. The intensity and flavor will vary from brand to brand. Add to preference, and if you arenโ€™t sure, start with less since you can always add more later.
Note 3: The coconut milk really offsets the spice of the curry paste, so be sure to get a full-fat one. (Lite coconut milk also wonโ€™t thicken as nicely.)
Note 4: Serving suggestions: 2โ€“3 teaspoons light brown sugar if needed, cilantro, extra lime wedges, green onions, and Sriracha.
Note 5: After the soup has simmered, itโ€™s time to bring the flavors alive! Add extra fresh lime juice, soy sauce, curry paste salt, etc. all to personal preference. You may even need to add a few teaspoons of sugar. The amounts will vary based on the curry paste and coconut milk used and your taste preferences. Salt is important in helping to bring out and enhance existing flavors.
Storage: If youโ€™d like to have this soup for leftovers, keep the noodles and chicken separate from the broth. Combine the two just before eating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 53.7g | Protein: 24.4g | Fat: 20.7g | Cholesterol: 34.2mg | Sodium: 1308.5mg | Fiber: 5.4g | Sugar: 9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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