Green Curry Noodle Soup

Green Curry Noodle Soup is the perfect cold-weather comfort food! Tender noodles in a luscious curry-spiced coconut milk broth with chicken and veggies — what’s not to love?!

Green Curry Noodle Soup Recipe

Where I’m at, a bit of a cold spell has hit and we’ve been covered in a thick blanket of snow for the last few days. Which only means one thing — a hearty and comforting bowl of soup is in order!

While this Chicken Curry Soup was the first thing to come to mind, I also had a craving for some noodles and this tasty Vegetarian Thai Green Curry. So in an attempt to mash up all the cravings, we ended up with this very green, Green Curry Noodle Soup! It checks off all the boxes and is seriously comforting in the cold weather! Plus the whole family went nuts about it and it doesn’t take too long to whip together — win-win!

What Is Green Curry Sauce Made Of?

Green curry paste will differ a bit from brand to brand but typically you’ll find fresh green chiles, garlic, wild ginger, shallot, lemongrass, salt, Kaffir lime, sugar, galangal, spices (coriander seeds, cumin, cardamom, turmeric), pepper in the ingredient list.

The green curry paste in this recipe is the main flavor of this soup. Over the past few years, red and green curry pastes have become more mainstream and easier to find in regular grocery stores.

• Where to find: You’ll likely find it in the international section of your grocery store. You’ll also find it in Asian grocery stores or online.
• What brand to use: We’ve tested this soup with both Maesri® and Thai Kitchen®.

Is Green Curry Spicy?

Green curry paste can be fairly spicy or completely mild– depending on the brand.

The intensity of the curry paste will vary from brand to brand. You’ll want to use enough to ensure bold flavors without too much heat, but keep in mind coconut milk sweetness offsets the heat a lot.

What Goes Well With Green Curry?

Noodles, chicken, and frozen edamame are our favorite pairings with this Thai Green Curry Soup! More on each below:

Noodles

• We love lo mein noodles (also found in the international section of your grocery store) best.
• We have also tried ramen noodles (discard seasoning packets) and enjoyed those.
• In a pinch even thin spaghetti will work — pretty much any thin long noodles you have on hand is a good bet.
• Green curry rice noodle soup: We also tested rice noodles and enjoyed them, but the kids weren’t as enthusiastic.

Chicken

Buying a pre-cooked and seasoned chicken is a total time saver on its own, but to save even more time on the chicken, you can purchase rotisserie chicken meat already pulled from the bones and shredded or diced — many grocery stores sell this conveniently prepared chicken! Or make this grilled chicken and save some leftovers for this recipe.

To make Vegetarian Green Curry Noodle Soup, leave out the chicken or replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.

Edamame

Frozen shelled edamame: Edamame is sold fresh or frozen in the store, but I typically use the frozen shelled soybeans since it’s hard for me to find fresh in my area. Don’t worry about thawing or boiling beforehand– they cook perfectly from frozen in the broth.

Coconut Milk Notes

• Coconut milk is an integral part of this 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® when testing this recipe.
• Use full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and thickness. Lite coconut milk won’t offset the spice of the curry paste or offer the rich, full flavor that regular coconut milk will.
• Stay away from cream of coconut, which is far too sweet. Coconut cream is too thick (and overpoweringly coconut flavored) for this soup.

Green Curry Noodle Soup Tips

• Take time to sauté the curry paste and ground coriander. Instead of immediately dumping everything else into the pot, we want to take time to sauté the ingredients thoroughly, which creates a more heightened flavor dimension. 
• Finishing the soup. After the soup has simmered, it’s time to really bring the flavors alive! This is where some taste testing and experimentation come on your part. Add in extra fresh lime juice, sugar, soy sauce, salt, etc. all to personal preference. The amounts of these ingredients will vary based on the curry paste and coconut milk you used and your personal taste preferences. Salt is hugely important in helping to bring out and enhance existing flavors.

More Comforting Soup Recipes

• Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup with chickpeas
• Vegetable Noodle Soup with orzo noodles
• Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with loads of veggies
• Chickpea Soup with red lentils
• Creamy White Bean and Sausage Soup with baby spinach

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5 from 1 vote

Green Curry Noodle Soup

By Chelsea Lords

This Green Curry Noodle Soup is the perfect cold-weather comfort food! Tender noodles in a luscious curry-spiced coconut milk broth with chicken and veggies -- what's not to love?!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 large bowls

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon oil (coconut or vegetable)
• ▢ 1 bunch green onions
• ▢ 1 tablespoon each: ginger paste, minced garlic, lemongrass paste (optional) (Note 1)
• ▢ 3-6 tablespoons green curry paste, add to taste (Note 2)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• ▢ 1 carton (32 oz.) chicken stock (4 cups; 907g)
• ▢ 1 can (13.5 oz; 400mL) full-fat coconut milk (Note 3)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons each regular soy sauce (not lite/low sodium), lime juice
• ▢ 1-1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame (or frozen peas)
• ▢ 4 oz. lo mein noodles (Note 4)
• ▢ 2 cups diced rotisserie or leftover grilled chicken
• ▢ Salt & pepper
• ▢ Optional: 2-3 teaspoons light brown sugar, if needed, lime kaffir leaves, cilantro, extra lime wedges, Sriracha

Instructions 

• OIL AND AROMATICS: Add oil to a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Thinly slice green onions and separate the white part from the green (save the top half for garnish). Measure out 1/2 cup of the white part of the sliced onions and add to pot along with ginger, garlic, and lemongrass. Sauté until soft, 3-5 minutes. While you get this going, bring a large pot of water to boil for the noodles.
• SIMMER: Once the green onions are soft, add in curry paste and ground coriander. Stir constantly for 2-4 minutes or until very fragrant. Don't rush this-- we'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 entire can of coconut milk. Stir until smooth then add in the frozen edamame, soy sauce, and lime juice.
• FINISH BROTH: Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, I typically add 1/4 teaspoon of each. Add 2-3 teaspoons brown sugar if needed to offset spice. Here's where you'll want to take a minute to adjust other flavors -- See Note 5.
• NOODLES: Meanwhile, the water should be boiling. Boil lo mein noodles according to package directions. Drain and do not run under water. Right after draining, use tongs to divide the noodles equally among 4 large soup bowls. Dice up the chicken and divide evenly among the 4 bowls (1/2 cup diced chicken per bowl) right on top of noodles.
• SERVE: When ready to serve, ladle edamame and broth right on top of the noodles and chicken. Top bowls with reserved green onions. Garnish, if desired, with fresh cilantro, additional lime wedges, and a drizzle of Sriracha sauce if desired. Enjoy immediately.
• STORAGE: If you'd like to have this soup for leftovers, keep the noodles and chicken separate from the edamame broth. Combine the two just before eating.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Garlic, ginger, and lemongrass paste: To keep things quick, grab refrigerated minced garlic and refrigerated ginger paste. As far as lemongrass paste -- it can be tricky to find, but it adds loads of flavor. I've had no problem finding it at my local Asian market, but often purchase it online for ease. If you can't find it, the soup is still tasty without it!

Note 2: Green curry paste: This provides the primary flavor for this soup. You'll likely find it in the international section of your grocery store. Otherwise, purchase at an Asian grocery store or online. If there is a green curry paste you know and love, start there! We've tested both Maesri and Thai Kitchen in this recipe. The intensity and flavor of the curry paste will vary a good deal from brand to brand. We typically use about 2-4 tablespoons of Maesri curry paste (it's a lot spicier) and 4-6 tablespoons when using Thai Kitchen -- both of these amounts ensure bold flavors without too much heat since the coconut milk sweetness offsets the heat so much. Add to personal preference and if you aren't sure start with less since you can always add more later. 

Note 3: Coconut milk: The coconut milk really offsets the spice of the curry paste, so be sure to get a full-fat one (lite coconut milk won't thicken as nicely and won't offset the spice as well). We use Imperial Kitchen in this recipe. 

Note 4: Lo mein noodles: We love lo mein (also found in the international section of your grocery store) but have also tried ramen noodles (discard seasoning packets) and even thin spaghetti will work. Pretty much whatever noodles you have on hand will be fine -- just stick to the 4 ounces. We've also tested rice noodles and enjoyed that, but prefer the lo mein.

Note 5: Adjusting flavors: After the soup has simmered, it's time to really bring the flavors alive! This is where some taste testing and experimentation come on your part. Add in extra fresh lime juice, sugar, soy sauce, curry paste salt, etc. all to personal preference. The amounts of these ingredients will vary based on the curry paste and coconut milk you used and your personal taste preferences. Salt is hugely important in helping to bring out and enhance existing flavors.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.2g | Protein: 36.7g | Fat: 26.1g | Cholesterol: 79.2mg | Sodium: 1106.5mg | Fiber: 4.7g | Sugar: 6.2g

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

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