Khao Soi (Northern Thai Coconut Curry Soup) – Recipe
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
55 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
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Servings
8
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Calories
494 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Soup
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Cuisine
Thai
Khao Soi (Northern Thai Coconut Curry Soup) – Recipe
Description
Khao Soi (Northern Thai Coconut Curry Soup) centers around a homemade curry paste crafted from dried chiles de arbol, New Mexico peppers, shallot, garlic, ginger, and fresh cilantro, combined with turmeric and yellow curry powder. The paste is cooked into a coconut milk and chicken broth base with chicken thighs simmered until tender, enriched with fish sauce, soy sauce, and palm sugar to achieve a balance of savory and sweet notes. The soup includes soft egg noodles submerged in the broth, complemented by a topping of fried egg noodles for a crisp element. The preparation involves toasting and soaking dried peppers to bring depth and mild heat, which can be adjusted by varying the chiles used. The final dish showcases creamy, mildly spicy coconut curry with layered textures from the two noodle components.
Served hot, Khao Soi is a comforting soup ideal for those interested in exploring Northern Thai flavors with its characteristic coconut curry and textural contrast. The fried noodles on top add crunch and can be made in advance if desired. This recipe yields a spicy-savory soup with aromatic undertones from fresh herbs and spices.
Adjust the heat level by modifying the quantity of chiles de arbol or substituting with chili flakes for a hotter variation. The recipe includes practical steps to soften dried chiles for the paste and provides options for the frying oil to crisp the noodles. Incorporating palm sugar or a substitute like light brown sugar balances the curry's richness and heat.
Ingredients
FOR THE KHAO SOI CURRY PASTE
- 8 dried chiles de arbol
- 2 New Mexico peppers dried
- 1 shallot chopped, large
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons ginger chopped fresh
- ½ cup cilantro chopped, fresh
- 2 teaspoons Turmeric ground
- 2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
FOR THE CURRY SOUP
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- 2 14- ounce coconut milk from cans
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1.5 pounds chicken thighs chopped
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar or use light brown sugar
- 12 ounces egg noodles prepared
- salt to taste
FOR THE FRIED NOODLES (if serving)
- 4 ounces egg noodles
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- Pinch salt
FOR SERVING/GARNISH: Chopped cilantro, spicy chili flakes, fried noodles (see below), lime wedges, red onion slices (for other options, see the discussion above)
Instructions
- Make the fried noodles first by heating the vegetable oil in a pot. Do not let it boil. Add the 4 ounces of egg noodles and lightly fry them, stirring occassionally, until they brown and crisp up, about 3-4 minutes. Set them onto paper towels to drain. You can reserve some of the oil to use later if you’d like.
FOR THE KHAO SOI CURRY PASTE
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and dry toast the dried peppers, flipping here and there, until they become pliable. Cool them slightly, then remove the stems and seeds. Place the peppers in a bowl and pour hot water over them. Soak them about 20 minutes, until they are nice and soft.
- Add the peppers along with the shallot, garlic, ginger, cilantro, turmeric, curry powder, and about ¼ cup of the pepper soaking liquid to a food processor. Process to form a paste. You can add in more soaking liquid if you need to.
FOR THE KHAO SOI CURRY SOUP
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil in a wok or large pan. Add the curry Khao Soi curry paste and cook it down, stirring often, for 5 minutes. It will darken a bit.
- Pour in the coconut milk, chicken broth, and add the chopped chicken. Bring the mix to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors have nicely developed.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the fish sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar. Adjust to taste with salt, fish sauce and soy sauce.
TO SERVE
- Divide the prepared egg noodles into bowls, then pour the curry soup over them.
- Garnish and serve!
Notes
- You can reduce the number of chiles de arbol to lower the heat level of the soup.
- For extra spiciness, add chili flakes as preferred.
- Fried noodles can be made ahead and stored to add crisp texture just before serving.
- Soak dried peppers thoroughly to ensure a smooth curry paste consistency.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 494 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 494kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 46g | 15% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 22g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Cholesterol | 128mg | 43% |
| Sodium | 920mg | 38% |
| Potassium | 602mg | 13% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 290IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 6.2mg | 7% |
| Calcium | 50mg | 5% |
| Iron | 4.4mg | 24% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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