Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup Recipe

Ingredients

Soup

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 extra fat shallot, finely diced
• 0.25 cup store-bought green curry paste
• 4 cups chicken or veggie broth
• 8 ounces protein: chicken breast sliced thin, or crispy tofu
• 8 ounces broccolini, cut in half lengthwise
• 13.5 ounces coconut milk (1 can)
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce (or vegan fish sauce)
• 0.5 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar or honey (optional)
• 0.25 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
• 6 ounces dry rice noodles

Optional Additions

• 1 tablespoon chopped lemongrass
• 4 slices galangal
• 4 kaffir lime leaves

Homemade Green Curry Paste

• 6 green chilies (jalapeño or serrano), seeded
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 3 4-inch pieces lemongrass, thinly sliced
• 0.25 cup galangal root, thinly sliced
• 0.25 cup ginger, thinly sliced
• 3 scallions
• 0.5 bunch cilantro, including stems
• 3 kaffir lime leaves (or 1 tablespoon lime zest)
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Homemade Green Curry Paste (Optional)

1. Slice everything thinly, especially lemongrass, ginger, and galangal. Place in a food processor and blend until very finely minced into a paste.
2. Store up to a week in the fridge or freeze for later use.

Make the Soup

1. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat and sauté the shallot until golden. Add the curry paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. If using store-bought curry paste, add lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves for extra flavor.
3. Add the broccolini and chicken (if using) and simmer until the broccoli is just tender and bright green, and the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the coconut milk. If using tofu, add it now.
4. Add the fish sauce and lime juice to taste.
5. To brighten the soup and make it vibrant green, place 1 cup of the coconut broth into a blender with the fresh basil and blend until bright green. Set aside.
6. When ready to serve, warm the soup (don't boil) and pour the basil broth mixture into the pot. Simmer briefly for no longer than 30 seconds, then turn off the heat to preserve the vibrant green color.
7. Taste and adjust lime, salt, and heat. Serve over cooked rice noodles.

Notes

• Start with less curry paste and add more to taste—store-bought pastes vary in spiciness.
• For crispy tofu, press and cube firm tofu, then pan-fry until golden before adding to the soup.
• The basil blending step is optional but creates a beautiful vibrant green color in the finished soup.