Thai Curry Noodle Soup

I feel like apologizing; since becoming pregnant I’ve felt pretty low energy and very uninspired by food. Unless it’s ice cream, soft serve preferred, citrus, or fresh baked bread we’re taking talking about.The past few months have mostly been filled with me mostly just trying to get by. That usually means meals eaten with a spoon and that take less than 20-30 minutes to prepare. Well, hopefully no longer my friends. The tide just might be turning and this is the recipe that set me straight.

The other night, we kicked it old school and I made the cover of Bon Appetit from March 2013. They’ve called it a Spicy Thai Noodle Soup aka Chicken Khao Soi. I made a couple of adjustments to suit what was available at my local grocery store and the un-spicy needs of my hubby to shape it into a good old Thai Noodle Soup.

I really enjoy keeping my old copies of BA around. When my subscription delivery runs late, I can look back on the current month to find a great recipe that is in season. This works well for me when inspiration is running low and Pinterest has been sourced to the ends of the earth. I’m sure you can relate. 😉

I used dried Ancho chiles in this recipe. They’re at the low end of the spicy scale (as in not at all), but they add a ton of flavour to the dish. They were also the only dried chiles available to me at my grocery store. Feel free to use what works or you. The two other recommended chiles will be spicier.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

Khao Soi Paste

4 large dried Ancho, New Mexico, or guajillo chiles, stemmed, halved, seeded
2 medium shallots, halved
8 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 x 2″ piece ginger, peeled and roughly sliced
¼ cup chopped cilantro stems
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tsp curry powder

Soup

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 x 14-oz. cans unsweetened coconut milk, light is fine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1.5 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs,cut into 2″ pieces
1 lb ramen or Chinese egg noodles
3 tbsp (or more) fish sauce
1 tbsp (packed) palm sugar or light brown sugar

Optional garnishes:

Sliced red onion (try a quick pickle! we loved it in this soup), bean sprouts, cilantro sprigs, crispy fried onions or shallots, chili oil, and lime wedges (for serving).

Directions:

Paste:

Place chiles in a small heatproof bowl, add boiling water to cover, and let soak until softened, 25–30 minutes.

Drain chiles, reserving soaking liquid. Purée chiles, shallots, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, and 3 Tbsp. soaking liquid in a food processor, adding more soaking liquid by tablespoonfuls, if needed, until smooth.

Soup:

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add khao soi paste; cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened, 4–6 minutes. Add coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil; add chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is fork-tender, 20–25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. (It is best to keep the noodles and sauce separate until you’re ready to serve this dish, although I loath that extra pot to clean. The noodles will continue to absorb the sauce otherwise. This isn’t the worst thing that could happen, but it would no longer be a soup).

Add 3 Tbsp. fish sauce and sugar to soup. Season with salt or more fish sauce, if needed.

Divide soup and noodles among bowls and serve with toppings.

Enjoy!