Khao Soi Soup
Hailing from northern Thailand, this noodle soup presents an incredible combination of flavors and textures. Recently, my mom prepared it for me, and I instantly became enamored with it. It's a modified version of a street food recipe she discovered in her local newspaper. The dish is rich in flavor, so if you lean towards a milder option, consider reducing the amount of spices.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 4 cups coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 12 whole dried Thai chile peppers
- 6 small shallots, cut into quarters
- ½ head bok choy, chopped
- 1 (8 ounce) package rice noodles
- 1 cup pickled mustard cabbage, thinly sliced (Optional)
- ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir chopped shallots and garlic until garlic starts to turn golden, 2 to 4 minutes. Add red curry paste and curry powder; cook and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, water, chicken, and sea salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer soup.
- Mix fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice into soup and simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes more.
- Heat 1/2 cup oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; fry Thai chile peppers until browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer chile peppers to soup, reserving oil in skillet. Fry quartered shallots and bok choy in hot oil until browned, 2 to 4 minutes, transfer to soup and reserve oil in skillet.
- Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside until noodles are softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Add 3/4 of the noodles to the soup. Fry the remaining rice noodles in the hot oil until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Divide soup among 6 bowls and top with fried noodles, pickled cabbage, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Notes
- This is a very forgiving recipe. Add as much or as little of the spices and chiles as suits your tastes.
- Add more vegetables if desired or make this completely vegetarian by substituting the chicken with tofu or extra veggies.
- If using raw chicken legs, cook 45 minutes in step 1 until chicken is very tender.
Nutrition
Calories: 726kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 21gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 36gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 1074mgPotassium: 1047mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 126mgIron: 8mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!