This easy Thai Spicy Noodle Soup recipe is quick, hearty and infused with fragrant Thai flavors. A soul-warming noodle soup that is vegan, gluten-free and requires only 15 minutes to make!
If you are a fan of Asian noodle soup bowls, but have never made one before, this Thai Spicy Noodle Soup is the perfect place to start. It is full of complex and bold flavors, but is so simple to make. The red curry paste adds heat, but is toned down by the creamy sweetness of the coconut milk. A splash of lime juice also balances and brightens the flavors in the soup.
This soup is delightful as it is, but you could add shrimp, tofu or shredded chicken to add protein and make it even heartier. To add a burst of freshness and to make your bowls look extra-pretty, garnish your serving bowls with fresh chopped cilantro, green onions, crushed peanuts and/or red chilies.
Tip: For best results, only let the noodles cook in the soup for a few minutes (just until they are softened) and then serve the soup right away. I find that if the noodles sit in the soup for too long after I make it, they tend to absorb a lot of the liquid.
More satisfying soup recipes to try:
For this Thai Spicy Noodle Soup recipe, I recommend:
- Thai Red Curry Paste – This is one I use and love! It gives amazing, authentic flavor to Thai dishes and adds the perfect amount of heat.
- Coconut Milk – I love the taste and consistency of this brand. It adds so much body and richness to soups and curries.
- Pot/Dutch Oven – This one is super affordable and the quality is excellent. I love using it to make soups, stews and chili.
Important: If you are vegan, be sure to use a brand of Thai Red Curry Paste that is vegan. The one I use is not, but this red curry paste is vegan and is also very good.
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- Optional garnishes: Fresh cilantro, green onions, crushed peanuts and red chilies
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and curry paste and sauté for 2 minutes to release the curry’s aromas.
- Stir in the broth, coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil.
Stir in the lime juice. Add the rice noodles to the pot and allow them to sit for a few minutes until softened. Serve immediately, topped with optional garnishes.
- For best results, serve the soup right away once it is done cooking.
- If you are not vegan, you can substitute the vegetable broth with chicken broth.
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Hi Alia, This soup looks SO amazing! I love how creamy it gets with the coconut milk. And how fast it is?!?! Can’t wait to make this during the week.
Hi Laurel, thanks so much! I love cooking with coconut milk, it adds so much richness to recipes. Haha yes I am a big fan of quick recipes too! I hope you do get a chance to make this sometime! 🙂
Is the coconut milk sweetened or unsweetened
Hey Janessa – Unsweetened! 🙂
also one more question , all i have is pancit rice noodles , will that work ? or is there another substitute i could use?
Hi again Janessa – Yes pancit noodles will work! Just add the uncooked pancit noodles at the end and let them cook for a few minutes in the pot until they are soft and cooked through. 🙂
I LOVED this recipe! I made it two weeks ago and ever since my boyfriend has been BEGGING me to make it again. Can’t wait to have it again tonight 🙂 Thanks so much!
Hey Bre! Yay!! That makes me so happy! 🙂 I am so glad you two enjoyed it! I especially love having this soup when I have a cold, because the spicy heat in it warms me right up. You are very welcome!!
Hey I’m making this right now and I can’t wait! I’m just curious….In the ingredients list it calls for 4 cups of vegetable/chicken broth but in the directions (#2) it says to add 1 cup water. I went with the 4 cups of broth and didn’t add any extra water I was just curious which was correct or maybe if I’m reading this wrong? Anyway, it’s on the stove and smells good!
Hey Sarah – I’m so glad you made it! So yes you’re supposed to add the 4 cups of broth plus 1 cup of water. I just usually don’t include water in the ingredients list in my recipes, so that’s why i just listed the broth. But if you didn’t add any extra water it should still turn out fine. I hope you liked the soup! 🙂
Hi again Sarah! I just wanted to let you know that I amended the recipe to include the water in the ingredients list, to avoid any confusion in the future! 🙂
Is there a yummy substitute for the chicken broth?
I’m looking for a gluten free version.
Thanks
Jay
Hi Jay! Yup, you can use vegetable broth instead! Just make sure it says “gluten-free” on the label! 🙂
I am making this tonight! I know it is warm outside, but soup just sounds too good!
Hi Beth! Thank you! You should definitely make it! And I know what you mean, it is very warm outside and I am sipping on a hot mint tea right now. Sometimes you just need something hot and comforting no matter what! Let me know what you think of the recipe when you do make it! 🙂
Thank you for the recipe! It was excellent! I made it exactly as you have it listed here. I topped it with cilantro, crushed peanuts and diced green onions. My 19 year old son broke out a set of chopsticks (I had no idea we had these) and proceeded to eat two huge bowls. Three of us nearly ate the whole pot!! I think next time I’ll try either shrimp or chicken in it, but really its stands fine on its own!
Hi Darren! You’re welcome!! Thanks so much, I am so glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe! It is a favorite in my house as well. Chicken or shrimp definitely go great with this soup, but I usually find myself just making the recipe as is. 🙂
Hi Alia!
I just came across your recipe and will be making it tomorrow. Question on the noodles, my husband is away for work so I get to enjoy this all to myself for a few days. Should I cook the noodles separately, then just add when warming? Rice noodles seem to be my nemesis, I always over cook them I think. Can’t wait for tomorrow nights dinner:)
Hi Melissa! Yay!! I’m excited for you to make it! Just cook the rice noodles exactly how it says in the recipe: At the very end, add the rice noodles to the pot and let them sit in the soup for 2-3 minutes, just until they are softened. If you do that, you definitely won’t overcook the noodles. Let me know how the recipe turns out at dinner tomorrow! 🙂
Sorry if this is a basic question, but I’m a cooking novice, lol. When would you add in the tofu if you were using it – with the noodles? Would you recommend doing anything with them first, or just letting them marinate in the pot? Thanks!
Hey Nish! No worries, that is a perfectly valid question. 🙂 Personally, when I am cooking with tofu, I like to crisp it up a bit in a frying pan before cooking anything else. This is what I recommend: First cut up the tofu into small cubes and add a little bit of oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add the tofu to the pan and cook it for a few minutes until it is golden on all sides. Then transfer the tofu to a plate and set it aside. Then you can make the recipe as it is written and add the tofu back to the soup at the very end. I hope that helps! 🙂
I made this soup last night. I think I messed up? I cooked the noodles in the soup. The noodles absorbed the soup. The flavor was very good but I think next time I will cook the noodles separately and add them to the bowl at plating . It could have been the noodles I used. They were a little thick not the super thin ones.
Hi Camela! Aww that’s too bad the soup didn’t turn out as you wanted. I usually use the thin rice noodles to make this soup, not the thick ones. And I only let them cook in the soup for a couple of minutes and then serve the soup right away. I find that if the noodles sit in the soup for too long after I make it, they can absorb a lot of the liquid. Maybe next time try using thinner noodles and only let them sit in the soup for a few minutes before serving. I hope that helps! 🙂
I love this recipe. I had to cook noodles twice the recommended time that the box recommended, about 16 mins to get noodles soft . And by that time the soup had thicken but poring more hot water thins it out. I will definitely make this again and add chicken. It’s like the Thai version of chicken soup.
Hi Staci! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup! Did you use rice noodles? They should only take a few minutes to soften, so maybe it was the type of noodles that you used. Chicken would definitely be a great addition to this recipe! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
This soup was delicious! Just what I was looking for on a frigid Michigan winter night. This recipe will definitely be made again and again! I added some matchstick carrots, red cabbage and bok choy before the addition of lime juice and noodles and loved the comforting and warming flavors! Thank you for sharing!
Any suggestions for leftovers? The noodles seem to be sucking up all the broth. I’m thinking pan fried noodles for tomorrow’s lunch.
Hi Jessica! Thanks so much! 🙂 All of the extra vegetables you added would definitely take this recipe over the top! I usually never have leftovers haha! Pan-fried noodles sounds delicious though, so maybe do that! Or if you find the noodles have absorbed a lot of the broth, you could add more broth/water to thin it out. 🙂
Hi Alia, I looked up the red curry paste you recommend and it contains shrimp paste so the recipe is not vegan. Just fyi.
Hi Ritu! Thanks for letting me know! The recipe is actually still vegan, as long as you use a vegan red curry paste. I have added a note and a recommendation for a good vegan red curry paste to clear up any confusion! 🙂
Thanks Alia. That is really helpful since I don’t eat fish.
You’re welcome Ritu! I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Loved this! Added a whole bunch of veggies before I added the liquid. Added cooked chicken at the end and i put noodled into each bowl with boiling water until soft and then drained and added the soup to the cooked noodles. Big hit.
Hi Melanie! Woo hoo! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup! Lots of veggies + chicken are great additions to this recipe. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
This was a great lunch on a cold winter Alaskan day. Thanks for sharing!
Hi William! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! You’re welcome! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂