This post contains affiliate links.
Khao soi is an utterly delicious coconut-milk-curry-based soup hailing from Thailand. It’s often served with noodles, paired with chicken or beef, and served with a righteous pile of toppings that adds freshness and texture.
Coconut milk, red curry paste, and chicken stock make the base of my easy interpretation of Thai Chicken Khao Soi. Because the soup is so flavorful, it doesn’t rely on a precise combination of veggies to round out the profile. So, you can use whatever greens you have on hand, making it the perfect weeknight dinner. It comes together in 45 minutes, including prep time, plus no marination required!
Where do you buy the ingredients?
You can find the red curry paste and coconut milk at your local Asian market or major chain grocery stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joes, though they will have brand selection. If you live close to an Asian market, I’d suggest going there so you can get fresh noodles! In a pinch, you could resort to spaghetti noodles if necessary (I’m familiar with the struggle!).
Luckily, I have a local Asian store around the corner from my house, so I can grab my favorite brands. See the pics below for my go-tos!
Coconut Milk – Arroy-D (Product of Thailand)
Red Curry Paste – Maesri (Product of Thailand)
The curry paste itself contributes the most flavors to the dish, but it is complemented by a group of ingredients that adds depth and umami – fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.
The rest of the ingredients are pretty minimal for a soup as flavorful as this one. Boneless skinless chicken thighs are easy to prep and require no marination because they’re already so tender. The bok choy is my personal addition because I developed this recipe in the winter and found beautiful bok choy heads at the market!
To cut the bok choy for the soup, cut off the base and slice each frond in half lengthwise as shown below.
How to Make Thai Chicken Khao Soi in 45 minutes
This recipe is essentially a one-pot dish, but don’t just put all the ingredients in at the same time. You want to layer in your ingredients, searing and sauteeing every step of the way to bring out the most flavor from each ingredient. This is my secret for making the best homemade food of your life, every single time. 🙂
Below are step-by-step pictures on how I layer my pot of Thai Chicken Khao Soi to bring out the most flavors with minimal ingredients!
Sear chicken thighs. Remove. -
Saute aromatics. -
Add coconut milk, fish sauce, soy sauce. -
Blend with immersion blender. Add chicken stock. -
Add bok choy. Simmer until tender. 
Serve with noodles & toppings.
Weeknight Thai Chicken Khao Soi
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner, Main Course
- Cuisine: Asian, Thai
Description
A simple weeknight interpretation of the Thai comfort classic. Tender chicken thighs cooked in a flavorful coconut milk and red curry paste broth!
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 3 tbsp red curry paste
- 1 can coconut milk (14 fl oz)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 lb egg, wheat, or ramen noodles (cooked)
- 2 small bok choy heads (leaves halved, lengthwise)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1/2 onion (diced)
- 2 tsp ginger (minced)
- 2 tsp garlic (minced)
- 1 lime
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (plus more to taste)
- 2 tsp cooking oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
For garnish
- cilantro
- spicy chili crisp in oil (optional)
- crispy shallots (optional)
Instructions
- Cook noodles per package instructions. Set aside.
- Season chicken thighs with kosher salt. Sear in a medium pot until light brown on both sides, ~10 minutes. Remove chicken from pot & set aside.
- In the same pot, heat cooking oil on medium heat. Add onion and red peppers, and cook, stirring frequently until tender, ~3-5 minutes.
- Add red curry paste, ginger and garlic. Stir until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in coconut milk. Blend the mixture with an immersion blender* until smooth. Then pour in the chicken stock, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and bring to a simmer.
- Add bok choy and seared chicken. Simmer for ~5 minutes until the bok choy is tender. Remove from heat and squeeze in juice from half a lime. Add salt to taste, if needed.
- Serve the broth with cooked noodles, crispy shallots, cilantro, more fresh lime, and spicy chili crisp! Feel free to dress your bowl up with other fresh toppings, too!
Notes
*Immersion Blender: if you don’t have an immersion blender, you can scoop some of the soup out and blend mixture in a blender or skip this step altogether. Blending the bell pepper and onions makes the soup silkier and a little thicker.
Keywords: curry recipes, dairy free, one-pot, spicy, thai recipes
Recipes You’ll Love
Sweet Corn Curry 
Viet Chicken Coconut Curry
