Khao Soi – Thai Curry Soup

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook according to package instructions for al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain off the water, rinse noodles with cold water, drain, and set aside. You can toss with a bit of oil to keep the noodles from sticking as well—they will be used later on when plating.

In a soup pot, add in one tablespoon of canola oil and bring that up to a medium heat. Add in the red curry paste, cooking for a few minutes to release some of its oils, stirring along the way.

Next add in the garlic, curry powder, and coriander powder. Cook for another couple of minutes.

Add in the chicken and fish sauce, and begin stirring to coat all of the chicken, cooking another few minutes on medium heat until it’s no longer pink.

Add in the coconut milk, cooking for about 5 minutes or so, then add in the chicken stock. Toss in the dried chile peppers for a bit of extra flavor. Raise the heat to medium-high, and bring that to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a medium-low heat, stir, then cover. Cook the soup for about 45-60 minutes, stirring from time to time. Then remove the dried chile peppers and discard them.

While the soup is cooking, add 2 cups of the oil to a medium sized pot and bring the oil up to around 300 F. Take about two cups or so of the cooked noodles and drop them into the heated oil. Cook until light brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Once crispy, remove them with a slotted spoon and set them on a paper lined plate to let any excess oil drain.

Now it’s time for the party. Get your favorite soup bowl out and fill the base with the cooked, not fried, noodles.

Ladle in a generous amount of the soup, enough to barely cover the noodles.

Add some fresh shallots, fried garlic, fried shallots, and fresh cilantro. Break apart some of the fried noodles and place on top of the soup. Stick your nose close to the broth and give a good smell. Trust me, this is awesome stuff.

What I like to do is use a spoon and break those fried noodles into the broth. They add a wonderful texture to the soup. The curry powder balances out the red curry paste like you won’t believe. It’s a perfect balance of flavor. And when you have super tender chicken, along with that broth, and long egg noodles, well, to me that just makes for a great meal. My wife said I should jar this stuff and sell it. We’ll see about that. I hope you enjoy!