Comforting Thai Khao Soi with Chicken

I vividly remember the first time I had chicken khao soi…I was in L.A. visiting My Cheese and after a long (chilly, as I recall) day out we decided to order in Thai food. 

She added khao soi to our order, and while it was quite spicy for me, I fell in love.  It was just so warm and comforting, completely hit the spot.  

But weirdly for years after that I couldn’t find it on Thai menus in Atlanta!  Now in Louisville I actually can find it though we only have a few Thai restaurants. 

But I can’t always drive an hour round-trip to get my khao soi fix, so I decided it was time to find a good homemade version.  After a few different tries, I think this chicken khao soi is a winner.  

What is khao soi?  Also sometimes spelled khao soy or kow soi, it’s a dish served in Laos and northern Thailand.  It’s a spicy broth (with noodles in it) that melds coconut milk and red curry paste.  I add chicken to mine, some people add shrimp, and it could easily be made without meat or with tofu. 

It actually reminds me a bit of my beloved massaman curry in terms of the comforting aspect.

The only thing about this recipe that I wish were a little different is that it only makes two (quite large) servings, but after trying multiple recipes it’s definitely my favorite…the flavor is much more intense and the sauce thicker.  Because of that it’s higher-calorie, though.

There are a number of garnishes you’ll see on khao soi, but I tend not to overthink it.  I just use whatever I have on hand, which is usually fresh lime, chopped peanuts, and green onions (and occasionally shallots).

One other note…you can make this gluten-free easily but substituting rice noodles (like the kind you’d use in pad thai).  I had this the other day from a restaurant and it was great.    

Heat the oil in a large wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped shallots, and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add the curry paste and curry powder, and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add the coconut milk, broth, thinly-sliced chicken (thighs or breast), fish sauce, and sugar.  One tip on slicing chicken thinly, it can help to throw it in the freezer for like 15 minutes to *just* slightly solidify it and make it easier to cut.

Stir everything together, scraping up any curry paste that has stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Taste and adjust seasoning, including adding more red curry paste if needed to bring the right amount of heat.

Bring to a gentle boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a lot of salt and the noodles, and cook the noodles according to package directions (you want al dente), timing it so that the noodles will be cooked when the curry is done simmering.

You can add the pasta to the curry and stir it together, OR drain the pasta and divide between two bowls and then pour your curry and chicken mixture over the top (the more traditional way). 

As I’m just one person, I often tend to mix everything together for easy leftovers.

Add garnishes of your choice and serve immediately.

This does make great leftovers as well, so you could easily double the recipe to feed more people or have leftovers for dayyyyysssss.

Other Thai-inspired dishes you’ll love:

• Easy Pad Thai
• Chicken Massaman Curry
• Super Easy & Healthy “Loaded” Thai Chicken Salad
• Quick Healthy Thai Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl

A few notes on this recipe to make it amazing:

• Try and find a good brand of coconut milk that’s thick without weird stabilizers and with high fat content.  It really is the star of the show.  One of my favorite brands is Chaokoh, and this Nature’s Best has been good as well.
• Figuring out the best noodles can be tough if you don’t have an Asian grocery store nearby.  But you’ll see anything and everything.  I tend toward Asian egg noodles, udon, or soba if I can find it, but you’ll see lo mein, fettuccine, linguini and more.
• To make this gluten-free, you can use rice noodles (like you’d use for pad thai)
• You can substitute the chicken with other types of meat, tofu or vegetables.
• This recipe only makes two (good-sized) servings, but after trying multiple recipes it’s definitely my favorite…the flavor is much more intense and the sauce thicker.  
• One tip on slicing chicken thinly, it can help to throw it in the freezer for like 15 minutes to *just* slightly solidify it and make it easier to cut.

Adapted slightly from The Kitchn

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Chicken Khao Soi

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

This delicious Thai khao soi with chicken is the ultimate comfort food and really easy to make!

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 to 3 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste, depending on spice preference 
• 2 tablespoons of curry powder
• 1 cup of full-fat coconut milk (see notes)
• 3/4 cup of low-sodium chicken broth
• About 1/2 pound of chicken, bite-size pieces (either boneless, skinless thighs or chicken breasts)
• 1 teaspoon of fish sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
• Salt, to taste
• Lime juice as needed to add some acidity and balance
• 8 ounces of fresh or dried egg noodles (see notes)
• Garnish options:  thinly-sliced shallots (raw or fried), cilantro, roasted chopped peanuts, lime wedges, chopped green onion, dried chilies, fried egg noodles

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped shallots, and cook for about 30 seconds.
2. Add the curry paste and curry powder, and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
3. Add the coconut milk, broth, thinly-sliced chicken (thighs or breast), fish sauce, and sugar.
4. Stir everything together, scraping up any curry paste that has stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Taste and adjust seasoning, including adding more red curry paste if needed to bring the right amount of heat.
5. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a lot of salt and the noodles, and cook the noodles according to package directions (you want al dente), timing it so that the noodles will be cooked when the curry is done simmering.
7. Drain the pasta and divide between two bowls. Pour your curry and chicken mixture over the top, and add garnishes of your choice. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. Try and find a good brand of coconut milk that's thick without weird stabilizers.  Some of my favorite brands are Chaokoh and this Nature's Best has been good as well. (see links below)
2. Figuring out the best noodles can be tough if you don't have an Asian grocery store nearby.  But you'll see anything and everything.  I tend toward Asian egg noodles, udon, or soba if I can find it, but you'll see lo mein, fettuccine, linguini and more.
3. To make this gluten-free, you can use rice noodles (like you'd use for pad thai)
4. You can substitute the chicken with other types of meat, tofu or vegetables.
5. This recipe only makes two (good-sized) servings, but after trying multiple recipes it's definitely my favorite...the flavor is much more intense and the sauce thicker.  
6. One tip on slicing chicken thinly, it can help to throw it in the freezer for like 15 minutes to *just* slightly solidify it and make it easier to cut.
7. As with most Thai cooking, it helps to gather and prep all your ingredients ahead of time, because things move pretty quickly once you begin.

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