Thai Pomegranate Chicken Khao Soi Noodle Soup.
I have soup and stories to share today!!
And for once they both go together!! No random out of nowhere talk today because the recipe and the story go hand in hand. Cool!
OKok, so you may hear me talk about my brother Brendan and his girlfriend Lyndsie from time to time. Well, those two are the inspiration, and honestly the reason this recipe came to be. The two of them just returned from a month plus trip to Thailand. They were supposed to be shopping for home goods and such for Lyndsie’s sister Amber. Amber is an interior designer in LA with a shoppe in Calabasas. While I suppose they did manage to squeeze in some of that, I really think they just drank Mai Tai’s, ate delicious food, rode elephants, and hung out by the pool…when in Thailand, right?
While they were searching for all their goods, they also came across new recipes. This Chicken Khao Soi Soup is Lyndsie’s favorite and she demanded I make it right away. OK, that’s a slight exaggeration, but she said it is her all time favorite, and the moment I looked up the recipe I knew she was on to something that I had to make. I also knew just how to put my own little spin on the recipe.
Chicken Khao Soi is a northern Thai chicken noodle soup made up simply of curry paste, coconut milk and chicken. Honestly, this is one of the easiest recipes ever. The secret is the khao soi curry paste, which Brendan and Lyndsie sent me straight from Thailand along with the egg noodles also needed to complete this soup. They sent me a bunch of other foods too…but it’s all in Thai and I have not a clue as to what it is. Think of things that look like dried mushrooms, chile peppers, spices and some weird white things that look like they belong on the bottom of the ocean…not gonna lie, I’m kind of creeped out by them. Maybe those guys can enlighten me when they come for Christmas.
Anyway, the point is that they helped me to create this soup, and without their adventures I would never have been able to experience the deliciousness that is Chicken Khao Soi. I also wouldn’t have been able to share it with you guys!!
And um, I am SO very excited to share it!
Oh and aside from all the food, they sent back a ton of dishes, like the middle bowl you see in these photos, and the chopsticks too! So I mean, I have some pretty authentic Thai food happening right now, and if I didn’t already make it clear (I did, I know) I’m pumped about it.
Alright, so here is the deal with this Thai pomegranate chicken khao soi noodle soup. Like I said, it’s simple and the secret is truly in the khao soi Paste that they sent back. Unfortunately, I’ve searched high and low on Amazon, but I can’t seem to find it anywhere. Bon Appetit has a great homemade recipe that I highly recommend trying when you have the time. But if you’re just looking for a quick meal, I remade the soup using just Thai Red curry paste and it was still delicious. Just add an extra pinch of cayenne for a little kick of heat.
As I mentioned, traditionally the soup is just khao soi paste, coconut milk, chicken broth, chicken, fish sauce and egg noodles, but I when I read the ingredients I could not help but think that the addition of kabocha squash and pomegranate arils would be kind of amazing. So my version includes thin wedges of kabocha squash, pomegranate molasses and fresh pomegranate arils for topping.
I know I say this a lot, but guys, this soup is incredible! It’s spicy, but the heat is balanced by the coconut milk, squash and sweet pomegranate. The egg noodles are a must, I mean obviously, and while the pomegranate might seem odd, it completes the recipe, giving the soup a burst of freshness. Words cannot describe how much I love this bowl of soup. New winter favorite right here.
Best part? Very minimal hands on time, ten ingredients, twelve with the cilantro and lime garnishes, and it’s ready to eat in under forty-five minutes. Best meal ever. <– for real.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Thai Pomegranate Chicken Khao Soi Noodle Soup.
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: chicken noodle soup
This spicy soup is balanced by the coconut milk, squash and sweet pomegranate. The egg noodles are a must and while the pomegranate might seem odd, it completes the recipe, giving the soup a burst of freshness.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup Thai Red curry paste or Khao Soi Paste see Note
- 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 1 small winter squash sliced into thin wedges
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 8 ounces egg noodles
- arils from 1 pomegranate
- cilantro chili, and limes, for garnish
Instructions
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Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth, stirring to combine. Bring the soup to a boil and add the chicken and squash. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the squash tender.
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Remove the chicken from the soup and let cool. Shred with two forks.
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Stir the fish sauce and pomegranate molasses into the soup. Slide the shredded chicken back in. Simmer 5-10 minutes or until heated through.
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Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Boil the noodles according to package directions. Drain.
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Divide the soup among bowls and top each bowl with noodles. Top with pomegranate arils, if desired garnish with cilantro, chili, and limes. Eat!
Recipe Notes
Here is a great homemade Khao Soi Paste.
So everyone please thank the brother and his girlfriend for this one…and then make bowl after bowl.
Yum! I love these Thai noodle soups and the paste looks pretty easy so I’ll definitely be giving this a go 🙂
Awh yay! Hope you love it Amy! Thank you!
I love Thai food so I’m sure I will love this one!
http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/
I hope so!!
MMmmmmm! This soup looks and sounds fantastic, Tieghan! Thanks for always having such awesome inspiration to share!
Hey Tori! Thanks so much as always! Look forward to seeing your comments always!! (: Hope you have a great day!
Wow, this looks sooo good!! I am so looking forward more Thai Food! I hope your brother and his girlfriend will continue to send the goodies.. and recipes!!
Thank you!! They did a great job! I hope they do too!
Good Morning from Oregon.
Got home for my trek ( groc shop etc) to the cities, 235 miles yesterday..and no fish sauce in the house What can i sub ? Surprisingly i have one Pomegranate.
Prefect dinner for this evening. I will make some yummy dinner rolls to go with.
Thank you so much. Happy Wednesday.
Hey Leslie! Use soy sauce, that will be great. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you! 🙂
literally, you had me at noodles. I absolutely am in LOVE with this dish. And the addition of pomegranate? Out of this world.
https://www.searedandshameless.com
The pomegranate is my favorite part! Any chance I can think to use them I am! LOL!
Thanks Jessica!!
Loooove khao soi! Didn’t realize it was just a simple paste – I think you made my Wednesday!
Yes!! Its so good! Hope you love it!! Thank you.
Wow this looks good – great photos too!!
Rebecca
xx
http://www.peppermintdolly.com
Thank you so much Rebecca!
This soup looks delicious! You might want to check out The Woks of Life blog to enlighten you on some of the ingredients they sent you. I think their recipes are primarily Chinsese, but many Asian recipes have similar ingredients.
Thank you Karen!
Yay for Brendan and Lyndsie! This soup sounds so delicious Tieghan. Your photos are just gorgeous. (as usual!) Makes me want to grab a bowl right off my screen!
Awh thank you so much Mary Ann! I hope you love this one!
I love Thai food and this Thai soup looks soo delicious. I’m not sure I’ve had kang soi before, so it’ll be fun to try. Can’t wait!
Yes!! I hope you love this one Andrea, thanks!
Do you think this would work in a crockpot? I’m thinking just add the molasses and fish sauce at the end.
Hey Olivia! Yes! I think it would be great and I think you can even add the molasses and fish sauce in the beginning too. Let me know if you have questions. Thanks!
Where do I find pomegranate molasses? I’ve never heard of that before. Thanks!
Hey Nancy! You can buy it at whole foods or maybe Trader Joes (not sure though), but I buy mine on Amazon. Here is the link, thanks!!
https://www.amazon.com/Cortas-Pomegranate-Molasses-10-Ounce-Bottles/dp/B005CMA7QS/ref=sr_1_6_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1478232692&sr=1-6&keywords=pomegranate+molasses
Made this last night and it was so simple and delicious, exactly what was needed on a rainy night in Vancouver. Thanks for another gem recipe Tieghan!
Sounds so perfect! Thanks for making them Claire!!
Cooked this up tonight !!! Was absolutely superb my wife and 3 sons absolutely scoffed this delicious soup ?? And can’t wait until I make it again !
Thanks heaps from Perth Australia
Awesome! SO glad you all enjoyed this recipe! Thank you Simon!
I love Thai flavors, a big bowl of this soup is just what I’m craving!
You should make it!! And thank you as always!!
This recipe is AH-MAZING! So good, the textures and flavors are awesome, and it’s healthy. It’s a win-win. Keep it up girl! 🙂
Thanks so much Ella!! (:
I would love to try Khao Soi one day! SO yummy. And I never knew that Amber owned a store in Calabasas–I used to live there!
Ok, I’m definitely going to have to try this. I went to Thailand on my honeymoon and we had INCREDIBLE khoa soi at this little roadside stand down the street from our hotel. I’m almost nervous to even try to top it, but I love the idea of adding squash and pomegranates.
I hope this one is just as tasty for you, Courtney! Thank you so much!
Loved this soup. I used the linked recipe to make khao soi paste and I’m so glad I did. The flavor was amazing and I like how it added other flavors than just curry paste would.
Hey Sara,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I’d love to make this but I am gluten intolerant. Do you think I could substitute in rice noodles instead of egg noodles?
Hey Jessica,
Yes, I think rice noodles would work well here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions!! xTieghan