Khao Soi is one of my all-time favorite noodle dishes. This Thai coconut curry noodle soup is rich, creamy, spicy, and deeply comforting. This northern Thai coconut curry noodle soup is packed with bold flavors from fresh aromatics, warming spices, and velvety coconut milk. The contrasting textures—silky, curry-soaked egg noodles paired with crispy fried noodles—will keep you coming back for more.
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Khao Soi is a staple in northern Thailand, particularly in Chiang Mai, but its roots trace back to the Chinese-Muslim traders who brought the dish to Southeast Asia. It’s a beautiful fusion of Thai and Burmese flavors, featuring fragrant spices and rich coconut milk that coat tender chicken and slurpable noodles.
This version keeps things simple while staying true to the dish’s signature flavors. The homemade chili oil adds an extra kick, and the toppings—fresh herbs, hard-boiled eggs, and crispy noodles—bring everything together. It may seem like a long ingredient list, but the process is straightforward. Once you’ve made it, you’ll want to add it to your regular rotation.
Ingredients You Need
Most of the ingredients for Khao Soi are easy to find, but a few might require a trip to an Asian grocery store. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Onion: Adds a savory base to the curry paste.
- Tomatoes: Provide natural sweetness and depth.
- Garlic: Essential for flavor, use fresh cloves.
- Ginger: Adds warmth and a hint of spice.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil like avocado or canola for cooking the aromatics and making chili oil. Don’t use coconut oil because the flavor may be too coconutty, and also it will harden when it cools and you want it to be drizzle-able.
- Chicken breast: Boneless and cubed, though you can swap for chicken thighs.
- Kashmiri chili powder: Brings the heat; adjust to taste.
- Cardamom pods and ground turmeric: These add flavor and color to the soup. You can use green or black cardamom.
- Kosher salt: Enhances all the flavors.
- Water: Helps cook the chicken and blend the paste. You could use chicken stock if you prefer.
- Coconut milk: Creates a creamy, rich broth.
- Chickpea flour: Thickens the broth slightly; all-purpose flour works as a substitute.
- Noodles: Chinese style egg noodles like Hokkien are the perfect thing here, but you can use wheat noodles, rice noodles, or even ramen noodles, if you like.
Toppings:
- Egg roll wrappers or wonton noodles: Cut into thin strips and fried until crispy.
- Green Onions or spring onions: Bring a fresh, slightly sharp contrast.
- Cilantro: Adds brightness to balance the richness.
- Lemon or lime wedges: A squeeze of fresh citrus elevates the dish.
- Hard-boiled eggs: A traditional topping that makes it more filling.
- Fried shallots or red onion: For more crispy crunch and additional flavor, too.
How To Make Khao Soi
Despite the longer ingredient list, you’ll be surprised at how quick this dish is to make. Here’s how:
- Make the khao soi paste by blending the tomatoes, onion, ginger, and garlic in a food processor with a bit of water until smooth.
- Heat oil in a skillet and cook the blended mixture until fragrant and translucent.
- Add chicken, chili powder, turmeric, salt, and cardamom pods. Stir and cook until the chicken turns white.
- Pour in water, bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer on low until the chicken is tender.
- Blend the coconut milk with the chickpea flour, either in a food processor or blender, or in a small bowl using an immersion blender, and add the liquid mixture to the pot. Let everything simmer until well combined.
- To make the chili oil, heat oil until hot, then remove from heat and stir in Kashmiri chili powder.
- Serve the Khao Soi with cooked noodles, crispy fried egg roll strips, green onions, cilantro, lemon wedges, and chili oil for drizzling.
Expert Tips for Success
This dish is all about layering flavors, and a few simple tricks can make it even better:
- Use full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest broth.
- Fry the crispy noodles just before serving so they stay crunchy.
- Adjust the seasoning by adding more or less chili powder to suit your taste, or adding a splash of fish sauce, soy sauce, or lime juice if it needs more salt or acid. For an extra punch of flavor, you could even add a dollop of pesto or cilantro chimichurri.
- Make the chili oil in advance and store it in a jar. It keeps for weeks and adds depth to other dishes.
Menu Suggestions
Khao Soi is a meal on its own, but if you want to round it out, try serving it with a simple Cucumber Salad or Thai Green Papaya Salad. A side of crispy Thai spring rolls or fresh summer rolls would also complement the richness of the broth. If you love Thai flavors, check out my recipes for Char Kway Teow or Pad See Ew with Chicken.
More Ways to Use Chinese-Style Egg Noodles
Egg noodles are a great choice for stir-fried noodle dishes like Hokkien Noodle Stir Fry. They’re quick cooking and really soak up flavors. Since they cook quickly, they’re perfect for busy weeknights when you want a satisfying meal in no time.
They work great in Spicy Garlic Beef Noodles or you can substitute them for classic Chinese wheat noodles in Dan Dan Noodles or Scallion Noodles.
Khao Soi
Ingredients
For the noodles
- 1 onion diced
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 pounds chicken breast cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon hot chili powder
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups water
- 2 16-ounce cans coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons chickpea flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 pound Chinese style egg noodles Hokkien noodles, cooked according to package directions
For the chili oil
- 1 cup oil
- 1/4 cup Kashmiri chili powder
For garnish
- 1 package egg roll wrappers thinly sliced and fried
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- 3 hard-boiled eggs peeled and cut into wedges
Instructions
Make the curry base
- In a blender, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, and enough water to blend until smooth.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the blended mixture and cook until fragrant and translucent.
Cook the chicken
- Add the chicken, chili powder, turmeric, salt, and cardamom pods. Stir well and cook until the chicken is no longer pink.
- Pour in water, stir, and cover. Simmer on low until the chicken is tender.
Finish the broth
- In a separate blender, mix coconut milk with chickpea flour until smooth.
- Pour the coconut milk mixture into the pot, stirring well. Let it simmer on low until the broth is thickened and well combined.
Make the chili oil
- Heat oil in a small pan until hot, then remove from heat. Stir in the Kashmiri chili powder and mix well. Set aside.
- Assemble and Serve
- Ladle the curry over cooked egg noodles in bowls.
- Top with crispy fried noodles, green onions, cilantro, lemon wedges, and hard-boiled eggs.
- Drizzle with chili oil to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
2. The crispy noodles can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
3. For a vegetarian version, swap chicken for tofu or mushrooms.
Nutrition
Robin Donovan is an AP syndicated writer, recipe developer, food photographer, and author of more than 40 cookbooks including the bestsellers Ramen Obsession and Ramen for Beginners. Her work is featured by major media outlets including Huffington Post, MSN, Chicago Sun-Times, Orlando Sentinel, Buzzfeed, Cooking Light, Mercury News, Seattle Times, Pop Sugar, and many others. More about Robin