Thai Pomegranate Chicken Khao Soi Noodle Soup. (2024)

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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. Amberis 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 khaosoi 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 khaosoi 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 khaosoi 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 area 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.

Author: Tieghan Gerard

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

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

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.
Remove the chicken from the soup and let cool. Shred with two forks.
Stir the fish sauce and pomegranate molasses into the soup. Slide the shredded chicken back in. Simmer 5-10 minutes or until heated through.
Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Boil the noodles according to package directions. Drain.
Divide the soup among bowls and top each bowl with noodles. Top with pomegranate arils, if desired garnish with cilantro, chili, and limes. Eat!

Notes

Here is a great homemadeKhao Soi Paste.

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So everyone please thank the brother and his girlfriend for this one…and then make bowl after bowl.