Khao soi is a Thai red curry noodle soup popular in northern Thailand. On my first visit to Chiang Mai, I took a cooking class to learn how to cook local khao soi. And when I tried the recipe at home, it was delicious, but it was completely different from the taste I had in Thailand.
So during a recent visit to Chiang Mai, we ate a bunch of khao soi to decipher all the flavors, and hung around the big pot in front of the food stall to observe how it's made. The secret I discovered is boiling it.
After tweaking this Khao Soi recipe during several tests at home, I finally got the flavor just right by slow-simmering it using a crock pot. The last few batches, based on the recipe below, will immediately take you back to your favorite noodle bowl in Chiang Mai. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
What does Khao Soi taste like?
Khao Soi tastes like a rich, slightly spicy coconut curry broth full of flavor. Add soft noodles and top with crispy fried noodles, shallots, cilantro, and lime wedges for even more flavor. Like most Thai dishes, it is layered with very special flavors.
What's in Khao Soi?
First, let's talk about the ingredients. Khao soi is a coconut-based curry with egg noodles, chicken (sometimes beef), green onions, shallots, and a squeeze of lime. It's full of mouth-watering umami, making it memorable and comforting, and you can actually feel the umami when you boil the ingredients.
Special ingredients for Khao Soi
There are a few things you might want to buy at your local Asian or international food market. they:
- red curry paste
- yellow curry paste
- yellow curry powder
- fish sauce
- In chili oil
- egg noodles
Choosing the Right Noodles
A note on choosing the right noodles: Khao Soi is traditionally made with egg noodles. They are richer and the sauce seems to stick to them (much like bolognese sticks to tagliatelle). But if you can't find egg noodles, vegetarian noodles will work just fine. Vegetarian noodles are a little lighter and take less time to cook.
Look for packages with either side individually divided into little nests. This makes it much easier to cook only what you need and store the rest for later. Otherwise you will end up with a big tangled mess.
A note about curry
When looking for curry, look for Thai red curry paste and yellow curry paste if possible. The ingredients of each are quite similar, but yellow curry paste tends to have a more fragrant, floral flavor, while red curry paste is not as complex. However, when you open the can, it is easy to confuse the two because they both appear 'red'. If you mix them together, you can tell them apart by smell.
Food served with Khao Soi
In Thailand, pickled mustard greens are typically served with khao soi as a side dish along with cucumber salad, small red onions and lime wedges. If you see this at your local market, be sure to buy it and serve it on the side.
This pepper mixed into the oil takes your Khao Soi Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Bowl from mild to 'Thai spicy'. It also adds a flavorful orange oil rim to the top of the Khao Soi. Set this aside and adjust the heat by adding it to the bowl, one small spoonful at a time.
Now what do you buy at your local grocery store or farmers market? I recommend the dark meat chicken. It's more flavorful (and more authentic) and perfect for the slow cooker. White meat tends to be firm and thick.
- Chicken thighs (skin and bones removed)
- coconut milk
- chicken stock
- shallot
- sugar
- green onion
- Lime (small key limes are best, but regular limes will also work)
Khao Soi Recipe: Step by Step
Here's how to make Khao Soi recipe with step-by-step photos! First, we start by preparing the ingredients.Remove skin and bones from chicken thighs and cut into small chunks. Then measure everything you need to put the curry together.
Add chicken, coconut milk, chicken stock, yellow curry paste, red curry paste, yellow curry powder, sugar and fish sauce to slow cooker. There's no need to brown the chicken first, as it tastes like coconut milk and red curry paste.
Stir, cover and set the heat to high. Cook for 4 hours (or set to low and simmer for 8 hours).
Cook noodles individually according to package directions, drain and place in bowls. Top the noodles with 1-2 cups of the Khao Soi curry broth and garnish with green onions and cilantro.
Serve with shallots, lime and pickled mustard greens. Increase the spiciness by adding a small amount of chili oil to suit your taste (omit it if you like a mild taste).
Additional Khao Soi Recipe Notes
Prepare the garnishes according to the recipe below, set aside, then add the curry ingredients and chicken thighs to the crock pot. Mix all ingredients together, then turn the heat to high and simmer over low heat for 4 hours. If you want to make it in the morning and have it ready when you get home from work, set your slow cooker to low and simmer for 7 to 8 hours. When the curry is complete, boil water in a pot and boil the noodles. One noodle soup makes one bowl and takes 2 to 7 minutes to cook, depending on package directions.
![longing soi](https://thetravelbite.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/khao-soi-7-scaled-720x720.jpg)
![longing soi](https://thetravelbite.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/khao-soi-7-scaled-720x720.jpg)
longing soi
Produce:
4-6
Preparation time:
10 minutes
Cooking time:
4 hours
Total Time:
4 hours 10 minutes
This Thai Red Curry Noodle Dish is delicious and satisfying!
ingredient
-
1 pound chicken thighs
-
1 13 or 14 ounce can of coconut milk
-
3 cups chicken stock
-
1 teaspoon yellow curry paste
-
2 teaspoons red curry paste
-
1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
-
1 tablespoon fish sauce
-
1 tablespoon sugar
-
1 pack of individual servings of egg noodles
-
1-2 chopped green onions (for garnish)
-
1-2 small limes, cut into wedges (for garnish)
-
3-4 bunches of coriander (for decoration)
-
1-2 shallots (for garnish)
-
1 can pickled mustard greens (for garnish)
-
1-2 teaspoons of chili pepper in oil (for garnish)
guideline
- Remove skin and bones from chicken thighs and cut into small chunks.
- Add chicken, coconut milk, chicken stock, yellow curry paste, red curry paste, yellow curry powder, sugar and fish sauce to slow cooker. Stir, cover and set the heat to high. Cook for 4 hours (or set to low and simmer for 8 hours).
- Cook noodles individually according to package directions, drain and place in bowls.
- Top the noodles with 1-2 cups of the Khao Soi curry broth and garnish with green onions and cilantro.
- Serve with shallots, lime and pickled mustard greens.
- Increase the spiciness by adding a small amount of chili oil to suit your taste (omit it if you like a mild taste).
Originally published in 2016. The update date is 2024.
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