Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced lemon grass or pale green cilantro roots
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dark red chili paste, such as sambal, more for serving
  • ¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken thigh or breast meat, thinly sliced and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 3 tablespoons curry powder, preferably Malaysian, Thai or Vietnamese
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
  • ½ cup half-and-half
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar, more to taste
  • About 12 kaffir lime leaves or curry leaves, fresh or frozen (optional)
  • 8 ounces dried thin rice noodles (bun or vermicelli), or other Asian noodles such as udon or lai fun
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 2 scallions, cut into thin rings
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced and deep fried in vegetable oil until brown (optional)
  • Quartered limes for serving
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

      629 calories; 24 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 98 milligrams cholesterol; 1274 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

4 main-course servings

Preparation

  1. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion, ginger and lemon grass and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Do not brown; reduce heat if necessary. Add garlic and chili paste and stir until fragrant. Raise heat, add chicken and stir-fry one minute. Add curry powder and paprika and stir to coat. Then add coconut milk, half-and-half, chicken stock, turmeric, fish sauce, sugar and lime or curry leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cook rice noodles in boiling water according to package directions (about 4 minutes). Rinse and drain.
  3. Taste broth and adjust seasonings with salt and sugar. Divide noodles into large soup bowls. Bring broth to a boil, then ladle over noodles. Top with bean sprouts, cilantro, scallions and fried shallots, if using. Pass limes and sambal at the table.
  • To make this rich soup more substantial, boiled potatoes are sometimes added to the simmering broth and cooked until very soft.

45 minutes

Dining and Cooking