The start of this week feels like a year ago. I had my second batch of training days, which ended on Wednesday. I worked an extra day to cover for a coworker, too, which left me with little time to cook and paint. So I decided to revisit one of my favorite dishes that I’ve already painted. Khao Soi – my favorite Thai red curry noodle soup. It was the first dish I tried when I landed in Thailand in 2014. With the farmers market still in its early days and the weather being mostly grey and cold, I knew a good spicy soup would perk me up.

Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

I love Thai food so much, and I unfortunately didn’t really know anything about it until I went to Thailand. Pad Thai is one of my very favorite things to eat, and I think about Khao Soi every now and then when it’s rainy. Or when I’m craving something spicy and soupy. I still remember landing in Thailand when I was 19. Delusional and tired at the Bangkok airport. We took a cab to our hotel, dropped off our bags, and went walking. We were looking for places to eat and settled on a colorful restaurant on the side of a long street.

I drank some sort of heavenly cold pineapple concoction and we sat at a small table. My friend Trevor and I ordered the same thing, which was a Thai red curry noodle soup with coconut, chicken, and spices. We were both served a whole drumstick in a bowl of orange soup, speckled with red and yellow. Filled with glossy long egg noodles and topped with crunchy fried strands. I’m sure there was lime and cilantro and other garnishes, too. It was delicious and sweet but spicy. It always stands out in my head as one of the best meals I had in Asia. 

Cooking Store Conversations

As I mentioned, this week was incredibly busy. I had training at work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, which went well. I’m feeling very welcomed in my new community of food-lovers, which is gratifying. I finished training Wednesday and planned to start working full days on Saturday. But I agreed to fill in for a coworker who threw out her back. So I jumped straight into the deep end. We had a hoard of customers with various cooking questions. A woman making vegan sushi with friends. Another building a house full of cookbooks. There was a man choosing a new griddle for burgers and a woman making creme brûlée for the first time. 

I’m beginning to feel valuable and knowledgeable after overcoming my initial imposter syndrome. So working two full days in a row was hard but worth it. My body is tired and sore from going up and down stairs with pots and pans all day. And from standing for hours waiting on customers. But so far I feel good about myself and excited to keep going. Thankfully I was able to rest and relax on Thursday. Farmers market day. So I set my alarm for a reasonable time when they wouldn’t be sold out of everything. I rolled out of bed and excitedly drove into town for the first time this year to my favorite summer venue. 

The First Farmers Market

All the memories of last year’s farmers market flooded back to me as I emerged into the grassy field. And I took note of the fact that I felt much more like myself. Much more confident and outgoing. I’m proud of my development over the past year. There was one new stand – a breakfast sandwich cart that smelled beautiful. Their menu had breakfast plates with Mediterranean spreads and classic English muffin sandwiches with maple sausage. It reminded me of the cafe and all the ideas we had. I felt jealous for a moment, wishing I was manning the grill. But I continued my walk around the market. 

I picked up a few things from the bakery stand. An everything bagel for my breakfast. Pan au chocolat. 3 containers of chicken salad for my mom. Finally I made my way to the bountiful produce stand. We’re still in the early stages of summer, so unfortunately their selection was a little limited. There were greens and potatoes but nothing really spoke to me. A eyed a beautiful bunch of rhubarb, but I just made a strawberry cake last week. And I told myself I could get rhubarb somewhere else if I changed my mind. Ultimately I regretted not buying it. Long story short – I tried to make rhubarb pavlovas, got the temp on the meringues wrong, and thawed rhubarb from the freezer from last summer. It just wasn’t right and I rushed it. 

Thai Food Memories

So I pivoted. On Saturday I felt excited to go home and have a few days off. I was hungry and talked to my coworker about her leftover Thai food for lunch. I walked by as she was eating and was hit with a glorious wave of Pad Thai. Peanuts and umami sauce with steamy noodles. We talked about our favorite Thai spots after her break and I told her the story of the lemongrass ice cream I tried in Vietnam. So, by the time I left work, I was thinking about my travels. About Thai food. And it was grey, cold, and cloudy. I decided to stop at the grocery store on the way home. Nearly ready to collapse from exhaustion. 

My plan was to look for rhubarb and make a different recipe. But the normally incredible selection was picked over. No rhubarb to be found. So I pivoted in my head and tried to think of something quickly so I could go home. I had a headache and my stomach grumbled. My eyes fluttered as I walked with exhaustion. They had dried peppers and leafy vegetables and I thought of my favorite Thai red curry noodle soup. A big bowl of spicy noodles sounded wonderful. I picked out some dried peppers and collected shallots, ginger, and garlic. I couldn’t find turmeric, but I finished my shop by grabbing coconut milk and egg noodles. 

Khao Soi in Bangkok

The best part was that I painted my Thai red curry noodle soup a couple years ago, so I could give myself a much needed break. Which I knew would ultimately benefit my art. Painting every week is great, but I also need to rejuvenate my battery in order to keep enjoying it. So I decided to spend Sunday making Thai red curry noodle soup. Peeling garlic and blending curry paste. With bubbling soup on the stove and crispy fried nests of egg noodles nestled on paper towels. Fresh cilantro and peppers. A slice of lime. I slept in and went for a walk with my mom. Then, I tackled my Khao Soi project. 

I started by assembling all of my ingredients on the kitchen counter. After our walk I found turmeric and lemongrass at our local store. I excitedly peeled garlic and bright orange turmeric. Staining my fingertips yellow. I pulverized the dried peppers and toasted coriander seeds in my spice grinder. I threw it all together into a red curry paste along with sautéed shallots and garlic and lemongrass and coughed as the spices tickled my nose. It was a beautiful, thick orange paste that smelled so much like Thailand. Next I pre-cooked my egg noodles in boiling water and then fried the rest for garnish. I chopped cilantro and red peppers and cracked open two cans of coconut milk. Then, I realized I forgot to buy chicken.

Homemade Red Curry Paste

An essential part of the recipe is that tender, falling-off-the-bone chicken drumstick. You cook it directly in the soup to flavor the stock, too. It benefits a lot from the meatiness and umami. I was already deep in my project, so I decided to just make it a simplified version. Next I cooked the spice paste in my pot on medium heat, stirring a little and adding coconut milk as needed. I added the rest of the milk then and some chicken stock to thin it out and impart chicken flavor. A little soy sauce and oyster sauce for flavor. The orange curry soup bubbled away and my mom started coughing from the spice-filled air. I knew then that I made it too spicy. 

I continued, letting the soup cook down and deepen in flavor. Then, when it was fragrant, I tasted a spoonful. Which nearly dissolved my tongue. It didn’t have as much flavor as I wanted, due to the lack of chicken, but I adjusted the seasoning with lime juice, salt, and a little honey for sweetness. That did the trick. I finished by spooning a few ladles of soup onto my egg noodles. Then, I garnished them with fried noodles, cilantro, and red peppers. It was a beautiful contrast to my black bowl and I enjoyed photographing as the sun peaked from behind the clouds. We watched the French Open during lunch. And I almost died. 

Spicy Soup on a Sunday

Not really. But I overestimated my spice tolerance a little bit. I took a few big bites of noodles and soup, mixing it all up. Quickly I could feel the spice tingle on my tongue and lips and I reached for my water. I was consumed by spice. It must have been the few extra tablespoons of ground peppers I added on a whim. The heat was way too much. But I persisted, taking a few more bites, but even my stubbornness was no match for the spice. I felt like I was on Hot Ones. Back in Thailand on a hot day, sweating from my eyes. Thankfully I survived. And I managed to make some notes about my Thai red curry noodle soup recipe. 

The flavor is beautiful and subtle. Warm from the ginger and turmeric and beautifully orange. A hint of lemongrass adds some acidity and bitterness. The lime and salt and sauces add a bit of backbone. I missed the chicken, but still enjoyed the coconut flavor. The noodles were perfectly silky and complemented the soup. The crispy fried noodles on top are my favorite. Like the can of chow mein snacks my mom used to buy for me as a child. I was left with a warm, comforting spice and memories of eating curry in Southeast Asia. Khao Soi is still one of my favorite things, and I can’t wait to make it again. With less spice. 

Leftovers

I’ll be eating my leftovers in small doses and resting up before heading back to work Wednesday. Next week I want to tackle my list of rhubarb recipes again and make something beautiful. And pink. Thank you for reading! If you enjoy my paintings and recipes, be sure to check out my Etsy shop for 100’s of recipe cards and art prints. Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. See you next week!

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Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup (Khao Soi)

A traditional Thai Khao Soi noodle soup with homemade curry paste

Course Main Course

Cuisine Thai

Keyword chicken, curry, noodles, soup, thai

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 1 bulb fresh ginger peeled
• 1 fresh turmeric peeled
• 3-4 large shallots
• 6 cloves fresh garlic
• 1/2 stock lemongrass
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 pods black cardamom
• 8-10 dried Guajillo peppers
• 28 oz coconut milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 2 whole limes
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 16 oz egg noodles
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

• Slice fresh ginger and turmeric into small discs. Add to a large dutch oven and cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until soft and lightly charred. Remove from heat.
• Roughly chop shallots, garlic, and lemongrass and cook in the same dutch oven, over medium-high heat, with a drizzle of oil, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Turn heat back down to medium and add coriander seeds and black cardamom. Toast for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and add to a spice grinder.
• Add the dried peppers to your spice grinder and pulse into a fine powder. Add to a blender or food processor with the reserved ginger, turmeric, shallots, garlic, and lemongrass.
• Blend on high speed until a smooth red/orange puree forms. Add 2-6 tablespoons of water if the paste is too thick.
• Add your red curry paste to the warm dutch oven and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Then, add the coconut milk gradually and whisk to combine.
• Add the chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and cilantro. If you’re adding chicken, add drums or chicken thighs now.
• Cook for 15-20 minutes to reduce slightly and develop flavor. Add the juice of 1 lime, brown sugar, and kosher salt and stir. Keep warm.
• In a separate stock pot, boil 3-4 quarts of water. Cook all of your noodles for 4-5 minutes until al dente and drain.
• Divide noodles in half. Then divide one half amongst 4 serving bowls.
• In the same stock pot, wiped clean of water, add vegetable oil and heat over medium-high. Once oil is 325°F, fry the remaining cooked noodles for 3-4 minutes until golden brown.
• Remove noodles from oil with a strainer and transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with a touch of salt.
• Taste your soup and adjust flavor. It may need salt or more lime juice. Pour soup in each bowl of noodles and garnish with a slice of lime, fresh cilantro, and fried egg noodles.

Notes

• If you don’t have access to Guajillo peppers, you can use Puya or other dried red pepper varieties. Make sure you remove the seeds if you don’t like spice!
• I like my Khao Soi a little sweeter, but feel free to remove half of the brown sugar. 
• Traditional recipes use palm sugar – the closest substitute I’ve found is maple sugar, but brown sugar will do just fine!
• You can make this vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock for chicken stock.