Chicken Khao Soi -Thai Soup

When our March issue of Bon Appetit arrived and I saw this soup on the cover I knew I'd be immediately making it.

Thai soups are something we love, but we had never had Chicken Khao Soi before. We made this wonderfully flavorful curry paste first full of peppers and good spices. It gave the soup a real nutty flavor although there were no nuts in sight.

This curry paste makes this soup outstandingly good. 

Using some chicken thighs and fresh noodles this soup was as simple as it was delicious. Although next time I would likely use a rotisserie chicken to save a bit of time.

Topped with some crispy shallots, sliced red onion and cilantro it was the perfect soup to warm you up on a cold day. 

It made us kind of wish it was more like 30 degrees outside than than 50 degrees that it was. Well not that much, but it definitely would of been a great soup to have on a really cold day.

Recipe:

Chicken Khao Soi (from Bon Appetit)

Khao Soi Paste

• 4 large dried New Mexico or guajillo chiles, stemmed, halved, seeded
• 2 medium shallots, halved
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro stems
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder

Soup

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, halved lengthwise
• 1 pound Chinese egg noodles
• 3 tablespoons (or more) fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
• 1 tablespoon (packed) palm sugar or light brown sugar
• Kosher salt
• Sliced red onion, bean sprouts, cilantro sprigs, crispy fried onions or shallots, chili oil, and lime wedges (for serving)

• Ingredient Info
  Dried chiles are available at Latin markets; Chinese egg noodles and chili oil are available at Asian markets. All can be found at many supermarkets.

Preparation

Khao Soi Paste

• Place chiles in a small heatproof bowl, add boiling water to cover, and let soak until softened, 25-30 minutes. 
• Drain chiles, reserving soaking liquid. Purée chiles, shallots, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, and 2 tablespoons soaking liquid in a food processor, adding more soaking liquid by tablespoonfuls, if needed, until smooth.

Soup

• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add khao soi paste; cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened, 4-6 minutes. Add coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil; add chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is fork-tender, 20-25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool slightly; shred meat. 
• Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. 
• Add chicken, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, and sugar to soup. Season with salt or more fish sauce, if needed. Divide soup and noodles among bowls and serve with toppings