This Thai red curry noodle soup is packed with so much flavour. With tender pieces of tofu, broccoli, vermicelli noodles and fresh lime, this soup is quick and easy making it perfect for busy weeknights. Plus this recipe is just $2.41 per serve!
This recipe is part of my budget-friendly meal series!
One of my favourite pantry staples is store bought curry paste. They are a super simple way to make a flavourful meal without too much effort. Just like my Thai red curry with chicken meatballs, this recipe uses red curry paste as a flavour base for this simple soup.
This soup comes together so quickly and uses inexpensive ingredients to great a filling and warming weeknight dinner, perfect for the cooler months.
I love to use tofu in this recipe as while tofu is normally fairly bland, when added to the soup it soaks up all the flavour from the red curry and becomes so delicious.
Serve this with a generous amount of fresh lime juice for a zesty kick and enjoy a bowl of this warm and cosy Thai red curry soup.
Key Ingredients
This recipe uses just a few ingredients including a store bought curry paste to create a simple but flavourful soup that can be easily customised.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Thai red curry paste – we’re just using a store bought paste to make this soup super easy and add lot’s of flavour.
- Chicken stock – the chicken stock forms the base of the soup and adds extra flavour than if you just used water. You can use vegetable stock instead.
- Coconut milk – to make the soup creamy. You can use full fat or light depending on what you prefer.
- Firm tofu – to make the soup more filling. The cubes of tofu soak up all the flavour of the soup. You could sub with cooked, shredded chicken as well if you have leftovers or don’t love tofu.
- Fish sauce – to add saltiness and flavour to the soup. You can also use soy sauce instead if you prefer.
- Lime – adding fresh lime juice to the soup is essential to balance out the flavour and balance the spiciness from the soup.
- Vermicelli rice noodles – adds volume and texture to the soup making it more filling.
- Broccoli – I like broccoli in this soup because it’s inexpensive and adds volume but you can use any vegetables you like carrots and cauliflower.
- Toppings – completely optional but you can top the soup with some fried shallots, sesame seeds and spring onion.
Vegetarian/Vegan Option: Swap the fish sauce for soy sauce, use chicken-style stock that is free from animal products or use vegetable stock, and ensure that the curry paste you use is suitable for a vegetarian diet (some may contain shrimp paste).
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make this soup, I am using my wok but any large pot will work.
Start by prepping your ingredients. Chop the broccoli into bite sized pieces and drain and pat dry the tofu before cutting into cubes.
Prep the vermicelli rice noodles by placing them in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over them until fully submerged. Let the noodles sit for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Heat the canola oil in a large pot or wok over medium heat and add the red curry paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until fragrant.
Pour in the chicken stock and coconut milk, stirring to combine, and bring the mixture back to a simmer.
Add the cubed tofu and chopped broccoli to the soup and let it simmer for 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Stir through the fish sauce and a squeeze of lime juice.
Divide the prepared noodles into serving bowls. Ladle the hot curry soup over the noodles. Garnish with sliced spring onions, fried shallots, and sesame seeds and an extra squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Budget Saving Tips!
There are a few things to look out for when grocery shopping that are going to help you keep costs down. Here are a few considerations when making this recipe.
- When shopping with budget in mind, always use stock cubes instead of liquid stock as the cost is significantly less per litre. The convenience is less as you’ll need to mix the stock cubes with boiling water before using, but the cost savings are worth it!
- Use supermarket brand products. At the time of writing this post, the brand I have in my ingredients picture is $2.30 whereas a supermarket brand is $0.95 which is a significant saving. I however already had a few cans of this in my pantry making it the most affordable option!
- Look for vegetables that are in season and therefore more likely to be cheaper. For example, I originally intended to use Bok choy in this recipe but broccoli was half the cost and also added more volume to the meal.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, red curry is spicy. Some curry pastes are spicier than others so feel free to try some to see which one you prefer. You can also adjust the amount used to control the spiciness depending on you tastes or even add a little sugar and extra lime juice to balance out the spiciness.
Yes you can! Store the noodles and soup separately for the best results as the noodles will continue to absorb the soup. To reheat, add the soup to a small saucepan over medium heat and simmer until heated through. You can also use a microwave, however I prefer the stovetop for reheating soup. Pour the hot soup over the noodles to serve.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More cosy soup recipes:
Dairy Free Creamy Chicken Soup
Easy Vegan Tomato Soup
Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Dairy-Free Potato and Leek Soup
Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3-4 tablespoons red curry paste
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 can coconut milk
- 300 grams firm tofu cubed
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Fresh lime juice to taste
- 200 grams vermicelli rice noodles
- Broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
- Garnish: spring onion sliced, fried shallots, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Place the vermicelli rice noodles in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over them until fully submerged. Let the noodles sit for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- Heat canola oil in a large pot or wok over medium heat. Add red curry paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Pour in the chicken stock and the coconut milk, stirring to combine, and bring to a simmer.
- Add the cubed tofu and chopped broccoli to the pot. Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the flavours to meld and the broccoli to become tender. Stir through the fish sauce and fresh lime juice.
- Divide the prepared noodles into serving bowls. Ladle the hot curry soup over the noodles.
- Garnish with sliced spring onions, fried shallots, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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