Special Diet Information
Coumadin® (Warfarin)
This recipe is NOT safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users.
Lactose
This recipe is safe for those who are lactose intolerant.
Sodium
This is NOT a low sodium recipe.
GERD / Acid Reflux
This recipe contains GERD triggers and those with GERD may wish to avoid it.
Gluten Sensitivity
This recipe is safe for those who are sensitive to gluten.
"Falling in love is like eating mushrooms, you never know if it's the real thing until it's too late."
-Bill Ballance, Radio Host
The refrigerator light goes on...
This Thai soup uses a few ingredients that may not be familiar to you. The first is fish sauce. Fish Sauce is an all purpose Asian flavoring used throughout Southeast Asia. A Vietnamese friend of mine said to me once, "we put it on everything." It is essentially a concentration of anchovies and brings an umami flavor to dishes much like soy sauce does. Like soy sauce, it is very salty with a tablespoon having as much as 1,500 mg. Thai Kitchen brand is in most stores and contains about 700 mg of sodium per tablespoon, so it is a fair alternative, but use sparingly.
Most Thai dishes like this one are more authentic using shiitaki mushrooms but I like the thickly sliced crimini. They are meatier and give the soup more texture (and are about 1/3 the cost of shiitaki).
Lastly, I have been using a great brown rice noodle that is on the market now for all recipes that call for cellophane or rice noodles. It has a lot more fiber. The brand is Annie Chun's.
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
Servings: 4 | Serving size: about 2 1/2 cups
Cooking Time: 60 Minutes
This recipe can be multiplied by 2, 3, 4.
Keeps well for about 48 hours in the refrigerator. Reheat gently.
| 4 tsp | sesame oil (divided) |
| 16 ounces | boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into large cubes) |
| 1 lb | crimini mushrooms (thickly sliced) |
| 1 medium | leek (thinly sliced) |
| 2 Tbsp | ginger (minced) |
| 2 cloves | garlic (minced) |
| 1 small | jalapeno pepper (not seeded; finely minced) |
| 2 large | carrots (peeled and thinly sliced) |
| 1 15 ounce can | light coconut milk |
| 4 cups | water |
| 2 Tbsp | fish sauce |
| 1/2 | lime (juiced) |
| 2 quarts | water |
| 6 ounces | pad thai noodles (brown rice version preferred) |
| 4 Tbsp | cilantro leaves |
Place 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add chicken thighs and cook, stirring frequently, for about five minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Add 2 teaspoons oil to the pot and add the mushrooms. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté, stirring occasionally for about five minutes or until slightly softened.
Add the leeks, ginger, garlic and jalapeno and cook for another two minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the carrots and water and return the chicken to the pot. Stir, then add coconut milk, water, fish sauce, and lime juice, and stir.
Simmer the soup very slowly, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Do not allow to boil.
While the soup is simmering, place the water in another stock pot and bring to a boil. Add the pad thai noodles and cook according to package directions until just al dente - do not overcook.
When ready to serve, place 1/4 of the drained pad thai noodles in the bottom of each bowl, add the soup, then garnish with 1 Tablespoon cilantro leaves. Serve.
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: about 2 1/2 cups
Servings: 4
Amount Per Serving
| Calories 459 | Calories from Fat 138 |
| % Daily Value |
| Total Fat 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat 7g | 27% |
| Monounsaturated Fat 3g | |
| Trans Fat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 94mg | 32% |
| Sodium 569mg | 24% |
| Total Carbohydrates 51g | 15% |
| Dietary Fiber 3g | 15% |
| Sugars 5g | |
| Protein 27g |
| Vitamin A 143% | Vitamin C 26% |
| Calcium 11% | Iron 26% |
| Vitamin K 63 mcg | Potassium 1130 mg |
| Magnesium 80 mg | |