Chicken and noodle soup kicked up a notch! Thai-Inspired Chicken Meatball and Rice Noodle Soup offers so many flavors reminiscent of your favorite Thai dishes.
The chicken stock is combined with silky smooth unsweetened coconut cream and flavored with fish sauce and lime juice. With every spoonful, you catch the scent of curry powder and the vibrant color of turmeric. This comforting soup is full of bold and exciting flavors, fresh vegetables, and delicious meatballs.
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Why You Will Love This Soup
A tasty homemade soup warms and comforts, allowing us to slow down and savor all the ingredients.
- The soup has many ingredients offering different textures in every bite. The tender chicken meatballs, the rice noodles, and the crisp vegetables combine to make a filling and hearty soup.
- Baking the meatballs gives you time to prepare the rest of the soup while they are in the oven. Also, there is less mess.
- The chicken meatballs have a delicious umami flavor from the addition of peanut sauce.
- The soup has a bright flavor from lime juice that works well with the savory ingredients and fragrant coconut cream broth.
Soup Ingredients
There are two main components of this recipe - chicken meatballs and chicken coconut cream soup.
Chicken Meatballs
- ground chicken thighs - You can use a 50/50 blend of chicken thighs and breasts if you prefer. However, thighs are a little fattier and richer making them a better choice for flavorful meatballs.
- fresh bread crumbs and minced fresh cilantro - These ingredients act as a binder and also retain moisture to prevent the meatballs from being dry.
- egg - Acts as a binder with the bread crumbs.
- peanut sauce - Adds a delicious savory flavor to the meatballs. I used peanut sauce flavored with ginger and lemongrass.
- kosher salt and ground black pepper.
Chicken Coconut Cream Soup Base
- chicken stock
- unsweetened coconut cream
- fresh ginger root and garlic cloves - Aromatics for the soup base.
- fish sauce, fresh lime juice, and brown sugar - Adds depth of flavor to the soup.
- curry powder and turmeric - These two spices will add a deep earthy yet somewhat sweet flavor. Also provides a beautiful color to the soup base.
Vegetables
- shredded carrots - To make prep a little easier, I use shredded carrots from the produce section of the grocery store.
- celery and green onions - Adds crisp texture.
- fresh baby spinach - nutrient rich
- dry roasted peanuts - garnish
How to Prepare an Easy Thai Chicken Meatball Soup
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray and set aside while you prepare the meatballs.
Mix the Meatball Ingredients
This recipe makes approximately 40 1-inch meatballs.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken with minced cilantro, fresh bread crumbs, peanut sauce, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
- Completely combine all the ingredients so the meatball mixture is consistently flavored. The mixture will be wet and sticky.
- Portion the chicken mixture with a small ice cream scoop. It is great if the meatballs aren't perfectly smooth and round. The baked craggy edges add texture and brown to a deep golden brown adding flavor to the soup.
- Place the meatballs on a cooking spray-coated sheet pan in a single layer and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the meatballs so that the other side can brown and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Prep the Vegetables
Save time while the meatballs are baking by prepping the vegetables.
- For convenience, I purchase pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store.
- Rinse the green onions and the celery. Slice both vegetables on the bias. This exposes more surface area of the vegetables that will be cooked in the chicken stock.
Mix Soup Base
Place a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. The soup base comes together quickly.
- Add the chicken stock, 2 pieces of peeled ginger, and a tablespoon of minced garlic to the Dutch oven.
- Once the stock is warm, stir in a can of unsweetened coconut cream to the pot. Make sure to stir well so that the coconut cream melts into the hot stock.
- Add the shredded carrots, sliced celery, and green onions to the pot. Bring the soup to a strong simmer.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon fish sauce, curry powder, turmeric, brown sugar, and lime juice.
- Stir in the rice noodles, making sure to separate them so they don't stick together. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the noodles you use. My choice was thin noodles. Cook for 3 minutes until they are not quite al dente.
- Reduce the soup to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the meatballs and spinach to the pot. Make sure to add the spinach a little at a time so it doesn't stick together in a lump.
- After 8-10 minutes check the seasoning of the soup. Adjust with kosher salt and ground black pepper to your liking.
- Remove the 2 pieces of ginger and serve the Thai-inspired chicken meatball soup. Add a sprinkle of dry roasted peanuts and lime wedges as a garnish so you can add a squeeze of lime.
Substitutions
For a different flavored meatball, add Thai sweet chili sauce instead of peanut sauce. Add ½ cup to the chicken thigh mixture and follow the same recipe instructions. Delicious!
If you do not like spinach substitute with bok choy. Slice into thin ribbons to add to the soup.
FAQ's
Absolutely! This soup is a great make-ahead dish. Store it in the fridge and reheat when ready to enjoy.
Yes, for a quick option, you can use pre-made chicken meatballs from the store. However, they will not have the same flavor as the meatballs in the recipe.
Yes, try adding Thai red curry paste for an added kick of spice.
New Favorite
Thai-Inspired Chicken Meatball and Rice Noodle Soup will become a go-to recipe for you. This soup is a warm and comforting meal, full of vibrant and bold flavors.
An easy recipe to pull together, the combination of aromatic herbs, spices, and the richness of coconut cream creates a satisfying soup without the need for complex techniques. The best way to add a little variety to your day!
In the mood for more soup? Here are a couple of suggestions - https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/rich-lentil-and-italian-sausage-soup-with-tomatoes/
https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/creamy-roasted-vegetable-soup/
https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/bean-barley-and-bacon-soup/
Recipe
Thai-Inspired Chicken Meatball and Rice Noodle Soup
Equipment
- 1 rimmed sheet pan
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 .5 ounce cooking scoop A tablespoon measuring spoon can also be used.
- tongs
- 1 stock pot
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1¼ pounds ground chicken thighs (534 grams)
- 2 cups fresh bread crumbs (1.5 ounces/43 grams)
- 2 tablespoon cilantro, minced
- ½ cup peanut sauce (4 ounces/114 grams)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetables
- 2 pieces fresh ginger root (each piece peeled and ½ inch long)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced (2 large cloves)
- 1 cup carrots, shredded (3 ounces/84 grams)
- 1 cup celery, sliced (2 stalks, 3.8 ounces/108 grams)
- 4 green onions, sliced (¾ cup, 2 ounces/57 grams)
- 2 cups Baby spinach, packed (2 ounces/57 grams)
Chicken and Coconut Cream Soup
- 8 cups chicken stock (64 ounces/1892 ml)
- 13.6 ounces unsweetened coconut cream (1 can/403 ml)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 4 ounces rice noodles (118 grams)
- ½ cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped garnish
Instructions
Chicken Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Coat a rimmed sheet tray with non-stick spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine ground chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon of minced cilantro, fresh bread crumbs, peanut sauce, a lightly beaten egg, salt, and pepper.
- Make sure all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. The chicken mixture will be wet and sticky.
- Using the cookie scoop, portion the chicken mixture. It is okay if the meatballs are not perfectly round. The baked craggy pieces of meatball mixture add texture to the soup. Plus, the edges are browned, adding more flavor. Place the meatballs on the prepared sheet tray. The recipe makes 40-42 meatballs.
- Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Using tongs, flip the meatballs over to brown the other side.
- Bake for 8-10 more minutes. Remove the tray from the oven.
Prep Vegetables
- While the meatballs are baking, prep the vegetables. For convenience, I purchase pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store.
- Rinse the green onions and the celery. Slice both vegetables on the bias. This exposes more surface area of the vegetables that will be cooked in the chicken stock.
Prepare Chicken and Coconut Soup
- Add 8 cups of chicken stock to a Dutch oven or a stock pot over medium-high heat.
- Add 2 knobs of peeled ginger and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic to the stock.
- When the stock is getting warm, add a can of unsweetened coconut cream to the pot. Stir to incorporate the thick cream.
- Add the carrots, celery, and green onions to the pot. Bring the soup to a strong simmer over medium-high.
- Stir in the fish sauce, curry powder, turmeric, brown sugar, and lime juice.
- Stir in the rice noodles, making sure to separate them so they don't stick together. The cooking time depends on the width of the noodles. I used thin noodles which I cooked for 3 minutes until not quite al dente.
- Reduce the heat so the soup is at a gentle simmer. Add the meatballs and spinach to the soup. Make sure to add the spinach a little at a time so it doesn't stick together as a lump.
- After 8-10 minutes, check the seasoning of the soup. Add more salt and pepper to your liking. Add 1 tablespoon of minced cilatro.
- Remove the 2 pieces of ginger from the soup. Serve with a garnish of chopped dry roasted peanuts and a wedge of lime.
Notes
Substitutions
For a different flavored meatball, add Thai sweet chili sauce instead of peanut sauce. Add ½ cup to the chicken thigh mixture and follow the same recipe instructions. Delicious! If you do not like spinach substitute with bok choy. Slice into thin ribbons and add to the soup.Nutrition
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