Turmeric Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup

This Turmeric Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup is cozy and healing with a creamy lime-spiked coconut broth, tender poached chicken breasts, spinach and noodles. Optionally top with crispy fried shallots for a comforting one pot meal in under an hour.

Why you’ll love this recipe

I love recipes that hit the Big Three: tastes amazing, looks beautiful, and packs in plenty of protein and micronutrients. This Ginger Turmeric Chicken Noodle Soup checks all those boxes. It’s loosely inspired by Thai flavors, with fish sauce, lime, coconut, and ginger, but takes a few liberties with the angel hair pasta and spinach.

Everything cooks in one pot with that glorious golden broth serves as the cooking liquid for both the chicken and pasta. I’ve found the key to perfectly tender poached chicken is salting the meat in advance, then keeping the poaching liquid around 170°F, barely bubbling. That gentle heat keeps the chicken tender and easy to shred, while letting the broth do most of the heavy lifting flavor-wise. Then angel hair pasta cooks quickly and the spinach wilts right into the broth at the end. Easy.

Fried shallots might be my new favorite thing ever. If you have the time to make them, I HIGHLY recommend it. They add a delightful crunch and a bit of sweetness to this recipe and can be used to garnish so many other dishes. Ok that is all, happy cooking!

Ingredients

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Chicken breasts work especially well with the gentle poaching method because the lower cooking temperature helps prevent the lean meat from becoming tough. Try to use breasts that are relatively similar in thickness so they finish cooking at roughly the same time.

Kosher salt. Salting the chicken in advance seasons it throughout rather than only seasoning the surface. Even a couple of hours makes a difference.

Full-fat coconut milk. Full-fat coconut milk gives the broth more body and richness than light coconut milk. The small amount used to sauté the aromatics also provides enough fat to help release their flavor before the stock is added.

Scallions. These provide a mild onion flavor without overpowering the ginger and coconut.

Garlic. Fresh garlic forms part of the aromatic base of the broth.

Fresh ginger. Freshly grated ginger gives the broth a sharper, brighter flavor than dried ginger. Grating it also helps disperse it throughout the soup.

Ground turmeric. Turmeric provides earthy flavor and the broth’s golden color. Cooking it briefly with the aromatics helps distribute it evenly before the liquid goes in.

Chicken stock. This forms the bulk of the broth and should be flavorful enough to stand on its own. Keep a little extra nearby in case you need more to fully submerge the chicken.

Soy sauce. Adds salt and savory depth to the broth.

Fish sauce. A small amount adds additional umami without making the soup taste strongly of fish sauce.

Angel hair pasta. Its thin strands cook quickly and work well with the relatively light broth. Cooking it slightly shy of the package directions helps prevent it from becoming too soft as it sits in the hot soup.

Baby spinach. Roughly chopping the spinach makes it easier to eat with the noodles. It only needs a minute or two in the hot broth to wilt.

Lime juice. Add lime after removing the soup from the heat so its acidity stays fresh and pronounced.

Cilantro. A fresh finishing herb that works particularly well with the ginger, lime, and coconut.

Fried shallots. These add concentrated onion flavor and, more importantly, a crisp element to the finished soup. Add them just before serving so they stay crunchy.

How to make Turmeric Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup (step-by-step)

Step 1: Season the chicken. Season the chicken breasts all over with kosher salt. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. This gives the salt time to penetrate the meat rather than simply seasoning the exterior.

Recipe tip: Here’s a little nugget of food science: salting meat ahead of time does more than season the surface. Salt initially draws moisture out, then dissolves into that liquid and gradually diffuses back into the meat. It also changes the structure of the muscle proteins, helping them hold onto more moisture as they cook. For smaller cuts like chicken breasts, a few hours is usually plenty of time. Use enough salt to entirely coat the surface!

Step 2: Cook the aromatics. Heat the coconut milk in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, and turmeric. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Keep the heat moderate so the garlic and turmeric bloom in the coconut milk without browning.

Step 3: Poach the chicken. Add the chicken breasts, remaining coconut milk, chicken stock, soy sauce, and fish sauce. The chicken should be submerged in the liquid; add additional stock if necessary. Slowly bring the broth to a very gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low.

Cook gently until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F, about 20–30 minutes depending on the thickness of the breasts. Aim to keep the broth around 160–170°F rather than letting it boil vigorously. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.

Recipe tip: Keep the broth below a full simmer while the chicken cooks. High heat causes the muscle fibers in lean chicken breast to contract more aggressively, which can leave the meat firmer and drier.

Step 4: Cook the noodles. Once the chicken has been removed, increase the heat and bring the broth to a boil. Add the angel hair and cook for 2–3 minutes less than the package directions, stirring occasionally so the strands do not clump together. The pasta will continue softening in the hot broth after you remove the pot from the heat.

Step 5: Finish the broth. Stir in the spinach and cook just until wilted. Remove the pot from the heat and squeeze in the lime juice. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with additional salt or lime juice as needed.

Step 6: Serve. Slice or shred the chicken and divide it among bowls. Add the noodles and ladle the coconut broth and spinach over the top. Finish with chopped cilantro and plenty of fried shallots. Serve with lime wedges.

Tips for success

• Watch the temperature while poaching. A thermometer is useful here but not absolutely necessary. The broth should remain hot but not rapidly bubbling while the chicken cooks.
• Check thinner chicken breasts first. Thickness matters more than weight when determining poaching time.
• Undercook the pasta. Normally we drain pasta so it cools quickly. Here, it sits in the hot broth and continues to cook off the heat. Angel hair also cooks especially quickly so it may only need to boil for 2-3 minutes!
• Add the lime at the end. Adding it off the heat preserves more of its fresh acidity.
• Keep the fried shallots separate until serving. They soften quickly once they hit the warm broth. But they stay delicious so don’t worry.

Storage + Reheating

Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. If possible, store the noodles separately from the broth. Pasta continues absorbing liquid as it sits, so noodles stored directly in the soup will become softer and the broth will thicken.

Reheat the broth and chicken gently on the stove or in the microwave until hot, then add the noodles. You may need to add a splash of chicken stock if the soup has thickened in the refrigerator.

Store fried shallots separately at room temperature in an airtight container.

More cozy soups recipes

Almond Butter Chicken Curry

Easy Potsticker Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup with Herbs

Chickpea Dumpling Soup

One Pot French Onion Pasta (OK, not a soup but soup-inspired)

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