Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to a large Dutch oven or large pot and place over medium high heat. Add in chicken thighs and generously season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken on both sides. You don’t need to cook the chicken all the way, just get it nice and golden brown for flavor purposes. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside.
In the same pot, add the remaining ½ tablespoon sesame oil. Immediately add in minced garlic, white part only of the green onions, sliced carrot, and ginger. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, then slowly add in chicken broth, Thai chili paste and soy sauce. Add the chicken breasts back to the pot and place two lemongrass stalks in. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove chicken from the pot. One of my favorite tricks is to place the warm chicken breasts in a kitchenaid mixer with a whisk attachment and turn on low speed, mixing for 2-3 minutes. This is a very easy (and fast!) way to shred the chicken in an even way and its perfect consistency for soup! If you don’t have a mixer nearby, simply transfer to a cutting board and use two forks to shred chicken. Before adding chicken back to the pot, remove the lemongrass stalks and discard. After returning shredding chicken to the pot, add coconut cream, rice noodles and fish sauce. Allow to simmer on medium low heat for 7-8 more minutes.
While noodles are cooking, place toppings in separate bowls so everyone can have some fun and garnish as they wish!
Pour finished soup into individual bowls. Pay attention as ladling out to ensure you get even amounts of noodles, chicken, and veggies. Serve and enjoy!
Reader Interactions