Thai Noodle Soup with Chicken

Add the ginger, garlic, Thai red curry paste, stir to incorporate, and saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir nearly continuously. *Tip - It is NOT a typo about the quantity of curry paste, I do mean 6 tablespoons, not teaspoons, because the brand of curry paste I use (Thai Kitchen) is not spicy; it's flavorful. But without adding a pretty decent amount, the soup lacks flavor to me. However, always add any condiment, salt, pepper, etc. slowly and to your own taste preferences, and adjust as you desire.

Add the chicken broth, water, full fat coconut milk  (See Notes), shredded chicken* (See Notes), rice noodles, allow soup to come to a boil, and then simmer for a couple more minutes, or until the noodles are tender. If desired, you can add additional broth/water if you prefer a more brothy soup. Noodle Tips - Rice noodles are much more delicate in texture than traditional pasta noodles and will become gummier quicker. Once you drop them into your soup pot, pay attention to what the brand you’re using recommends for a cooking time, but about 5 minutes usually does the trick, and 10 minutes would be the max. Remember that they’ll continue to cook and soften more off the heat as they sit in the hot broth. Make sure to select thicker 'stir fry' rice noodles rather than 'thin' rice noodles, which are the super skinny cup-of-ramen type noodles and simply too thin to really hold up in this soup.

Add the lime juice, basil, cilantro, green onions (white and green parts, or as desired), salt, pepper, stir to combine, taste, and make any flavor adjustments. Flavoring Tips -  If the soup tastes at all flat, boring, or dull, it likely needs more salt; don't be afraid to add at least another teaspoon or two, depending on personal preference and brand of chicken broth used since some are saltier than others. Along with salt, the lime juice is an acid to brighten up the overall flavor profile so don't skip it. Feel free to add more salt, lime juice, fresh herbs, etc. as desired, to taste. The red curry paste does not make the soup spicy, rather it adds depth of flavor. To make it spicy, add some crushed red pepper flakes or a tiny bit of cayenne pepper.

Serve immediately. Soup will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Because rice noodles are much softer than traditional pasta noodles, don't be surprised if they become extremely soft as leftover soup sits and they will absorb a fair amount of broth. I haven't frozen this soup but my guess is that it will be fine stored airtight in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in the microwave.