Cooking Tips

1. Sauté the Aromatics First: Don’t rush the process of sautéing the onions, garlic, ginger, and curry paste. Let them cook for a few extra minutes until fragrant, as this will deepen the flavor and make your soup more aromatic.
2. Control the Heat: Red curry paste and jalapeños provide the heat in this recipe. If you like a milder soup, use only one jalapeño or remove the seeds to reduce the spiciness. Conversely, if you like it spicier, feel free to add extra curry paste or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
3. Add Veggies for Extra Nutrition: If you want to bulk up the soup with more vegetables, consider adding chopped bok choy, spinach, mushrooms, or shredded carrots during the simmering step.
4. Taste and Adjust: Always taste the broth before serving and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add a little more fish sauce for extra umami, more lime juice for brightness, or a pinch of salt or pepper for balance.
5. Make It Ahead: This soup keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days and the flavors often deepen with time. If you plan to store it, consider keeping the noodles separate to prevent them from getting too soggy.

Ingredient Substitutions

1. Red Curry Paste:
   • Substitute: If you don’t have red curry paste, you can use green curry paste or yellow curry paste, which will give the soup a slightly different flavor.
2. Coconut Milk:
   • Substitute: You can use light unsweetened coconut milk for a lower-fat version, or substitute with coconut cream for a richer, creamier texture. Alternatively, unsweetened almond milk or soy milk can be used for a dairy-free but less rich option.
3. Chicken Broth:
   • Substitute: If you need a vegetarian or vegan option, you can replace chicken broth with vegetable broth.
4. Fish Sauce:
   • Substitute: If you don’t have fish sauce or prefer not to use it, soy sauce or tamari (for a gluten-free option) can provide a similar salty umami flavor. You can also use miso paste diluted in water as a substitute for fish sauce.
5. Sesame Oil:
   • Substitute: For a milder flavor, you can substitute vegetable oil or olive oil for sesame oil. However, sesame oil adds a distinctive nutty flavor that is hard to replicate, so I recommend using it if it is available to you!
6. Rice Noodles:
   • Substitute: If rice noodles are not available, you can use udon noodles or soba noodles. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time as these noodles may require a bit longer to cook.
7. Shredded Chicken:
   • Substitute: For a vegetarian or vegan version, replace the chicken with tofu (pressed and cubed) or chickpeas. You can also use tempeh for a hearty, protein-packed alternative.

Dietary Substitutions

1. Vegan/Vegetarian:
   • Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
   • Replace shredded chicken with tofu, tempeh, or chickpeas for protein.
   • Ensure the fish sauce is replaced with soy sauce, tamari, or a vegan fish sauce alternative.
   • You can also substitute coconut cream for a richer, dairy-free alternative to heavy cream.
2. Gluten-Free:
   • Use rice noodles (which are naturally gluten-free) or other gluten-free noodle options like zucchini noodles.
   • Ensure that the soy sauce or tamari you use is gluten-free, as some soy sauces contain wheat.
3. Dairy-Free:
   • This recipe is already dairy-free, as it uses coconut milk. Just ensure that the toppings (if any) do not contain dairy.