Go Back
+ servings
thai meatball soup

Thai Inspired Chicken Meatball Soup

5 from 11 votes
Alluring aromas will overtake your kitchen as you simmer this Thai chicken meatball soup. It's surprisingly gluten-free and dairy-free. Perfect for a cool night!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course, noodles, Soup
Cuisine: Thai
Calories: 400

Ingredients
  

  • 10 oz rice noodles cooked according to package.
  • 2 lb ground chicken
  • 3 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 8 cloves garlic minced (divided)
  • 1/2 large bunch cilantro chopped small
  • 4 scallions chopped small
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce divided
  • 4 tbsp avocado or olive oil divided
  • 1/2 yellow onion diced small
  • 8 oz shiitake mushrooms
  • pinch of salt
  • 7 cups chicken broth
  • 2 15 oz cans coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • Juice of one lime
  • 6 oz fresh spinach

Method
 

  1. Cook rice noodles according to package, drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together ground chicken, ginger, 5 cloves of minced garlic, cilantro, scallions, and soy sauce. Roll into 20 meatballs.
  3. Heat a dutch oven or large soup pout over medium high heat. Add 2 tbsp oil. Once hot, brown meatballs 4 minutes on each side. Use a spatula or tongs to flip. It's okay if some scraps stick to the bottom.
  4. Repeat with all 20 meatballs and then transfer to a plate. Scrape any brown bits off the bottom and add to the cooked meatball plate. Wipe down/wash dutch oven clean of any burnt bits.
  5. Heat pan over medium high heat and add remaining 2 tbsp oil. Then add onion, mushrooms, pinch of salt, and garlic. Let cook 2-3 minutes until mushrooms have softened.
  6. Add in chicken broth, coconut milk, remaining 1 tbsp soy sauce and honey. Bring to simmer. Once simmering, add noodles and meatballs to broth. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  7. Turn off heat and stir in the juice of one lime and spinach. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Top with cilantro and scallions if desired!

Nutrition

Calories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 18gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 874mgPotassium: 751mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1395IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 4mg

Notes

  • Brown the Meatballs First: Don't skip the browning step! Cook the meatballs for 4 minutes on each side in the Dutch oven before transferring them to a plate to build deep flavor in both the meatballs and the broth.
  • Rinse the Rice Noodles with Cold Water After Cooking: Once your rice noodles are cooked according to the package, drain them immediately and rinse with cold water before setting aside. This stops the cooking process and prevents them from clumping together or getting too mushy in the soup.
  • Let the Soup Sit Before Serving: After turning off the heat and stirring in the lime juice and spinach, let the soup rest for a full 10 minutes before ladling it into bowls to allow the flavors time to come together.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!