Quick Asian Chili-Lime Chicken Soup Recipe

Updated August 30, 2018

This fast and flavorful soup is like a light Vietnamese chicken pho. Chicken stock gets flavored with green chilies, lemongrass, lime juice, and fish sauce, and the soup gets bulked out with mushrooms, thinly sliced chicken breast marinated in fish sauce, and rice noodles. . Yvonne Ruperti

Notes: The rice noodles that I used were 1/4-inch wide. If yours are wider, they may take longer to cook. Though the instructions say to par-boil, I like my noodles firm, so I usually just add them directly to the dish to cook. Other noodles, such as rice vermicelli, can be substituted. You can also briefly cook the noodles separately, and then divide into bowls and ladle the soup over the top. I used 5 long green chilies (unseeded) to get the perfect amount of heat, but your chiles may have a different level of hotness. Start with 3 and then increase if necessary. Thai bird chiles can also be used.

Recipe Details

Quick Asian Chili-Lime Chicken Soup Recipe

Active 30 mins

Total 30 mins

Serves 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients

12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce, divided
6 ounces rice noodles (see note)
6 cups homemade or store-bought low sodium chicken stock
2 stalks lemongrass (white parts only), minced
3 to 5 long green chiles (see note)
2 to 3 tablespoons lime juice from 3 large limes
1/4 teaspoon sugar
8 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
1 large bunch cilantro, roots trimmed, rinsed
1 medium onion, sliced into thin rings

Directions

Toss chicken with 2 teaspoons fish sauce in a small bowl; set aside. Cover rice noodles with cool water; set aside.
Heat chicken broth, lemongrass, and chiles in large pot over medium heat to simmer. Simmer 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice, sugar, and mushrooms. Simmer until mushrooms are half-cooked, about 2 minutes.
Cut stems from cilantro and add to pot. Season to taste with lime juice, chiles, fish sauce, sugar. Add chicken and gently simmer until just cooked through, about one minute. Drain noodles and add to soup. Simmer briefly until cooked through but firm. Garnish with sliced onion and handfuls of cilantro leaves.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
347	Calories
3g	Fat
49g	Carbs
30g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories	347
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g	4%
Saturated Fat 1g	4%
Cholesterol 54mg	18%
Sodium 1324mg	58%
Total Carbohydrate 49g	18%
Dietary Fiber 4g	15%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 30g
Vitamin C 42mg	208%
Calcium 95mg	7%
Iron 4mg	24%
Potassium 1006mg	21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.