This Lemongrass Noodle Soup with Cucumber & Chicken is fresh, warming, comforting, light (with a little bit of heat), and packed with incredible flavors! Lemongrass by itself has beautiful earthy, citrussy notes, so you likely don’t even need to add much else to elevate the flavors in this dish.
I love East Asian cuisine. And considering it’s the most populated region in the world and they have such a rich and vast diversity in their food culture, I’m very glad I love it. If you asked me which was my favorite though, that would be a tough one to answer. There’s so much that’s amazing and different about their dishes and foods that it’s hard to pick one over the other.
However if I’m a bit under the weather and I crave something comforting, I know what I want. It’s one of two simple choices. Thai or Vietnamese. Thai green curry chicken and spicy Thai chicken skewers are another two of my favorites!
This Lemongrass Noodle soup with Cucumber & Chicken was a result of one of those times when I was yearning for some Thai or Vietnamese food, but couldn’t get to a restaurant. It has evolved quite a bit since the first time I made it, but I think I love it the best in its current form. It’s a comforting winter-worthy recipe for sure.
Lemongrass noodle soup
I love lemongrass and I’m always looking to incorporate that flavor in my dishes. Like these easy lemongrass chicken bowls, lemongrass and wasabi chicken nuggets, lemongrass flavored savory oatmeal etc. It’s also a flavor that is common to both Thai and Vietnamese cuisines, so I’m not entirely sure which category of cuisine I would file this under. Maybe I’ll just make a new one and call it “absolutely amazing noodle soup recipes”. Because this dish is all that and more.
MY absolute favorite part of this soup though is the cucumber. It adds a really nice crunch and coolness that acts as a fantastic contrast to this warm and spicy soup.
The coconut milk adds a wonderful creaminess without making the soup heavy and mellows out the heat from the spices a little (which you can of course adjust to your preference). Plus the coconut complements the lemongrass flavor really well too.
You may notice in the recipe that I “fry” some chilli flakes in a little oil before adding them to the soup. I have always loved a little bit of chilli (oil and flakes) floating on top of soups like this because it adds a fantastic flavor as you sip (or slurp) the soup. Plus I really like how pretty those chilli flakes look, swimming in the soup like that.
Recipe notes
- I made this soup with chicken stock and added chicken (mainly for the benefit of my husband), but this can easily be omitted or replaced with something like vegetable stock and tofu as well.
- And please use a GOOD chicken stock. Nothing would make me happier than making this with homemade chicken stock, but let’s be honest, not all of us have home made chicken stock at home all the time. So store bought is more than fine. However make sure it is a good one and it’s your favorite (chicken or vegetable stock).
- I have always used mung noodles or glass noodles for this soup because it’s my favorite. I love how they become translucent as they cook. However you could easily substitute it with a different kind of noodle.
- And if you don’t want noodles, you can prepare just the soup with maybe double the amount of cucumber instead (I’ve done that too, and it’s still great with a lovely texture).
- It’s best if you add the cucumbers in last. Or you can serve the cucumbers separately if you want. Or, serve the soup immediately after ladling the hot soup over the cucumber and noodles. I just personally like the cool crunch of the cucumber with the soup and the longer the cucumber sits in there, it will warm up with the soup.
Recipe
Lemongrass Noodle Soup with Cucumber & Chicken
US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results whenever available.
Common Measurement ConversionsIngredients:
Soup
- 1250 mL chicken stock 5 cups (unsalted). Substitute with vegetable stock for a vegan option.
- 3 tbsp chopped lemongrass 2 white stalks of lemongrass, bruised
- 1 ½ inches peeled ginger sliced
- ½ tsp chilli flakes adjust to your preference – optional
- ½ medium onion sliced
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce Use tamari sauce for a GF option
- 240 mL coconut milk 1 cup. Full fat
- 1 lime juice and zest
- 2 fresh red chilli Add more or less, depending on your spice tolerance levels
- 2 skinless chicken breast sliced thinly. Or use medium firm tofu – see notes.
- Sea salt to taste
To serve
- 85 – 115 g dry weight glass noodles 3 – 4 oz
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 cucumber sliced and julienned or cut with a noodle maker. chilled
- drizzle sesame oil or vegetable oil, to coat
Instructions:
Soup base
- In a saucepan, pour the chicken stock and add to it the following – the lemongrass, dried chilli, ginger, sliced onions, sugar, soy-sauce, and coconut milk.1250 mL chicken stock, 3 tbsp chopped lemongrass, 1 ½ inches peeled ginger, ½ tsp chilli flakes, ½ medium onion, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 240 mL coconut milk
- Bring to a boil on medium heat and then lower the heat and let it simmer on low heat, covered, for about 40 min to 1 hour. During this time, cook the noodles and prepare the cucumber.1 lime
- Add about 1 tbsp lime juice and lime zest as well. Taste and add more lime juice to your preference.
- Strain the soup to remove the onion, ginger, lemon grass and chilli. Discard this and return the soup back into the pot.
- Bring the soup back to a simmer, and add salt to taste.Sea salt
- Once the soup is simmering, add the thinly sliced chicken and the thinly sliced chili (If using). Let the chicken cook in the simmering soup (which should take about 10 minutes). Assemble the and have the serving bowls ready during this time.2 skinless chicken breast , 2 fresh red chilli
- Divide the soaked noodles between two bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles. Top it up with cold cucumber and serve immediately.
Noodles and toppings
- Place the noodles in a bowl and add the salt.85 – 115 g dry weight glass noodles, ½ tsp sea salt
- Pour boiling water over the noodles to soak and keep it covered for 10 minutes (a little less time than the manufacturer’s instructions).
- Drain the noodles and drizzle in some oil to coat the noodles. This is to prevent the noodles from sticking together and turning mushy. You can use unflavoured oil, sesame oil or chilli oil if you prefer. Set aside until you are ready to serve.drizzle sesame oil
- Use a julienne slicer or noodle slicer to make long cucumer "noodles". You can also do this manually. Cut the cucumber like thin or thick noodles (your preference). Drizzle some chili oil or sesame oil and toss to coat. Keep it chilled.1 cucumber sliced and julienned
Recipe Notes
Vegan options
Instead of chicken stock, you can use vegetable stock. Add some dried mushrooms when simmering the soup base to add more flavor to the soup base. Instead of chicken, I like to use medium firm tofu. For extra flavor, cube the tofu, and air fry / pan fry to get crispy edges. But this is an optional step.Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
When I say this serves 2-3, I mean that it should serve 2 people very generously, 3 individuals who might be light eaters, but only 1 of my husband! He absolutely loves this soup and would finish all of it in one go, unless I stop him!
Like I said earlier this is a very warming, satisfying, slightly spicy soup and it’s perfect for this time of the year. And I love how the chicken is perfectly cooked (isn’t dry at all) and absorbs the flavors of the soup. Coconut and lemongrass is a classic combination and it works like a charm here too.
I hope you can give this one a go and let me know what you think. There’s nothing like a warm, spicy, flavor-packed soup to wake up your taste buds, especially in the winter!
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