Thai Red Curry with Chickpeas & Rice Noodles

Is there anything more cozy than a big bowl of curry?

Loaded with bright, fresh flavors, tender chickpeas, and plenty of delicate rice noodles, this curry has been one of my go-to weeknight dinners for a while now. It’s super satisfying, yet still light (something I greatly appreciate) and the gentle spice is enough to warm you up on a chilly fall day. What I love most about this curry is that it looks very impressive yet it’s laughably simple to pull together and the one-pot element of this meal means that there’s virtually no cleanup.

Doesn’t get much better than that.

When it comes to toppings, I’m partial to sliced jalapenos for additional heat along with extra lime juice—so bright and fresh—but the garnishing possibilities are endless. The soup is also delightful with chopped cashews, scallions, chives, coconut cream,  crushed red pepper, sriracha, baked tofu, etc.. I truly hope you get a chance to try this as soon as possible.

After all, you’ll only have to wash one pot…

Thai Red Curry with Chickpeas & Rice Noodles

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
3 tablespoons *red curry paste
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
6 cups vegetable broth
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
1 8-ounce package rice noodles
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, bell pepper and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in red curry paste and ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in vegetable broth, coconut milk, and chickpeas. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced, about 10 minutes. Stir in rice noodles and tamari and cook until noodles are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in green onions, cilantro, basil and lime juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with your favorite toppings.

*For the curry paste, I used Thai Kitchen’s red curry paste because it’s easy to find in most supermarkets. Plus, it comes in convenient jars that are perfect for storing in the fridge once opened. Although the label says that the paste is hot, I don’t find the curry paste to be very spicy. That’s why I use 3 tablespoons of the paste and garnish with jalapenos for additional heat. If you are using any other brand of red curry paste, taste the paste first to test the spice level.