Thai coconut soup is one of my favorite soups to order out at Thai restaurants. Today I’m going to show you how to make it at home.
Birmingham folks: this recipe was inspired by (and tastes just like!) the coconut soup at Surin, a popular Thai food spot.
I chose tofu as my protein, because that is how I always order it at Surin. You can use this same soup base with a different protein, if you prefer.
If you want more recipes, check out my vegan soup recipes and all soup recipes.
Ingredients
For tastiest results, always use the best quality ingredients you have access to. To make this Thai coconut soup recipe you will need the following:
- coconut oil
- garlic
- ginger
- lemongrass (I used squeezable)
- Thai red curry paste
- vegetable stock
- low sodium Tamari or soy sauce
- maple syrup (or sweetener or choice)
- unsweetened coconut milk
- extra firm tofu
- mushrooms
- lime juice
- cilantro
- green onions
Ingredient notes
- I love using the lemongrass in those squeezable tubes out of convenience. If you prefer fresh lemongrass, feel free to use that instead.
- I did use fresh ginger and fresh garlic since I already had some on hand.
- I keep Tamari in my house, but feel free to use soy sauce in its place.
- You can use any type of mushrooms you prefer. I have made this with white, baby portabella and shitake mushrooms, and all were good.
How to make Thai coconut soup
First, prepare the tofu.
Preparing the tofu – tips
I always recommend pressing your tofu first. I got this tofu press on Amazon, and it makes it super easy!
Alternatively, you can set the tofu on a plate with a clean kitchen towel underneath, and sit something heavy-ish on top, such as a cast iron skillet on top to press out the water.
You want to press it for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
You can dice your tofu in any shape you want. I prefer small, bite-sized cubes.
You can see more specific step-by-step instructions for how I dice my tofu in this post – air fryer tofu.
Tofu is already cooked, so when adding it to this Thai coconut soup, it only need to be added at the end – long enough to heat through.👌🏻
Cooking Thai coconut soup
Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lemongrass, ginger, and garlic and cook about a minute, stirring constantly, being careful not to burn.
Add the curry paste and keep stirring for 30 seconds. Add the vegetable stock, Tamari/ soy sauce, and maple syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer to blend flavors, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk, tofu, and mushrooms. Bring back to a boil and cook 1 minute.
Turn off heat, stir in lime juice and taste for seasoning and add salt if desired. (Note: mine was plenty salty enough)
Serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with cilantro and scallions.
Thai coconut soup batch size
This recipe makes eight large, or ten smaller servings.
If you are cooking for only one or two people, I recommend cutting the recipe in half. You can do this in the recipe card below, by using the slider to cut the servings to 5, instead of 10.
I like to have leftovers, and this Thai coconut soup does reheat well. Please note that the coconut milk will cause some separation when refrigerated. It will re combine once heated.👌🏻
Storage
Store leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. This soup os great reheated, and I enjoy having leftovers reheated for lunch for days.
Please note that the coconut milk fat will separate out during refrigeration. It will rise to the top. No worries, this will re incorporate with heating and stirring.
Thai Coconut Soup Recipe
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Thai Coconut Soup (Vegan)
Thai coconut soup is one of my favorite soups to order out at Thai restaurants, and it happens to be vegan. With tofu + mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger grated
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons lemongrass (I used squeezable)
- 2.5 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
- 6 cups vegetable stock (omnivores feel free to sub chicken stock)
- 3 tablespoons low sodium Tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon 100% maple syrup (or sweetener or choice)
- 28 ounces unsweetened coconut milk (two 14-ounce cans)
- 16 ounces extra firm tofu (1 block, pressed, drained and diced)
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms (sliced, I used white mushrooms)
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped or torn
- 2 green onions sliced thin
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
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Add the lemon grass, ginger, and garlic and cook about a minute, stirring constantly, being careful not to burn.
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Add the curry paste and keep stirring for 30 seconds.
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Add the vegetable stock, tamari/ soy sauce, and maple syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
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Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer to blend flavors, about 15 minutes.
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Stir in the coconut milk, tofu, and mushrooms. Bring back to a boil and cook 1 minute.
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Turn off heat, stir in lime juice and taste for seasoning and add salt if desired. (Note: mine was plenty salty enough)
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Serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with cilantro and scallions.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
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