A savory coconut creamy broth, swirls of chili oil floating on top, beautiful veg and cubes of flavor-soaked tofu, and a pile of steamy rice at your service.
Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu and Rice
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This is bonkers good! Thank you for being so darn talented.
Warm, rich, savory coconut creamy broth, swirls of chili oil floating on top, beautiful veg and cubes of flavor-soaked tofu, and a pile of steamy rice at your service. This soup is a cool night, sweatshirt sleeves over your palms, curl up and into a warm bowl kinda meal.
Oh, we love so many things about this one. It is super fast and so very customizable because you can play around with your protein and veg. We found it to be great for the whole fam, too. Like for example, if your kiddos find soup-eating to be the literal hardest thing in the world? Cool, cool, no prob – you can pull out the tofu and veg and just serve it on rice for them without the broth (more for you).
It’s super cozy with warm, punchy, fresh, sweet-spicy flavors, and we are so ready to curl up with big trough-y bowls of this all season long.
Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?
How To Make Thai Coconut Soup
This beauty is inspired by an absolute favorite Thai soup called Tom Kha. Traditional Tom Kha has galangal in it (the “Kha” part, the “Tom” means “soup”), which is a fragrant root vegetable that is like, ginger-adjacent, as well as makrut lime leaves, lemongrass and Thai chiles. Though these ingredients are extremely delicious, we found them a bit harder to find in our regular grocery stores. So we substituted some things like ginger, lime juice, and chili paste, while still keeping the fresh lemongrass (which is becoming increasingly more common to find, yay!), earthy mushroom and sweet red pepper, and creamy coconut milk for a definitely inspired-by-but-not-totally-authentic nod to the soup we love.
For a look at a more traditional soup, blogger and YouTuber Seonkyoung Longest has a really beautiful video and recipe post for Tom Kha Gai (made with chicken or “Gai”) that’s worth a watch. She explains a bit more about the difference between galangal and ginger as well as the other ingredients that you would traditionally see in a Tom Kha recipe.
Bringing this soup-nod together is actually pretty darn easy. You’ll get the aromatics going first, and then it’s kind of just a stack and simmer sort of deal.
- Sauté garlic, ginger and lemongrass until super fragrant and yummy.
- Add chili paste and any veg you like (we did mushrooms + red pepp).
- Then add your tofu (or other protein of choice, chicken is also great) and broth and let it simmer for a bit.
- Coconut milk goes in and deepen the flavors with some brown sugar, lemon zest, fish sauce, and fresh cilantro. Yum, yum, yum!
- Scoop over some steamy rice, top with chili oil, more fresh cilantro…whooboy, we’re getting hungry.
So many beautiful fresh ingredients and flavors that only get better the longer they sit together (hello yes, leftovers dream!). The tofu holds its shape and texture beautifully, however, you could omit it if you like. But oh my, it is nice how that amazing broth just sneaks up into those delicious little cubes.
What To Serve With This Soup
Our favorite way to serve this champ is just ladled right over the top or alongside some fresh steamy rice. The soup is so good to scoop and slurp on its own, but we loved the extra little texture chomps that the rice provided.
Is there a limit to how much fresh cilantro you can slap onto something? Hahahaha no, just pile it on there. Shower with a fresh lime squeeze, dribble some chili oil on top, and then dribble some more because it is so spectacular.
This keeps really well for leftovers, but we would store the rice and soup separately for optimal texture success. If your soup separates a little, that’s totally okay! Just give her a good shake and she’s good to go.
Make It Your Own
We also love a good go-with-the-flow meal and this soup IS that. It is super versatile, so you can customize it to whatever you fancy. Not a tofu fan? No prob – chicken or shrimp would be outstanding. Want a bunch of other vegetables in there because, oh no, you got overzealous in the produce aisle this week? Great, toss them in!
Don’t like cilantro? How dare you, please leave. KIDDING. Other fresh herbs, like basil, would be so, so good.
However you put your signature on it, get ready to have yourself warmed from the inside out. Slurp after smile after slurp after smile, this little cozy, fragrant, rich, creamy little wonder has got your number.
Thai Coconut Soup: FAQs
Can I use a different protein?
Absolutely! Chicken or shrimp in this soup would be really good.
How can I make this vegan?
Fish sauce and chili paste are the only non-vegan ingredients in this soup. You could either purchase a vegan fish sauce (typically found at health-food stores) or use soy sauce (to taste) in place of the fish sauce. You could omit the chili paste or use a fresh Thai chili instead.
Any subs for lemongrass?
If lemongrass is a hard-to-find ingredient for you, a bit of lemon zest can work in a pinch.
How can I made this in the Instant Pot?
We’ve got what you need right in the notes section of the recipe card for full Instant Pot instructions!
Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu and Rice
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 5–6 servings 1x
Description
It’s Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu and Rice! A savory coconut creamy broth, swirls of chili oil floating on top, beautiful veg and cubes of flavor-soaked tofu, and a pile of steamy rice at your service.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- one 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into thin slices
- 3 stalks lemongrass, ends trimmed, outer layer peeled, and cut into bigger chunks
- 1–2 tablespoons roasted red chili paste
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into small cubes
- 5–6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- about 20 ounces full fat coconut milk (I like Aroy-D brand, and I use about 1.5 cans)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce (more or less to taste)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- juice and zest of 1-2 limes (to taste)
- salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
- lots of cilantro
- chili oil for serving
- rice for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass; sauté for 3-5 minutes (but don’t let the garlic brown – if it starts browning, remove from heat / turn the heat down).
- When everything is soft-ish and smells really nice, add the roasted red chili paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and red pepper (and any other veggies you like). Sauté for 3-5 minutes to get them sweating a bit, and then add the tofu and broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Add coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and zest, and salt. Stir in the cilantro. Taste and adjust till you get it just how you like it. Pull out the lemongrass chunks.
- I like to ladle the soup over a shallow bowl filled halfway with rice – so the soup kind of goes on one side and the rice on the other, with the coconuty broth spilling over into the rice a bit. Top it off with extra cilantro and chili oil. SO, SO GOOD.
Notes
Some recipes instruct you to keep the ginger in bigger chunks so you can pull it out before serving – but personally I kind of enjoy an occasional bite of thinly-sliced broth-soaked ginger, so I just leave the ginger in!
The lemongrass stalks, especially when in bigger pieces, can be really tough, which is why I’d advise taking those out before serving. You could also use lemongrass paste for a little more convenience so you can just get the flavor without needing to pull out the stalks of lemongrass.
Instant Pot Instructions: Press the Sauté button on the Instant Pot and heat the oil. Then, sauté the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass for 2-3 minutes until soft-ish. Add the roasted red chili paste and sauté for another minute. Then, add in the tofu and 4 cups of broth. Place the lid on the pot and cook on Manual mode (high pressure) for 3 minutes. Quick release the steam using the valve. Stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and zest, and salt. Add in the mushrooms and red pepper. If you feel like it could use more liquid, you can add an additional cup of broth if needed. Press the Sauté button again to simmer the veggies for 5-6 minutes until softened. Pull out the lemongrass chunks and stir in the cilantro.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai-Inspired
Keywords: thai soup, coconut soup, tom kha
More Coconutty Goodness
- Spicy Instant Pot Carrot Soup (zingy in all the right ways)
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Curry (*muah muah* so good!)
- Coconut Curry Ramen (the most slurpable noodles)
- 5 Ingredient Vegan Vodka Pasta (creamy, tangy, and luscious)
Time To Show You Off!
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of luscious coconut milk recipes. Check it out!
Filed Under: All Recipes Dairy-Free Dinner Fall Gluten-Free Healthy Lime Main Dishes Rice Soups Stovetop The Soup Series Tofu Vegetarian
October 6, 2021
Created By The POY Team
Lindsay Ostrom
Recipe Developer
Rita Boersma
Writer
Eman Kemp
Editorial
Emily Caruso
Videographer
This sounds delicious! Is there a substitute that you’d recommend for the fish sauce to make this vegetarian or would you just leave it out?
I usually substitute (and did) with soy sauce and it was amazing!
Oops, I see the soy sauce sub – thanks!
This hit my inbox this morning and went immediately on the menu for next week. Can’t wait to try this one!!
We are not huge mushroom people over here – is there anything you might suggest as a replacement? Also, we have lemongrass paste in the fridge currently. I saw in the notes we could potentially use that- how much would you suggest? Thank you!!
Hi Lauren! Yes, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, or cauliflower would all be great substitutes. I’d suggest 2 teaspoons of lemongrass paste!
what other veggies could I add? Soup sounds delicious
I like to add onions, water chestnuts and baby corn (in addition to mushrooms and red peppers) to Thai dishes like these!
How much lemongrass paste would you recommend?
We’d recommend about 2 teaspoons!
Stopping by the market on my way home, this feels like the right thing to have tonight. I’ve had a lot of rice lately, so I’d like to try noodles instead. Any recommendations?
Rice noodles would be a great option!
Not a fan of tofu. What can I use as a substitute ?
Any vegetable should work. Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots!
This recipe looks amazing. Do you have a favorite chili oil? I’ve had a hard time finding a good one lately.
We actually don’t have a favorite, but we used Lee Kum Kee for this recipe!
Sodium seems too high for a bowl. Is there something I can do to reduce sodium? I am in a low sodium diet. Thanks!
Yes, you can reduce the amount of salt and use low sodium broth!
I saw this recipe and knew it was happening tonight! I used thighs and breast meat leftover from roasting a bird on Sunday. Sooo good! Rich, fragrant, warm flavors. This will be added into the rotation.
So glad you enjoyed it, Sarah!
SO GOOD!!! I find curries made with just curry paste miss the mark and the extra flavor enhancers here really make the difference. I wish things had been a little spicier but next time will add maybe a jalapeno to spice things up. Another POY recipe added to my rotation!!
So glad it was a hit, Jaclyn!
I love love love this recipe! So savoury, complex but yet simple for a home cook who doesn’t have all the various ingredients for Thai dishes. I ended up using chicken thighs cause that’s what I had on hand but I do love firm tofu and will try that next time. I couldn’t get the Thai chili paste so I got the Thai red curry paste from the same brand and it worked out very well. This will be a regular on my repertoire. Thank you!!!
Awesome! So glad you loved it!
If I substitute with lemongrass paste do you know how much I should use?
Around 2 teaspoons should work!
Hi! This looks absolutely delicious!
Is roasted red chili paste the same as sambal?
I’m from The Netherlands and we have different types of sambal here.
Thanks 😊
It’s a bit different, sweeter and more concentrated. But sambal will work just fine!
I just made this and I can’t stop eating it out of the pot, it is amazing!! I cut down the fish sauce a bit as I find it quite salty and omitted the garlic based on personal preference. Otherwise made as written and oh my goodness this is my new favorite. Thank you!!
So glad to hear it, Robin!
This is bonkers good! Thank you for being so darn talented.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jes! Thanks for the comment!
I love coconut and this recipe looks amazing!!
Enjoy, Alyse!
Super keen on trying this ! Would it be possible to make this without the chili paste ? I have a 3 year old so was wondering if I can make it not spicy by removing it!
Hi Stella! The chili paste doesn’t add a whole lot of, if any, spiciness to the recipe, but you can certainly omit it!
I cannot find any roasted chili paste. Any other subs you can suggest??? Looking forward to making it 😀
You could try red curry paste, sambal oelek, or chili garlic sauce!
Just made this and it’s super delicious! I used some ponzu sauce in addition to the lime juice to give it an extra punch and I also reduced the amount of broth and increased the coconut milk to make it thicker. My question is… how will this freeze?
I made this soup and loved it! I added additional veggies: zucchini & onion. I love a little “kick”in any recipe so I added some red chili peppers, garlic powder, 1/4 diced serrano pepper, and pepper. I was pleased with flavors, but was trying to figure out how to make the soup richer in taste. (I used vegetable broth). Any suggestions?
Great question! I’m inclined to suggest using more coconut milk than vegetable broth to make the soup richer. Additionally, I’d suggest salting the veggies as you’re sauteeing them to really bring out their flavor!
This was AMAZING!! I couldn’t find roasted chili paste so used Sambal Oelek instead. The recipe was so flavorful and made so much that I now have leftovers for a few days. Next time, I would try adding in more vegetables. Make this right away!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious! Even my three year old ate it.
We really enjoyed this recipe! I couldn’t find the chili paste that was called for, so I subbed in a fresh diced Thai chili plus some sambal oelek that we had on hand. It was delicious served over rice! Cozy but not heavy. Would recommend.
This is SO good!!! An absolute keeper! I love your blog! Thank you!!