Tom Kha Soup (Thai Coconut Soup)

overhead shot of vegan tom kha (thai coconut soup) over rice noodles in a white bowl with a blue rim on a white marble table

5 from 4 votes

Spicy, sweet, sour and umami, my vegan, vegetarian Tom Kha recipe is a sure dinner winner. This Thai Coconut Soup is packed with vegetables and mushrooms for a heathy, delicious meal paired with rice noodles or steamed rice.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Thai, World

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings:

Calories: 158kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil or sunflower oil or sesame oil
⅓ cup sliced shallots or pearl onions or small onions
½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic
⅓ cup chopped carrots
⅓ cup chopped capsicum (green bell pepper)
½ cup chopped cauliflower florets
2 cups chopped button mushrooms - 200 grams or cremini or fresh oyster mushrooms
¼ to ⅓ cup sliced baby corn
1 tablespoon sliced galangal or 1.5 to 2 inches galangal
1 tablespoon sliced lemongrass stalks or 2 lemongrass stalks
6 to 7 kaffir lime leaves
6 bird's eye chilies or small Thai red chilies, diagonally sliced, or add as required
1.5 cups water or Vegetable Stock
½ teaspoon sea salt or regular salt, add as required
⅓ cup diced tomatoes or 1 small to medium tomato or 4 to 5 cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon soy sauce (naturally brewed) or tamari, coconut aminos or Bragg's aminos
1 teaspoon palm sugar or coconut sugar or raw sugar or brown sugar
1 tbsp shiitake mushroom powder - optional
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice or add as required
1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro) - for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Sautéing Veggies

Heat oil in a pan. Add sliced shallots or onions finely chopped garlic.
Saute for two minutes on low to low-medium heat.
Add the chopped veggies and sliced mushrooms. You can add your choice of mix veggies to the soup.
Mix well and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add water. You can also add homemade vegetable stock.
Now add the sliced lemongrass stalks, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and thai chilies.
Season with salt and mix well. Keep in mind to add less salt as soy sauce which may have some salt, will be added later to the recipe.

Cook Veggies

Cover and simmer on low to medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender. Do not overcook the veggies. This takes about 12 to 15 minutes.
Then add tomatoes, mushroom powder (optional), palm sugar, and soy sauce. Mix and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-low heat.

Finish Tom Kha

Add coconut milk. Mix well and heat for 1 to 2 minutes on a low heat. Do not boil so that the coconut milk does not get split.
Lastly, add lemon juice and stir.
Pour in soup bowls. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot. You can even place some hot noodles or steamed rice in the bowl and pour soup over the noodles or rice.

Notes

Reduce the amount of thai chilies (bird's eye chilies) for a less spicy tom kha.
Use thick coconut milk in the recipe and not lite coconut milk. You can also use coconut cream, but thin it down a bit by adding some water.
Feel free to include veggies of your choice. Also add mushrooms that are easily available to you. For dried shiitake mushrooms, rinse and rehydrate them in water for a few hours.
Adjust the soy sauce, chillies, palm sugar, lemon juice according to your taste.
Note that the approximate nutrition info is for the tom kha soup only and does not include the rice noodles.

Nutrition