Tom Kha Soup (Vegan 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 6 votes

Tom Kha Soup (Vegan Thai Coconut Soup)

Tom Kha is a Thai coconut soup made with coconut milk simmered with galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, shallots and garlic. My vegetarian & vegan version uses plenty of vegetables and mushrooms that soak up the fragrant, creamy broth. Lemon juice, chilies and soy sauce bring a mix of spicy, sweet, sour and umami flavors. It’s a warm, comforting soup that pairs well with rice noodles or steamed rice.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

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 onions – sliced, can use pearl onions or shallots
½ teaspoon garlic – finely chopped
⅓ cup carrots – chopped
⅓ cup capsicum – chopped (green bell pepper)
½ cup cauliflower florets – chopped
2 cups or (200 grams) button mushrooms – can swap with cremini or fresh oyster mushrooms
¼ to ⅓ cup baby corn – sliced
1 tablespoon galangal – sliced, or swap with 1.5 to 2 inches galangal
1 tablespoon or 2 small lemongrass stalks – sliced
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 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 Coconut Milk (Thick)
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

Vegetables: Use any vegetables you like. Add mushrooms that are easy to find. If using dried shiitake, rinse and soak them in water for a few hours.
Coconut Milk: Use thick coconut milk and not lite coconut milk or thin milk. Coconut cream also works, but mix in a little water to thin it.
Spice level: Cut down the Thai chilies (bird’s eye chilies) if you want a milder soup.
Sauces and seasonings: Taste and adjust the soy sauce, palm sugar and lemon juice as needed.
Substitutes: Swap coconut oil with sesame or sunflower oil. Replace shallots with pearl onions or small onions. Replace palm sugar with coconut sugar, brown sugar or a little date or maple syrup.
Note: The approximate nutrition info is for the tom kha soup only and does not include the rice noodles.

Nutrition