You can have your favourite Thai takeaway soup at home with this vegan tom kha soup. This fragrant Thai coconut soup with veggies and tofu or vegan chicken is plenty tasty, but super easy to make in just 15 minutes!
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When I was living in Vienna and sharing a flat, my friends and I had takeout Thai food on many occasions. I often ordered tom kha gai soup, either as a starter or as a slightly milder alternative to a red Thai curry, but with similar flavours.
Now, years later, I've created this vegan version so I can whip up my favourite Thai soup in a heartbeat. It's creamy, aromatic, slightly spicy (it's Thai-inspired after all), and so delicious! I will never have to order Thai takeaway again.
What is tom kha soup?
Tom kha can be translated as 'boiled galangal'. Galangal root, a relative of ginger, is cooked in coconut milk (sometimes alongside lemongrass) to make the fragrant broth in traditional recipes. A popular variation also contains chicken (gai).
However, you can make a really tasty tom kha soup using Thai red curry paste for a wonderful depth of flavour - no need to rush to the Asian grocery store to get fresh galangal and lemongrass.
You can use your favourite vegan chicken substitute to make a vegan tom kha gai soup. This time, we chose tofu as our plant-powered protein, so you could call it tom kha tofu.
Ok, let's see how we can make this deliciously Thai-inspired, vegan coconut soup in just 15 minutes!
Ingredient tips
Here's everything you need for this easy vegan tom kha soup recipe:
Thai red curry paste - most products contain fish, shrimp or oysters, but there are many vegan brands these days! We get the Thai Taste brand. Red Thai curry paste contains red chilli, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and other aromatic ingredients responsible for the typical flavours of Thai cuisine.
Plant-based protein - You can simply use firm tofu like we did here. We crumbled it up rather than cut it, so it can better absorb the flavours of the broth.
Or choose your favorite vegan chicken alternative to make a really yummy vegan tom kha gai soup.
I actually think that vegan chicken-style fillets work great in this soup when you shred them up. We prefer them to most chicken-style chunks out there.
Vegan fish sauce - Traditional recipes use fish sauce, but there are vegan alternatives to fish sauce. You can also just use soy sauce with great results.
Step by step pictures
Here's a visual guide on how to make vegan tom kha soup. For the full, adjustable and printable recipe, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
Step 1 - Fry the curry paste in vegetable oil.
Step 2 - Add coconut milk, vegetable broth, brown sugar, vegan fish sauce, and lime juice.
Step 3 - Bring to a boil and add the veggies and shredded tofu.
Step 4 - Simmer for 3 - 5 minutes, until the carrots reach your preferred doneness.
Top tip
If you use a plant-based chicken substitute, fry it in some oil until browned, or prepare as per packaging instructions, before adding it to the soup.
Substitutions and variations
You can easily make this vegan tom kha soup gluten-free. The recipe is already mostly gluten-free. Just make sure you use gluten-free curry paste, vegetable bouillon and vegan fish sauce (or substitute). If you want to serve the soup with noodles, use rice noodles.
If you are concerned about the amount of fat in the coconut milk, you can use light coconut milk for a lower fat content.
As a small twist, try using Thai green curry paste in place of the red type. Green curry paste contains green chillies rather than red, and cilantro.
If you're making a vegan tom kha gai soup using vegan 'chicken', you can impart extra flavour by using vegan chicken broth instead of vegetable bouillon.
For the mushrooms, shiitake or oyster mushrooms add a nice touch of authenticity.
Likewise, instead of brown sugar, you can use palm sugar, the sweetener of choice in authentic Thai recipes. Coconut sugar is a less refined alternative.
Add some more greens with bok choy (pak choi). Steam it before adding it to the bowl when serving.
The lime juice can be swapped out for lemon juice.
Serving
We love our vegan tom kha soup with a garnish of chopped cilantro (fresh coriander), a few slices of red chilli and a wedge of lime.
Traditionally and unlike most soups in western cuisine, tom kha is often eaten with jasmine rice or sticky rice for a filling meal.
Or serve it with noodles, or just on its own as a light meal or starter.
Storage
Storebought vegan chicken substitutes shouldn't be chilled and reheated again once cooked.
If you use tofu, you can keep this vegan tom kha soup in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat thoroughly in a saucepan to make sure the tofu and veggies get hot. You can add an extra teaspoon of curry paste to make up for some aroma lost in reheating.
We wouldn't recommend freezing tom kha soup, as the veggies wouldn't freeze that well and the tofu would change in texture.
FAQs
Tom kha simply means boiled galangal (a relative to ginger used in Thai cuisine), and is the fragrant coconut broth characteristic for all these dishes.
Tom kha gai is a coconut and chicken soup. Gai means chicken.
As you might guess at this point, tom kha tofu is a tom kha soup with tofu.
All of these often also contain vegetables such as peppers, mushrooms, carrots and chilli.
To save yourself the effort of hunting down vegan curry paste in the shops, it's easy to order it online.
Curry paste can now often be found in the ethnic food aisle of major supermarkets. Another place to look is your local Asian grocery store.
However, many brands aren't vegan. Curry paste that is plant-based is often labelled as such.
If in doubt, check the label and look out for ingredients such as fish sauce, oysters or shrimp paste. They should be easy to spot as they would be marked as food allergens.
More Thai inspired vegan recipes
Try these other creamy, tangy and spicy dishes!
📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Tom Kha Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 8 oz (225 g) firm tofu or vegan 'chicken' shredded
- 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste vegan
- 2 cans (800 ml / 28 oz in total) coconut milk
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable bouillon or vegan chicken broth
- 2 tbsp vegan fish sauce or soy sauce
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp light brown sugar or palm sugar
- 1 cup (100 g / 3.5 oz) mushrooms sliced
- ½ red bell pepper sliced
- 1 carrot diagonally sliced
- 1 red chilli optional
- 2 tbsp cilantro / coriander leaves chopped
Instructions
- In a medium or large saucepan, heat up the vegetable oil over medium heat.1 tbsp vegetable oil
- If using vegan 'chicken', slice or shred (if necessary) and fry it in the oil according to packaging instructions.8 oz (225 g) firm tofu or vegan 'chicken'
- Stir in curry paste and fry for 30 seconds.1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- Add coconut milk, vegetable bouillon, vegan fish sauce (or soy sauce), lime juice, and brown sugar.2 cans (800 ml / 28 oz in total) coconut milk, 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable bouillon, 2 tbsp vegan fish sauce, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp light brown sugar
- Bring to a simmer and add mushrooms, red pepper, carrot, tofu (if using), and sliced red chili.1 cup (100 g / 3.5 oz) mushrooms, ½ red bell pepper, 1 carrot, 1 red chilli
- Simmer for 2 - 5 minutes, depending on how done you like the carrots.
- For serving, garnished with chopped cilantro / coriander leaves and a few slices of red chili.Serve on its own, on jasmine or sticky Thai rice or with noodles.2 tbsp cilantro / coriander leaves
Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
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