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Craving something warm, creamy, and full of flavor but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen? This 30-minute vegan Thai coconut soup is my gift to you. It’s a quick and cozy take on the classic Tom Kha, made with tender mushrooms, sweet carrots, and creamy cashews for a satisfying, plant-based soup.
The rich coconut broth is infused with bright notes of lime, lemongrass, and a hint of heat—comfort food with a Thai-inspired twist. I’ve made this soup more times than I can count and I never get tired of it. I love it so much that I included it in my cookbook, Simple Green Meals.
Thailand Origins
Thai Coconut Soup, often called Tom Kha Gai, traditionally includes chicken and hails from northern Thailand, usually served with rice. My plant-based version swaps the meat for cashews and keeps it grain-free with zucchini noodles. Classic ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves add bold, aromatic flavor—feel free to include them!
Why This Thai Coconut Soup Rawks
- It’s a one-pot wonder. Simmer fresh veggies right in creamy coconut milk, soaking up every drop of Thai-inspired flavor. It’s got a cozy, spicy kick—just enough to warm you up without setting your mouth on fire. Not into heat? No problem. Simply dial back the curry paste and skip the serrano peppers to keep things milder.
- This soup actually gets better with time. Make it a day ahead and let those bold flavors mingle overnight. Just hold off on adding the zucchini noodles until you reheat—it keeps them from getting mushy and makes the whole bowl taste fresh and vibrant.
- It’s packed with plant-based nutrients. Between the mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, and creamy coconut milk, you’re getting fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats in every spoonful—aka fuel that tastes amazing.
- It’s ridiculously fast. This soup comes together in about 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights when you want something warm, nourishing, and not boring.
Storage Tips (Without the Mess)
One of my favorite things about soup? You can make a big batch and enjoy it all week—or freeze it for future “I-don’t-want-to-cook” nights. Thai coconut soup stores beautifully, but here’s a few pro tips:
- Skip adding the zucchini noodles if you plan to freeze it. Zoodles tend to turn mushy and slimy after thawing, and they’re super quick to toss in fresh when you reheat.
- Store your soup in a freezer-safe container or bag. I love Souper Cubes (use code Jen10 to get 10% off!)
- If you’re using glass jars, leave some space at the top for the soup to expand as it freezes (learned this the hard way with a shattered mason jar—zero stars, do not recommend).
Vegan Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha)
Ingredients
- 7 cups coconut milk light or full-fat canned
- ¼ cup Thai curry paste red or green
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- ½ tsp sea salt, unrefined
- 1 carrot very thinly sliced
- 1 cup baby bella mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 zucchini spiralized
For Serving
- ¼ cup raw cashews chopped
- ¼ cup green onions chopped
- 1 serrano pepper thinly sliced
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk and curry paste.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the maple syrup and salt.
- Add the carrots and mushrooms and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
- Add the zucchini noodles. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
- Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with cashews, scallions, chile pepper, and lime wedges.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- If zucchini ‘noodles’ aren’t your thing, then swap for brown rice or millet ramen
- You can use a vegetable peeler to create zucchini strips if you don’t have a spiralizer.
- Use full fat canned coconut milk for the richest flavor, use light canned coconut milk for less fat
- The nutrition facts are based on full-fat canned coconut milk. Use light canned coconut milk for fewer calories and fat.
- Omit the chili pepper and halve the amount of Thai curry paste for a less spicy meal
Nutrition
More Vegan Soup Recipes You’ll Love
After making this Thai coconut soup, try my other vegan soups —you won’t miss the meat for a second.
- My light and creamy celery soup takes 30 minutes and it’s easy to prepare a big batch and enjoy throughout the week to get in lots of fiber, nutrients and plant-based protein.
- This spicy black bean soup is bold, hearty, and bursting with flavor thanks to the smoky chili powder, warm cumin, and fragrant oregano.
- Experience the rich, smoky flavors of fire-roasted tomato soup. This hearty blend of roasted tomatoes, herbs, and spices delivers warmth and comfort in every spoonful.
Food shouldn’t be boring, and it should be easily shared. Grab one of these recipes today and help your family try something new!
Tasted very good. Was a little Spicy. I used yellow curry paste because it is not supposed to be as spicy. I am a little wimpy when it come to spicy.
What a fabulous recipe!! Outstanding levels of flavor and texture. Easy to prepare and in the words of the late Mr. Food…..”OOH, it’s SOOOO GOOD!!” I made one very minor modification in that I used 2 full fat cans of coconut milk, and 2 reduced fat cans of coconut milk. Therefore, it was easier to enjoy the guilt of this absolutely delicious dish. In addition, I omitted the serrano pepper slices, without any sacrifice of flavor. I can fully understand why this is your favorite. It’s now mine too! Thanks so much!!
great soup will eat it again. I am enjoying the soups you have given.
This recipe is really easy for a yummy, weeknight meal that’s still healthy. I used a generic brand of curry paste this time, so it was nearly too spicy for me, but I managed to power through because it was do good. I topped it with some cilantro, chopped cashews and a squeeze of lime.
Thai Coconut Soup was not my favorite and was too spicy for our taste. It was easy to make and I used Blue Elephant Thai Premium Paste Red Curry. Next time I WOULD NOT USE IT. I will add my own spices. I added more mushrooms and carrots, and tomorrow I will add rice to cool it down. I love using only vegetables and it will probably help our cholesterol.
This was so good. Even my husband liked it!!!!!
IThis delicious soup reminded me of lobster Bisque which is fabulous! Next time I may even add some lobster/shrimp and a wee bit of sherry! Great job Jen!!
Delicious!
I made it exactly as the recipe described. I use the Serrano pepper, onion, lime and cashews as toppers. My husband and I ate a bowl full. My husband did not like it at all, I probably won’t make it again.
Gotta keep those loved ones happy! Thanks for giving it a try Linda. 🙂
Husband thinks it needs more heat….next time I’ll leave the Serrano seeds and membranes in !!! I think it would be good to add bok choy. This was an easy one!
I loved the flavor but my kid who likes soup said it was too bland. Not sure what else I could have done as I did add the cashew cream and pesto. It is a winner for me!
This soup was delicious! I have not tried a coconut milk soup base before and was surprised at how flavorful a few veggies and curry paste made the soup! I would like to try adding more veggies next time. Thanks for this recipe!
I added the noodles and slice the zucchini instead. It makes the soup a meal, and that saved me some work for making dinner for my 5-people family. Love the soup, especially when lemon was added.
Not my favorite. Really liked the mushrooms & carrots, but I’m not a big gan of a “creamy soup”
This was so good and surprisingly easy to make with minimal ingredients. I used Thai kitchen lite coconut milk and Thai Kitchen red curry paste and it came out so creamy and flavorful. I will definitely be making it again.
This is a tasty recipe, easily customized by adding what you like (egg, tofu, etc.)… or leaving it as is to be a light supper on its own or as a side.