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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!
Love it! I halved it (we still have leftovers from earlier recipes this week!) and used half broth/half coconut milk and it still turned out great!
This soup was very easy to make and the cashew topping was a nice addition instead of the usual peanut topping . This was a warming and tasty soup for a weeknight dinner. So good.
This soup was very tasty and creamy. I used low fat coconut milk but I think I will mix it with full fat next time. It was a little runnier than I would like. Overall good soup though!
This soup was surprisingly lovely. I added extra mushrooms and no zoodles, little black pepper and a dash of paprika.
Easier to make than I thought it would be. VERY filling, great taste and easy to modify if I want more veggies, etc.. I added the topping suggestions and it did add great texture snd flavor.
I made this soup earlier today. I am not familiar with this soup so was hesitant to try it. I went easy on the curry paste. I did like the soup – new adventure.
This soup was delicious and so easy to make!
Nice flavors that come together. A light soup… very filling 🙂
Loved this soup
So glad Kathleen!
This soup looks amazing. So much flavor and texture. It has lots of my favorite ingredients.
I did not make it but still have some ideas.
I generally have ideas for any recipe I make.
Maybe trying mushroom stock and add coconut cream rather than milk to keep the same amount of liquid.
I love the brick pack coconut rather than the cans. I am sensitive to can notes.
I think it would be cool to have the recipe to make your own coconut milk if folks want to do that.
We have just that Frances! Check it out :: DIY Coconut Milk.
My husband and I both loved this soup. I like a bit milder spice so only used half what the recipe says. I also added a few diffetent veggies and some rice noodles. We will be making this again.
The best I’ve had yet. The soup was easy to put together.
I was skeptical when I looked at the ingredients of this soup. SO glad I made it because it’s amazing!!! Add all the extra topping suggestions, they complete this tasty soup. Highly recommend!
This recipe was so simple and flavorful. I used red curry since it didn’t specify green or red. The green onions, cashew and lime took it to the next level. Yum!
So delicious! Just the right amount of kick. Added double the amount of veggies and fresh cilantro on top. A meal all in itself.
I was hoping to like the soup but it was just not for me. The sweetness of the coconut milk was too much.
I really like the toppings they were optional but I highly recommend adding them. Soup was good, but it was too sweet for my taste.