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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 cup 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
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review for a chance to win signed copies of my cookbooks!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!
This was so good. So creamy. I used a fermented lime in my version. Just the right amount of spice in this recipe with the seranos and I used green curry paste.
This Thai Coconut Soup is very delicious. I was surprised since this soup has flavors not found in other soups. My family is not familiar with coconut in any of my cooking, but everyone liked it. I will try this soup again on a cold fall or winter day. A winner.
Great
It was very good. I did tweak it a bit .
Really delicious!
Now that I have this recipe, I don’t have to look for a good Thai restaurant!
I just made this for my lunch. The only ingredient missing was zucchini.
This was a new soup for me. I did enjoy it. I would add shrimp for my husband.
Love this! Maybe it is the coconut base that enhances the vegetables…definitely a keeper!
This is amazing! I will definitely make it again. I questioned the use of maple syrup, but when I tasted it the flavor was perfect!
I guess I’m a bit confused and missed a day. But I did not make the crock pot soup because I don’t have a crock pot. But I did make the tomato Soup and loved it. That one is a keeper. Thanks.
Wonderful soup! Sweet (even without the maple syrup) and spicy. Next time I think I’ll quarter the mushrooms and caramelize, dice the zucchini, and add some noodles.
Maybe it’s the way I prepared this soup but I found lacking in substance. Meaning there was more liquid than vegetables. This is a great appetizer dish for a full Thai meal, certainly nothing wrong with that.
The flavor is good and even better on the second day!
I left out the maple syrup, and it was good. On the hot / spicy side, but it was still good. I don’t like sweetness in my dinners. Great soup.
I used a pre-made coconut curry sauce as the base because I didn’t have any coconut milk. I added a little water to thin it out. Put in half a teaspoon of red Thai curry paste and half a diced jalapeño including ribs & seeds. Turned out really spicy – our noses were running! Husband said it was the best soup I’ve ever made because it was different than all the others, and he loves spicy! It was almost too spicy for me, but that could be from the jarred VH sauce. I prefer the other soups, like the minestrone, which is why I gave this one only 3 stars. However this Thai soup is very flavourful.
I love the flavors of this soup – definitely a winner!
Great tasting soup but I would prefer more heat and less maple syrup. It is nowhere near “Thai-spicy” as served in Bangkok.
Having said that, it’s quick and easy and has good flavour—next time I’ll add bird’s eye chilis to increase the heat.
Needs more spice of the curry. I added diced zucchini instead or spiraled and it was good. I also put it over rice since it was very soupy. Very good but needs a bit more flavor.
When I committed to the soup challenge I decided to make all of the soups.(My freezer now has a 2 week supply of additional soups of each of the varieties.) Not everyone in my home loves this soup but I like the change in flavor to what I usually enjoy. It will make an nice addition on a night when I serve Asian Dishes.
Low in protein. Vegans need more protein. From the Harvard Medical Publishers:
” Q. I have heard that coconut is bad for the heart and that it is good for the heart. Which is right?
A. Viewed in isolation, coconut and coconut oil can’t be considered heart-healthy foods. A 2-ounce piece of fresh coconut contains more than 13 grams of saturated fat — nearly two-thirds of the recommended daily limit for the average person. Ounce for ounce, coconut oil delivers more saturated fat than butter, lard, or margarine. Feeding studies in humans, monkeys, and rabbits show that coconut oil substantially elevates LDL (bad) cholesterol.”
Hi Linda – coconut oil is full of healthy fats. While it is more dense in saturated fat than olive oil, 1-2 TB per day is still in a healthy range. Like most other oils and fats, it should be consumed in moderation and limited amounts.
Feel free to replace the coconut oil with an alternative, preferred oil – like olive oil or avocado oil for any of our recipes or you can always omit the oil for certain recipes, such as smoothies. 🙂
Love that it’s vegan yet still flavorful!