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Craving something warm, creamy, and full of flavor but donโt have hours to spend in the kitchen? This 30-minute vegan Thai coconut soup is my gift to you. Itโs 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 heatโcomfort food with a Thai-inspired twist. Iโve 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 flavorโfeel free to include them!
Why This Thai Coconut Soup Rawks
- Itโs a one-pot wonder. Simmer fresh veggies right in creamy coconut milk, soaking up every drop of Thai-inspired flavor. Itโs got a cozy, spicy kickโjust 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 reheatโit keeps them from getting mushy and makes the whole bowl taste fresh and vibrant.
- Itโs packed with plant-based nutrients. Between the mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, and creamy coconut milk, youโre getting fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats in every spoonfulโaka fuel that tastes amazing.
- Itโs 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 weekโor freeze it for future โI-donโt-want-to-cookโ nights. Thai coconut soup stores beautifully, but hereโs 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 theyโre 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 youโre 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 jarโzero stars, do not recommend).
Vegan Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha)
Ingredients
- 7 cups coconut milk light or full-fat canned
- ยผ cup Thai curry paste red or green
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- ยฝ tsp sea salt, unrefined
- 1 carrot very thinly sliced
- 1 cup baby bella mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 zucchini spiralized
For Serving
- ยผ cup raw cashews chopped
- ยผ 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 โnoodlesโ arenโt your thing, then swap for brown rice or millet ramen
- You can use a vegetable peeler to create zucchini strips if you donโt 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 Youโll Love
After making this Thai coconut soup, try my other vegan soups โyou wonโt miss the meat for a second.
- My light and creamy celery soup takes 30 minutes and itโs 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 shouldnโt be boring, and it should be easily shared. Grab one of these recipes today and help your family try something new!
So good! I used full fat coconut milk. If youโre not eating vegan I think shrimp would be awesome in this soup!
OH MY GOD ssoo good. Very quick and easy to make, will cut the zoodles into shorter lengths next time so you donโt have to slurp the noodles.
Will make this often.
Shorter zoodles sounds great. Or you could totally rawk a โLady and the Trampโ moment with your sweetie! So glad you loved this soup Lisa!
Not a fan of coconut but LOVED this soup. Something about it very comforting.
The lime and cashews added so much! I didnโt have a serrano pepper, so I added red pepper flakes instead. I also cooked the scallions into the soup. I was unsure about the squeeze of lime, but it really added a much needed zing. Loved this addition! I will be making it again! Next time I will thicken it up by adding more carrots, mushrooms and zoodles.
I gave it a good shot. The toppings that you serve it with help, but the flavor still wasnโt good for me and I felt an aftertaste that just wasnโt that great.
I didnโt love this one as much as I wanted to love it, but it might have been due to the light coconut milk that I used. That said, I will make it again and try to tweak the basic recipe.
Def let us know what you think when you try it again, Amanda. Full fat coconut milk will def up that flavor factor!
Fabulous recipe! Perfect combo of veggies, spice and coconut to help us get over our fall colds.
THIS one goes into the keeper file. Mr.Grumpy pants who was not thrilled about the ten days of soup reeeeeeally liked this one. Heโs made me promise to make it again. Added some chopped kale to mine along with some red pepper slices. It was SO good. THANKS for this recipe. So simple quick and easy. It was PERFECT after a day of hiking. Looks like there wonโt be any left to go into the freezer. Oh well.โโ๏ธ
Loved the Thai Coconut Soup! Yummy! I added lemon grass and grated fresh ginger. Loved the creaminess of the coconut milk. I used half regular and half lite. Iโm not missing the chicken thatโs usually in this soup. This soup was so easy to prepare. Thank you Jen! Your recipes are wonderful!
My husband was home unexpectedly so joined my friend and I at our gals lunch. All three of us loved this soup, even my zucchini-hating husband. I used less coconut broth but maintained the same volume of the rest of the ingredients. The Massaman curry paste I used provided the perfect level of spicy heat for us. I served it with basil, coriander, roasted cashews and lime wedges. This recipe will be a new favourite in our home.
Favorite so far. Im excited to have leftovers of this. Any thing coconut and in.
When I first tried this today, I almost forgot the limes and I am so glad I didnโt forget because this soup is so good with a squeeze of lime! Super tasty!
Delicious and very filling!
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This blend was good to physically make because it gave me the insight how all these flavors come together. I have had broths like this but never knew the behind the scenes and it came out perfect with my own little spin.
Simple and Tasty! I left out the mushrooms, and used honey instead of maple syrup. Served it with rice to make it a bit more filling without the addition of some kind of protein. If I make this again, I might try it with chicken or tempeh.