This vegan red curry soup is cozy, healthy & perfectly spicy. Made with coconut milk, veggies and tasty Thai pastes, it’s the perfect meal for busy weeknights!
Sniffle. Another tissue. This sucks. My room is a fortress of crumpled white paper, stacked like pathetic little sandbags against the onslaught of my cold. My throat feels like sandpaper, my nose is blocked tighter than a castle gate in wartime. I sit there, staring at the ceiling, thinking, is this how it ends?
Knock knock. The door creaks open. It’s Mom. 'Take this,' she says, like a wizard presenting a potion. A steaming bowl lands in my hands. Her red curry soup.
I take one sip. Delicious, as always. Coconut milk, tomato and red chili lurking underneath. Another sip. My nose twitches. That’s the stuff. Spicy. Exactly what I need.
I gulp down a mouthful and then it happens. The red chili hits my sinuses like Grond, the great battering ram of Mordor, smashing through the gates of Minas Tirith. My nostrils burst open, my head clears in an instant. I cough and laugh as my eyes begin to water.
Another swallow. Ginger slides down my throat, smooth and fiery, a perfect antidote to scratchiness. For the first time in days, I feel alive.
I call out hoarsely, 'Mom! I need more!'
She appears again, no questions asked, with a refill. I gulp it down, eyes watering, sweat beading on my forehead, and yet I’ve never been happier. This isn’t just soup. It is a siege weapon. This is healing magic. This is everything. Mom’s the best.
The Story Behind This Thai-inspired Soup
Sometimes you have to step outside your own kitchen to find new inspiration. For me, that inspiration often shows up in unexpected places, whether I open the fridge, wander through a farmers market, stroll the grocery aisles or even eat out. For example, on a recent family visit, I was served the most delicious Thai-inspired soup with roasted mushrooms, red curry paste and vegan chicken. That memorable bowl stuck with me and as a result, it sparked the idea for this recipe. From there, I went on to create my own version of a vegan red curry soup that’s comforting, healthy and easy to make at home.
Main ingredients for this Vegan Red Curry Soup:
- Red Curry Paste
- Ginger
- Coconut Milk
- Tomato Sauce
- Tom Kha Paste
- Onion
- Garlic
- Tofu
- Mushrooms
Countless Customisation Options
One of my favourite things about soups is how flexible they are. Unlike many other dishes, the cooking process doesn’t need as much attention and that makes them both easy and personal. In addition, you can play around with flavours like a master chef and experiment without much risk. For instance, if you add a little too much ginger or not quite enough water, it’s easy to adapt and adjust as you go. The same applies to the vegetables: simply use what’s in your fridge or swap things out depending on the season. Ultimately, that’s the beauty of this vegan red curry soup, it’s something you can customise to your liking.
How to Prepare the Tofu for Vegan Red Curry Soup
Tofu is my favourite plant-based protein for this and there are plenty of ways to prepare it depending on the texture you like. For a quick option, you can simply cube the tofu and let it simmer right in the broth, so it stays soft and soaks up all the curry flavours. If you prefer it crispy, toss the cubes with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and a touch of syrup or sugar. From there, you can either bake them on a lined sheet at 200°C / 400°F fan until golden, air-fry them for an even crispier finish or pan-fry them over high heat until nicely browned.
Other Plant-Based Protein Options
Of course, tofu isn’t the only way to add protein to this vegan red curry soup. Chickpeas are a simple choice and bring a subtle nutty flavour. Red lentils can be simmered directly into the broth, making the soup thicker and more filling. Tempeh is another great option if you want something with a chewier bite. For days when you’re craving that “meaty” feel, vegan chicken alternatives work as well. There’s something for everyone!
Health Benefits of Vegan Red Curry Soup
This vegan red curry soup is more than comfort food, it’s loaded with nourishing ingredients. Ginger and garlic support immunity and digestion, while onions and mushrooms provide antioxidants and fibre. Tofu adds plant-based protein plus minerals like calcium and iron. Even the coconut milk has healthy fats that help your body absorb vitamins. With curry paste and Tom Kha–style spices like lemongrass and galangal, every bowl is both cozy and good for you.
Meal Prepping Vegan Red Curry Soup
This soup is perfect for meal prep. Like many soups and stews, the flavour only gets better after sitting for a day as the spices have more time to blend together. Cook a big batch, portion it out and you’ll have a quick, nourishing meal ready whenever you need it. For an easy upgrade, cook some udon or rice noodles separately. They take just a few minutes and you can top your bowl with fresh green onions right before serving.
Troubleshooting & Tips
What if my soup is too spicy?
Stir in a little extra coconut milk or water or add a splash of lime juice to balance the heat. Serving the soup with noodles usually also helps to mellow things out.
What if it’s too salty?
Simply add more water to dilute the saltiness. A squeeze of lime juice or a pinch of sugar can also help balance the flavors.
What if the veggies turned out too soft?
Think of it as part of the learning process. Next time, check them more often and add delicate veggies like zucchini, spinach, or green beans at the very end so they keep their bite. It’s easy to add ingredients too early and then cook them for too long while waiting on everything else, so just adjust for the next round.
Pantry-Friendly Vegan Red Curry Soup
What I love about this vegan red curry soup is that it makes the perfect pantry staple. Most of the core ingredients like coconut milk, tofu, curry paste, bouillon cubes and even noodles are easy to keep on hand. From there, you can add whatever vegetables you’ve got lying around, whether it’s garden-fresh produce, something that needs to be used up in the fridge or even a bag of frozen veggies like green beans.
Easy Vegan Thai Red Curry Soup (Healthy & So Good)
Ingredients
Red Curry Soup Ingredients
- 1 medium Onion
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 2 ½ cm/ 1 inch Ginger
- Mushrooms of your choice
- 1 ½ tbsp Red Curry Paste
- 400 ml/ 1 can Coconut Milk
- 400 ml/ 1 can Tomato Sauce
- 2 ½/ 10 ½ cups Litre Water
- Salt to your liking (roughly 2 tsp)
- 1 tsp Syrup or Sugar optional
- 1 tbsp Lemon optional
- 1 Bouillon Cube
Oven-baked Tofu Ingredients
- 300 grams/ 14 oz Tofu
- 1 tbsp Corn Starch
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Oil (Sesame Oil or Neutral Oil)
- 1 tsp Syrup optional
Optional
- 1 tbsp Tom Kha Paste
- Udon or Rice Noodles
- Fresh Herbs (Cilantro)
Instructions
- Start by preparing your ingredients. Chop the onion, slice your mushrooms (or any vegetables you’re using), cube the tofu and finely chop the ginger and garlic.
- Next, marinate the tofu cubes with a tablespoon of soy sauce, a tablespoon of corn starch and a tablespoon of oil (I love sesame oil for this). I sometimes also add a teaspoon of (agave) syrup, which adds a lovely caramelised flavour! To crisp up the tofu, you have a few options: Either fry it in a pan, cook it in an air fryer or bake it in an oven-safe dish at 200°/400°F for about 20 minutes as I did.
- While the tofu bakes in the oven, heat some oil in a large pot. Add the onion and mushrooms and roast them for about 5 minutes, until they start to brown slightly. Then stir in the Curry Paste, Tom Kha paste (in case you use one), garlic and ginger and roast everything for another 5–10 minutes. The longer you roast before adding water, the better the flavour will be.
- Deglaze with 2.5 liters of water. Season with two teaspoons of salt and a Bouillon Cube. Taste as you go and adjust a little more water or salt if needed once your soup has been cooking for a while. Stir in the tomato sauce and coconut milk, then let the soup simmer gently for 10–15 minutes on medium heat.
- Just before serving, finish with a splash of syrup or a pinch of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve hot with your favourite noodles and top with the crispy tofu cubes and optionally fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
How to Store and Freeze Vegan Red Curry Soup
Storing this vegan red curry soup couldn’t be easier. To begin with, keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy them within 2–3 days. If you’d like to save some for later, the soup also freezes well. Simply let it cool completely before freezing, then thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove over low to medium heat until hot. Thanks to the creamy coconut base, it holds up beautifully and the flavours even become richer after reheating. For the best results, just add fresh toppings and any crispy proteins right before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you, I’m super curious! You can leave a comment below and tag @lordsoftheplants on Instagram and hashtag it #lordsoftheplants for me to see! I absolutely love seeing your creations and interpretations of my recipes! I can also recommend that you try this healthy Korean soup base next, if you enjoy comforting and flexible soup recipes that don’t use coconut milk!
