This popular Thai coconut soup, also known as Tom Kha Gai is traditionally made with chicken, but here is a vegan recipe for a plant-based twist.
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About Tom Kha Gai
Tom Kha Gai is a delicious blend of creamy coconut milk and aromatic Thai herbs. It brings the flavour of Thailand to your table. Unlike bold Thai curry or other soups, Tom Kha’s flavour is subtle and it hits all the right spots.
Traditionally, this Thai soup is made with chicken (gai). I am sharing a plant-based, vegan version of Thai Coconut Soup without compromising the flavours.
With its creamy coconut base, aromatic herbs, and the perfect balance of flavours, this vegan coconut soup will surely become a favourite in your recipe collection.
Recipe Highlights
- vegan recipe
- one pot meal
- easy to cook
- mildly spicy
- requires 30 minutes
- gluten and nuts free
About Thai Ingredients & Substitutions
If you live in a place where Thai ingredients aren’t easily available, try these substitutes:
- Lemongrass – use dried lemongrass or lemon juice and zest
- Kafir Lime Leaves – regular lime leaves or lime zest/peel
- Galangal (Thai Ginger) – regular ginger
- Thai Basil Leaves – Italian Basil
- Brown Sugar – jaggery or white sugar
- Fish Sauce – light soy sauce/tamari or skip it
- Birds Eye Chilli – any other variety of spicy red chilli
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Coconut Milk should have a thick and creamy consistency. It should not be too thin or watery otherwise soup will not get the desired lusciousness. This coconut soup does not contain any thickening agent.
- Vegetables: I prefer adding mushrooms and carrots. Shitake or Oyster Mushrooms taste great in this soup recipe.
- Vegetable Stock instead of water gives the much-required depth of flavour to the soup. You can use stock cubes also.
- Tofu is the substitute for chicken/shrimp in this soup. You can serve the soup with crispy pan-fried tofu or add plain firm tofu while simmering the soup.
- Seasoning: Salt, Brown Sugar, Black Peppercorns, Thai Bird’s Eye Chilli, and Soy Sauce. Original Tom Kha Gai requires fish sauce for that umami touch. For a vegan coconut soup, tamari or a good quality light soy sauce is a good choice.
- Galangal (Thai Ginger) gives that subtle sharpness, warmth, and spiciness to the soup.
- Garlic: Add a tiny bit of minced garlic while sauteeing the vegetables.
- Herbs: Thai Basil, Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Coriander Leaves.
- For cooking use, sesame, groundnut, coconut oil or any neutral-tasting vegetable oil.
Variations and Additions:
- Vegetables: Feel free to add vegetables like baby corn, bell peppers, or zucchini to the soup for added texture and nutrition.
- Protein: In addition to tofu, you can add other plant-based proteins like tempeh or seitan.
- Noodles: For a heartier meal, add cooked rice noodles to the soup.
How To Make Vegan Tom Kha Gai
1. Prepare the aromatics:
- Begin by preparing the aromatics that will infuse your soup with its signature flavour.
- Take the lemongrass stalk and cut it into 2-inch pieces, then use the back of your knife or rolling pin to gently smash it. This will help release its oils and flavour.
- Tear the kaffir lime leaves into smaller pieces to release their essential oils as well. If you can’t find kaffir lime leaves, you can use the lime peel.
- Slice the galangal or ginger thinly to allow its flavour to permeate the soup.
- Tie all aromatics and black peppercorns in a clean, muslin cloth like a potli/pouch.
2. Building the Soup Base:
- In a large pot, heat oil. Add minced garlic and vegetables. Saute them for a minute.
- Add the vegetable stock, salt, sugar, soy sauce, and the muslin pouch of aromatics.
- Bring the soup to a gentle boil over medium heat. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. This will allow the flavours of the aromatics to meld into the soup base.
3. Adding Coconut Milk
- While the soup base is simmering, slowly add the coconut milk. Stir gently to combine. Let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Add the sliced Thai bird’s eye chillies. If you prefer a milder soup, you can remove the seeds from the chillies before adding them. Let the soup simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- Discard the aromatics pouch/potli before serving the soup.
5. Finishing Touches:
- Remove the pot from heat and stir in the lime juice, coriander leaves or basil.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, adding more soy sauce, sugar, or lime juice to achieve the perfect balance.
Serving Suggestion
Ladle the Thai coconut soup into bowls, making sure to include plenty of tofu and vegetables in each serving. At this stage, you can add boiled noodles in each bowl and serve piping out coconut soup over them.
Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and Thai basil. Serve the soup with lime wedges and chilli oil on the side, allowing each person to squeeze fresh lime juice or add chilli oil into their bowl according to their taste.
My Tried and True Tips
- Aromatics are key: The combination of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal or ginger is essential for creating the authentic flavour of Tom Kha Gai. Don’t skip these ingredients or use the suggested substitutes!
- Adjust the Heat: Thai bird’s eye chillies are quite spicy. Adjust the number of chillies according to your spice tolerance.
- Coconut Milk: Use full-fat, thick coconut milk for a richer and creamier soup. Light coconut milk can be used if you prefer a lighter version, but the soup will be less creamy.
- Balancing Flavours: Thai cuisine is all about balancing sweet, salty, sour, and spicy flavours. Taste the soup before serving and adjust the soy sauce, sugar, and lime juice to achieve the perfect balance.
- Store the leftovers in the refrigerator. After a day or two, this soup tastes even better and intense.
More Soup Recipes
- Minestrone Soup
- Creamy Corn Soup
- Broccoli Almond Soup
- Thai Green Curry Soup
- Vegetable Barley Soup
- Roasted Pumpkin Soup
- Tomato Couscous Soup
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Vegan Thai Coconut Soup Recipe
This popular Thai coconut soup, also known as Tom Kha Gai is traditionally made with chicken, but here is a vegan recipe for a plant-based twist.
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Servings: 2
Calories: 435kcal
- stockpot or saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 Cup button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium size carrot, thinly diced
- 200 gram fresh tofu, cut into cubes
- 2 Cup vegetable stock (get recipe)
- 1 Cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon ight soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 Thai red eye bird's chilli, sliced
Ingredients For Pouch:
- 1 inch galangal, sliced
- 2 stalks lemon grass, smashed and chopped
- 2 kaffir lime leaves or lime peel
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Ingredients For Serving:
- Handful of Thai Basil
- Handful of coriander leaves, chopped
- Lemon Wedges
- Chilli Oil (get recipe)
Instructions
- Take the lemongrass stalk and cut it into 2-inch pieces, then use the back of your knife or rolling pin to gently smash it. This will help release its oils and flavour.
- Tear the kaffir lime leaves into smaller pieces to release their essential oils as well. If you can’t find kaffir lime leaves, you can use the lime peel.
- Slice the galangal or ginger thinly to allow its flavour to permeate the soup.
- Tie all aromatics and black peppercorns in a clean, muslin cloth like a potli/pouch.
- In a large pot, heat oil. Add minced garlic and vegetables. Saute them for a minute.
- Add the vegetable stock, salt, sugar, soy sauce, and the muslin pouch of aromatics.
- Bring the soup to a gentle boil over medium heat. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. This will allow the flavours of the aromatics to meld into the soup base.
- While the soup base is simmering, slowly add the coconut milk and diced plain tofu. Stir gently to combine. Let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Add the sliced Thai bird’s eye chillies. If you prefer a milder soup, you can remove the seeds from the chillies before adding them. Let the soup simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat, discard the aromatics potli/pouch and stir in the lime juice, coriander leaves or basil.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, adding more soy sauce, sugar, or lime juice to achieve the perfect balance.
- Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and Thai basil.
- Serve the soup with lime wedges and chilli oil on the side.
Recipe Notes:
- This is a mildly spicy soup with a strong aroma and warmth. You can reduce the aromatics as per personal preference. But I highly recommend trying it with all the aromatics and herbs.
- I could not get Kaffir Lime leaves while shooting this recipe, hence used lime peel and zest.
- After adding coconut milk, do not cook the soup for too long. A gentle simmer of 5 minutes is fine.
- Many coconut soup recipes suggest adding aromatics directly without making a pouch. You can do so but while serving you have to remove each one of them especially giant pieces of galangal and lemon grass.
- If you are serving the soup with crispy fried tofu, add it towards the end.
Nutrition
Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 1733mg | Potassium: 663mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5644IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 7mg
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