Vegan Tom Kha Soup Recipe (Thai Coconut Soup) + Video

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Make Tom Kha Soup (Thai Coconut Soup) using my easy recipe. This flavorful soup is made using fragrant herbs, spices, and coconut milk and comes together in no time. You can make it with veggies, chicken, or shrimp too (vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo)

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About Tom Kha Soup
Ingredients
How To Make Tom Kha Soup
Frequently Asked Questions
Pro Tips By Neha
Variations
Storage Suggestions
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Recipe Card

About Tom Kha Soup

Tom means soup and Kha means “galangal” in Thai. So literally, Tom Kha means soup with galangal.

It is a traditional Thai soup that typically features coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves. This one-pot soup can also include chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, and other vegetables.

Tom Kha is often considered to be a healthier alternative to other Thai soups like tom yum due to its lower fat content. This soup is also relatively easy to make at home, making it a popular choice for home cooks.

Thai coconut soup has a complex and layered flavor that is both savory and sweet. The coconut milk lends the soup richness and creaminess, while the galangal and lemongrass add depth of flavor. The kaffir lime leaves give it a subtle citrusy taste.

Rich and creamy, yet tangy and salty, this soup recipe is light on the stomach but still fills you up for a longer time. The best part, it has so many flavors dancing in your mouth, and the heavenly aroma can make you hungry instantly.

One serving of this soup has approximately 315 Kcals. Tom Kha soup is rich in minerals and vitamins too. If you add noodles, the calories will increase per serving but it will be quite filling.

This soup is naturally vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo, and the recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.

Try my restaurant-quality Tom Kha recipe at home!

Here are some more Thai recipes that you may like

Ingredients

This creamy soup requires ingredients that are easily available in the Asian section of any grocery store (Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, etc), Asian market, or local Asian grocery store.

Coconut Milk – The base of the soup is made with coconut milk, which makes it different from other soups. It makes the soup rich and creamy and gives it a distinct flavor.

I have used canned coconut milk but you can definitely use fresh homemade coconut milk for a more authentic flavor.

If you can get your hands on coconut cream, it will make the soup creamier.

Vegetables – I have used only onions and button mushrooms. You can also use oyster mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms. For a more intense flavor, use rehydrated dried mushrooms.

You can make this soup more nutritious by adding your favorite vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, green beans, baby corn, bok choy, etc. Other veggies like green onions, red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, etc can also be added.

You can also add tofu to this coconut milk soup.

Galangal – This is another important ingredient in this recipe, which adds a significant taste.

Galangal root is a rhizome from the ginger family and has a more peppery and pungent taste. If you can’t find fresh galangal, you can use ginger instead.

Lemongrass and Kaffir Lime Leaves (Makrut Lime Leaves) – These two are my favorite ingredients! The taste that these two add to the soup is out of this world. So make sure you don’t miss them, especially lemon grass.

You will find it in the produce section or frozen in a tube in the freezer section. Use lime zest instead of kaffir lime leaves if you are not able to find them.

Thai Bird’s Eye Chilli – Adds spiciness to this soup. You can adjust the amount of these Thai chilies according to your taste.

If you cannot find them, you can use any spicy red chilies.

Vegetable Broth – As coconut milk is a little thick and creamy, to get the soup into a soupy consistency, we will add vegetable broth, which has a flavor of its own and adds to the soup’s taste too. I use my Homemade Vegetable Broth to give this soup the best flavor.

Coconut Oil – Make it in coconut oil, as it brings out the flavor very well. But if it’s not available, you can use any cooking oil instead.

Other Ingredients – Apart from the above-mentioned ingredients, you will also need garlic, freshly squeezed lime juice, and brown sugar (or palm sugar).

You can garnish the soup with fresh cilantro, lime wedges, red chilies, chili oil, etc.

How To Make Tom Kha Soup

Make The Broth

Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large pan or a Dutch oven over medium heat.

Once the oil is hot, add ½ cup sliced onions and 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and saute for a minute.

Add

3 lemongrass stalks (lightly crushed)
2-3 inch piece of galangal (sliced), or ginger
6-8 whole Thai red chilis
2-3 kaffir lime leaves (roughly torn)
4 cups of vegetable stock

and bring the soup to a boil.

Lemongrass, red chilies, kaffir lime and galangal to the pan.

Reduce the heat to low.

Cover the pan with a lid and let the soup simmer for 25-30 minutes.

Using a strainer or a slotted spoon, remove the onions, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir leaves, and chilies.

Remove onions, red chilies, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime.

Make The Soup

Bring back the heat to medium.

Add 7 oz (200 g) of sliced button mushrooms to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add

1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 cups of coconut milk

and bring the soup to a simmer, stirring frequently.

Garnish with cilantro, chopped red chilies, and lime wedges, and serve hot.

You can also drizzle some chili oil on top for a spicy kick.

Remaining ingredients added to the ready tom kha soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between tom yum soup and tom kha soup?

Tom Kha and Tom Yum are both Thai soups that feature coconut milk and a variety of herbs and spices. However, tom yum soup is typically made with a clear broth, while tom kha has a creamy coconut milk-based broth. Tom yum soup is also usually spicier than tom kha.

Is tom kha soup healthy?

Yes, tom kha is considered to be a healthy soup option. The soup is lower in fat than other Thai soups like tom yum, and it is also packed with vitamins and minerals.

It is a good source of protein, fiber, and vitamin C. It also contains iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.

How to make it in an instant pot?

To make this soup in an Instant Pot, press the SAUTE button.

Add coconut oil to the Instant Pot. Add onions and garlic and fry for a minute. Now add all the ingredients to the instant pot except coconut milk, lime juice, and sugar. Close the lid and pressure cook on high for about 5 minutes. Once done, let the pressure release naturally.

Open the lid. Using a strainer, remove the onions, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir leaves, and chilies. Add in coconut milk, sugar, and lime juice, give it a mix, and serve hot.

How to make it whole 30?

To make this soup whole 30, use whole 30 vegetable broth and coconut aminos for coconut sugar.

Pro Tips By Neha

Thai bird’s eye chilies are very very hot. Don’t try to bite into them.

You can also use oyster mushrooms or for a more intense flavor, use rehydrated dried mushrooms

Smash the lemongrass stalk with the back of a knife and then add it to the soup so that it releases all its flavor. I also like to use lemongrass leaves wrapped in a bindle to flavor the soup instead of the stalk sometimes.

Variations

With Chicken – When this soup is made with chicken, it’s called Tom Kha Gai Soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup). Add boiled and shredded boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs to the basic vegetarian soup recipe to make this version. You can also replace the veg broth with chicken broth (chicken stock). You can also add prawns to this soup instead of chicken.

With Noodles – You can make it into a full meal by adding some cooked noodles to it. I like to add rice vermicelli noodles but you can go ahead and add whichever are easily available.

To give the soup a spicy kick, add some red curry paste or green curry paste to it.

If veganism is not your concern, then add a teaspoon of fish sauce and soy sauce for an umami flavor.

Traditionally, a little shrimp paste is also added to this Thai coconut soup recipe.