As fall approaches and the weather starts to shift, why don’t you try this tasty Vegan Thai Noodle Soup!? This spicy Thai soup features tofu and eggplant, and the star of the show is a spicy and sour broth with a touch of creaminess from the coconut milk. It’s made with gluten-free rice noodles, so it’s light, allergy-friendly, and perfect for cooler evenings. Warm your bellies with this cozy plant-based meal — I promise you (and your warm belly) won’t regret it.
It's a cozy Thai Soup kind of day.
The rain has been falling on and off for a week and I'm inside my house trying to feel warm and cozy as the winter months approach. How do I do that? Well, I either start baking all the vegan cookies (not a bad idea...but will save for another day) or fill my house with the delicious smells of warm vegan soup.
Yes, today, I'm going with the delicious smells of vegan soup - Thai Noodle Soup, to be exact. And I think you're going to love it. This Thai Curry soup is filled with sweet and creamy flavors, tons of vegetables, and hearty proteins for the perfect meal that will get you feeling warm and cozy.
Let's take a closer look...
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
This Coconut Curry Soup is super easy to make. Most Thai soups can be made in about 30 minutes with just a handful of ingredients. Better yet, this recipe is wildly versatile. Vegetables, spices, and proteins can be swapped out to make a different meal every time.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Oil - I recommend coconut oil but you could also use peanut or sesame oil.
- Extra-Firm Tofu - Look for extra-firm tofu that is not water-packed, such as Trader Joe’s High-Protein Tofu or Super Firm or Sprouted Tofu. These types of tofu do not have excess water and do not need to be pressed. If you have to use water-packed tofu make sure to press as much water as you can out of it first.
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Yellow Onion
- Red Bell Pepper
- Eggplant - If you don't like eggplant, you can substitute it with button mushrooms or omit it altogether.
- Red Curry Paste
- Vegetable Broth
- Coconut Milk - This recipe calls for full-fat canned coconut milk. For a lighter option, use light coconut milk.
- Rice Noodles - You can either use brown or white noodles. For a grain free option, try zucchini noodles.
- Salt
- Lime
- Herbs - You will need fresh cilantro and basil.
Recommended Equipment
Most importantly, you will need a good soup pot. I love my Dutch Oven from Le Creuset for soups. Made from cast iron, they are perfect for slow cooking and simmering soups and stews. Although it’s a bit pricey, you will use it over and over again (for soups, stews, sides, bread, and even desserts!) and it will last you a lifetime.
In addition, you will need a good chef’s knife, cutting board, and basic kitchen utensils. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to Make Thai Noodle Soup
Step One – Pan-Fry to the Tofu
Heat two tablespoons of coconut oil over high heat. Once the oil is super hot, add the tofu – it should sizzle when it hits the pan – and pan-fry the tofu for 3-5 minutes until it is evenly browned on all sides.
For more details, read How to Make Perfectly Crispy Tofu.
Step Two – Make the Soup
Add the remaining coconut oil to your soup pot and return to medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, sauté the onions and garlic until they are translucent and fragrant. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Once they have filled your house with the sweet aroma of onions, add the ginger, red bell pepper, and eggplant. Sauté for an additional 3-5 minutes until the eggplant is browned on all sides (see pictures below).
Stir in the curry paste, tofu, vegetable broth, and coconut milk and bring the soup to a simmer. Once the soup is simmering, add your rice noodles and cook until the rice noodles are tender. This should just take 4-5 minutes.
Serving and Storing
Serve the soup hot with fresh cilantro and basil.
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To eat leftovers, gently reheat the stir fry over the stove or in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is an array of vegan soup noodles out there to choose from. For this recipe we love to use most Asian style rice noodles. Think pad Thai or vermicelli as the top picks. They have great structure and hold the soup flavors very well. Plus most rice noodles are gluten-free, just be sure to check the packaging for any wheat or AP flour.
Glass noodles are a great option too if you like a lighter, more slippery noodle texture. They are fun in Thai soup and hold up very well. Again, check the ingredients for any gluten if that’s your thing.
To be perfectly honest, I make Thai soup all the time. Especially when someone is sick around here. I’ll make-ahead and store it in the fridge for easy reheating. As a matter of fact, the flavors like to meld together while storing. The only concern is the noodles. They will get mushy and disintegrate into the soup making the taste a little less exciting. We just rehydrate plenty of dry noodles when heating up the broth. Making this the perfect meal prep vegan soup for fall and winter weeknights.
Vegan Thai soup is a blank canvas ready for any and all add-ins you could imagine. From baby bok choy to bell peppers and spinach, we love the versatility here. Even canned and frozen could be some of the best veggies for Thai curry soup. Think baby corn or even a frozen bag of peas and carrots. The possibilities are endless my fellow vegans. Leave a comment if you try something that just works out perfectly.
More Vegan Curry Recipes
- Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry
- Eggplant and Chickpea Curry
- Thai Sweet Potato Curry
- Thai Green Curry
- Pumpkin Peanut Curry with Tofu
More Vegan Soup Recipes
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- French Lentil Soup
- Cream of Cauliflower Soup
- Chickpea Noodle Soup
- Miso Noodle Soup
Spicy Thai Noodle Soup with Tofu and Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. coconut oil, divided
- 8 oz extra-firm tofu, cut into 1" cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- ½ medium eggplant, cut into 1" cubes
- 2-3 tbsp. red curry paste
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15 oz )can full-fat coconut milk
- 8 oz brown rice noodles
- ½ teaspoon salt
- juice of 2 lime
- ¼ cup cilantro, minced
- ¼ cup fresh basil, minced
Instructions
- Start by preparing the vegetables
- Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the tofu in the hot oil and pan-fry for 3-5 minutes, until tofu is brown on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and fragrant. Stir in the ginger and sauté for an additional minute. Add the bell pepper and eggplant and continue to sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes until eggplant begins to brown.
- Stir in the red curry paste until the vegetables are fully coated. Add the tofu, vegetable broth, and coconut milk to the soup pot. Bring soup to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
- Add brown rice noodles and continue to cook the soup until the noodles are tender, about an additional 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add lime juice, salt, cilantro, and basil.
- Serve immediately with extra lime wedges.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
C says
2nd time to follow this recipe - with a couple of necessary non-vegan substitutions - including chicken broth. Had purchased red curry paste for this time - gave it a definite additional layer of flavor.
No rice noodles or tofu on hand - and do hope to buy for next time. Was feeding a rainy Sunday afternoon craving - so used ramen noodles (yes) and canned (yes) white chicken breast meat. Delicious again. May have added an extra clove of garlic and a little more ginger - and a few drops of honey to the pot (perfect) before serving- but no other substitutions.. Will make again with no subs next time!
Jessie A Georges says
Delicious and healthy!
Kimberly says
I must say this recipe was so delicious. The prep time was longer than I preferred, but It was so worth it. All of the flavors exploded in my mouth. This definitely will be made again!
Moxy says
Shut. The. Front. Door!
This soup was absolutely amazing! Made it for dinner tonight. Super yummy! Both my mom and my husband (who are non-vegetarians) liked it very much, too.
I was able to follow most of the recipe except for the eggplants and brown rice noodles, which i don't have on hand right now. I used the regular white rice noodles.
I'm already planning to add some bean sprouts and bok choy in my soup bowl next time (and believe you me, 'next time' will be very soon!).
Thank you so much for this recipe! Cheers from the Philippines! 🙂
DIANNE THOMPSON says
Thanks for this delicious soup recipe! It was the first big snow of the winter here and a hearty soup was just what we needed! Well, I needed an eggplant to make it exactly the same, but several large crimini mushrooms, each cut into eight wedges, was a great substitute.
I fried half the pressed tofu and kept the other 'fresh' to test our preference: hubby didn't mention any difference and I thought both were fine, the fried just had more chew to it. So, if avoiding oil or wanting to save time, as long as the tofu has been pressed well to remove excess water, I think it holds up fine and gives a very fresh taste.
We usually use green Thai curry paste, but used the lesser amount of red per your recipe and it was wonderful. My husband's words were, "This is seasoned perfectly!" This is now saved to my Pinterest 'Soups and Stews' board - I'll be making it often!
Sarah says
I'm so glad you liked it. Thanks for your review.
nascar4433 says
Thank you for mentioning you tried the tofu 2 ways. I'm inexperienced in tofu, but wanted to add it to my Thai Chicken Soup for extra protein, as I can't swallow chicken, etc. due to an esophageal swallowing issue. I'm thankful for your suggestion that frying the tofu is a step I can avoid. I'm looking forward to making this over the weekend. Thanks!
Louise says
My grandson would love this soup. What would you suggest to replace the eggplant, he’s not a fan
Sarah says
You can just omit the eggplant or add something like zucchini.