Coconut Curry Soup – this easy recipe can be made with almost ANY vegetables you have on hand! Silky-smooth and full of flavor. Vegetarian and vegan!
Anything-You-Have Coconut Curry Soup
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This was so delicious! Thank you for the recipe!! I mostly followed it and added fun toppings and we all loved iT! Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow! Thanks again!!
Julia
Watch How To Make Our Coconut Curry Soup
This Coconut Curry Soup Is Wonderfully Mindless.
Well, well, well. Soak it all up, friends –> the glory that is this rainbow veg bowl of coconut curry soup which is turning my face into a permanent heart eyes emoji. 😍😍😍😍😍
Yesterday, when it was Sunday and I couldn’t think more than Weekend Thoughts, I drafted this post with this very non-descript name, thinking I would change it when I went to publish it because surely I’d get some more professional inspiration when the clock struck Monday morning.
But my professionally inspired brain is, how can I say this… taking a break? and I guess I’m actually officially going to call this the Anything-You-Have Coconut Curry Soup. 🙆 Are we all okay with that?
Here are my thoughts. You come home from work, you’ve had a long day, you’re Hungry with a capital H. You want to make one of the bajillion recipes from your Pinterest board, but you don’t have more than half of the ingredients for any of them. Driving to the grocery store is a distant dream at this point. I mean, really. AS IF.
Enter: the most beautiful vegetarian/vegan coconut curry soup bowl that really only requires two things from you at its most basic level: CURRY paste or powder of some sort, and COCONUT MILK.
It’s simple. It’s delicious. It’s all I want to eat for dinner right now.
How To Make This Recipe
1
Prep and Press Tofu.
Press your tofu to get all the water out. I love to use this tofu press (affiliate link), but you can also wrap it in a towel or paper towels, and stack something heavy on top.
2
Make the Soup Base.
Delicious aromatics (onion, garlic, ginger), curry paste (could be red or green paste), potatoes, and a good amount of creamy coconut milk. Blended until silky-smooth!
3
Chop Your Vegetables.
My favorites: cilantro, carrot noodles, and purple cabbage. Thinly sliced, please!
4
Fry Tofu and Finish.
Fry up your pressed tofu until browned and crispy, and top in in your bowl of soup with the other veggies. YUM.
Veggies In This Soup
There are vegetable in the soup base itself, as well as topped on the finished bowl. I like to use potatoes in the soup base to get it thick and creamy, but you could really simmer any vegetables in the base (sweet potatoes, eggplant, carrots, butternut squash) before blending to make this a nutritious powerhouse.
Then after the soup base is finished, you can think about your veggie toppings! Here are some ideas:
- Carrots
- Purple Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Asparagus
- Kale
- Bell Peppers
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Snap Peas
- Bean Sprouts
The options are limitless! I just love this recipe so much for that.
How To Press Tofu
Okay, we need to discuss the magic that is a tofu press.
Really, how I came to be a person who owns a tofu press is a bit of a long story.
But in general it goes like this: I like to cook and eat meatless recipes, and I like to buy random gadgets on Amazon. Therefore, TOFU PRESS. (affiliate link) The end.
While you make the soup, the handy little press will squeeze out all the water from the tofu all on its own – and there is no need for you to mess around with a whole entire roll of paper towels or get tofu water all over the place. EASY.
Getting all that water out helps reduce the tofu-mush-factor. Then, when you cook it, it will get golden brown and crispy on the outside and you’ll love it.
If you don’t have a tofu press (and don’t want to get one) you can always press your tofu by wrapping it in a thick layer of paper towel and setting something heavy on top – like a heavy pot, or a stack of books.
Questions and Variations On This Soup Recipe
Could I use chicken in this recipe?
Yes, chicken would work! I’d probably shred some cooked chicken (maybe from a rotisserie chicken for ease?) and add that in after you’ve blended the soup base.
Are there other vegetarian proteins that could work?
I could see chickpeas being great here (similar to this curry recipe!).
Can I use green or yellow curry paste?
Yep! It’s anything you have – red, green, or yellow curry paste all work great in this soup.
Any way to jazz this up even more?
Fresh herbs (cilantro, green onion, basil), a drizzle of fish sauce and/or sesame oil, a few squeezes of sriracha or chili crisp, or a little pour of soy sauce.
Could I add rice or noodles to this?
OMG YES! I love that idea. Adding rice noodles sounds fantastic, or a scoop of hot steamy rice underneath it all too.
Anything-You-Have Coconut Curry Soup
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 8 servings (about 1 cup soup + lots of tofu and toppings per serving) 1x
Description
Coconut Curry Soup – this easy recipe can be made with almost ANY vegetables you have on hand! Silky-smooth and full of flavor. Vegetarian and vegan!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 knob of ginger, peeled and grated
- 1–2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1–2 tablespoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 12 baby yukon potatoes
- 2 14–ounce cans coconut milk
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 24 ounces extra-firm tofu
- anything you have for fresh veggie toppings! see notes
Instructions
- PREP: Start smushing the tofu in that nifty TOFU PRESS. It’s amazing. (Or rig up some kind of system to press the water out of the tofu while you prepare the soup.)
- SIMMER SOUP: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and stir fry for a few minutes until fragrant. Don’t let the garlic burn or brown. Add the curry paste, turmeric, salt, and sugar. Stir fry for another few minutes. Add the potatoes, coconut milk, and broth. Simmer until the potatoes are soft.
- BLEND SOUP: Allow to cool slightly (I can never wait very long…) then transfer to a blender and puree until smooth and silky. The soup should be rich and thick so that it coats the back of a spoon. Add in more water or broth (I think I ended up adding about 2-3 cups) to thin out the soup as needed.
- FRY TOFU: Remove the tofu from the press and cut into small pieces. In the same pot, heat a little more oil and add the tofu, stir frying until light golden brown. Pour in a small amount of the pureed soup – it will sizzle and pop, and it will also give the tofu the most wonderful color and caramelized exterior. Remove from heat with the tofu is deep golden brown and crispy.
- TOP AND SERVE: Top each serving of soup with fresh veggie toppings and crispy caramelized tofu and enjoy your luscious salad-meets-soup combo.
Notes
Toppings: green onions, cilantro, basil, red or green cabbage, asparagus, baby kale, carrots, zucchini shreds, bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, snap peas, bean sprouts… ANYTHING YOU HAVE.
(There is a short list of things that don’t sound like they would be awesome in this recipe, like tomatoes… and… I can’t think of any more, so that might be all. Use your best curry judgement.)
Regular or light coconut milk will work! Nutrition info is for light coconut milk. But regular is so, so good.
In place of potatoes, you could also use sweet potatoes, carrots, or eggplant.
I’ve also done this with green curry paste and it’s still great.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Thai-Inspired
Keywords: coconut curry soup, curry soup, tofu soup
More Amazing Coconut Curry Recipes
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our easy weeknight dinners page. Check it out!
Filed Under: All Recipes Carrot Dairy-Free Dinner Fall Gluten-Free Main Dishes Quick and Easy Recipes Soups Tofu Vegan Vegetarian
September 14, 2015
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!
I had no idea that a TOFU PRESS even existed? I MEAN WHAT THE WHAT? The things you can get on Amazon BLOWS my mind!
Just like this curry. If I had a life motto it would be coconut curry ALL the things…especially when I can put ANYTHING I have in it. Yes. Please.
Pinned!
I KNOW these are mind blowing times. Amazon rules.
The pumpkin bites are wonderful!
Thank you Mary Beth!
I’m in meatless Monday, coconut curry H.E.A.V.E.N. Love how customizable and colorful it is…going to check what’s in my fridge right now!
Thanks Jennifer! Hope you find enough in there to make this happen 😀
I am LOVING the idea of making this dish with anything you have on hand. It sounds so warming, comforting, and filling. What a great idea Lindsay! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Emily! Appreciate that!
Yum! Pureeing veggies into soups is one of my favorite tricks to thicken it, add flavor, and just get in extra veggies. Tofu added to grocery list and Tofu Press ordered 😀
it’s the best! sneaky sneaky 🙂 Enjoy your tofu press!
This is perfect! I’m the only person in my family who doesn’t eat meat, so adding in the proteins and veggies when serving is genius! We added chickpeas, cauliflower and sweet potato rice, peas, and sauteed chicken.
Did you purée the chickpeas with everything else?
Love it! I can retire my stack of dictionaries enter: THE TOFU PRESS!! It’s Monday, I’m down for anything curry soup! Thanks sharing my friend! 🙂
Right? Hahaha – for me it’s usually my heaviest cookbooks. 🙂 Thanks Tonya!
Honestly my mouth is watering especially after seeing the last picture of this post. I think I will make it very soon, since I can’t wait any longer. I am married into a South Indian family and South Indians use coconut a lot. In fact, every other day we make something or the other using coconut. So fresh coconut is something that is readily available at home and hence I should be able to make it very easily, or so I am hoping. 🙂
Thanks Puja! hope you enjoy it! I envy your accessible fresh coconut!
Woah woah woaaaaahhhhhhh! I am DROOOLING over this recipe. I’ve always been a huge fan of (non-spicy) curry, but all the toppings are what really made me click on over from my Bloglovin’. There’s waaaaaayyy more than just a pinch of yum here 😉
haha, the title works for me! Because when it comes to curry (or soup, actually) it’s the best when you can play with the ingredients! This sounds so yummy!
I know, right? I almost hate writing recipes sometimes because I want people to just play a little bit. 🙂
This is my life! I am always hungry when I get home but never have everything I need for what I want to make. This sounds perfect and so yummy for fall!
Yay! It’s perfect for you then Madeline 🙂
Lindsay this looks beautiful and delicious! Love it!
This soup looks so incredible, Lindsay! I love all those colors!
Thanks Sam! Appreciate that!
love this!!! It reminds me (kind of) of khao soi which does the yellow curry thing with vegetable toppings.. But there are also rice noodles involved. Love all your thai inspired meal!! Yum!
Yum! Sounds so good! I actually made a version of this with noodles, but it was a little too thick for me with the noodles AND the potato pureed into the broth. But you know I love me some noodles 😀
Love, love, love! Now I have a fierce craving for tofu. Pinning!
Thank you Lauren! XO
Tofu press?! I might have to jump on that bandwagon because I hate wasting a million paper towels just to get crispy tofu.
Jump on! Tofu Press Bandwagon!
Umm after just going through 34 select-a-size paper towels on my last tofu recipe…the time has come to bite the bullet and buy a tofu press…thanks for the push 😉
Amd I happen to…surprise surprise…have everything I need to make this salad soup a reality in my own kitchen tonight…yay!! 😀
That’s so great! Hope you have fun with your tofu press and this recipe Brittany!
So, two question:
One: Can I use your curry paste recipe here and just omit the onions, garlic, and ginger?
Two: can you tell me what kind of peeler you are using on your carrots? I totally need a new one.
One: yes! That actually sounds just about perfect. I love you for that! Also just remembered I have some leftover curry paste in my freezer OMG what was I doing?! I could have made this way easier.
Two: It’s called a y-peeler! I love it for noodley carrot shreds. But my normal peeler is Cutco brand and it’s awesome.
That looks amazing! I wish I had a bowl of it right now!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Thanks Kari! 😀
This is one of the most beautiful vegetarian/vegan coconut curry soup bowls I’ve seen!
Though, I had no idea a tofu press even existed! I wish the same people would work on a taste-thru screen! 🙂
Me too Shashi! Maybe that can be Bjork’s next project. 🙂 haha
Hi Lindsay!
Random question, how do you add emojis to your blog posts?!
I use Safari, so I just go from the Edit menu -> Emojis and Special Characters and voila! 🙂 Click the ones you want.
What! Who knew?! So easy, thank you!
This looks amazing and it just so happens that I have coconut milk and a whole lot of “anything” in the fridge right now to make it!
yes! me too. always. hope you like it Whitney!
This soup sounds absolutely amazing. I would probably add in a little chicken to make it acceptable to my husband, and to up the protein a little. Definitely something I want to make. You’ll probably make a soup eater out of me with this recipe (I am normally not a big fan of soup). 🙂
I thought about adding chicken too, but strangely Bjork likes tofu!? Who knew! Hope you like it Susan!
I love that it’s “anything you have” because I have a bunch of stuff in my fridge that can go in this curry soup! yum!
Awesome, Ana! Enjoy!
This is gorgeous, Lindsey! I love how versatile it is. We’re getting some chilly weather up here in Calgary right now so this sounds just about perfect.
Hope you like it, Heather!
Those colors make me want to eat the soup right now. It looks fantastic and filling. I don’t have a tofu press, but when I need to press tofu I place it on a plate, place another plate on the tofu, and put some cans on top of the plate. Voila- pressed tofu at no extra charge.
I’ve done that with tofu too – works like a charm! 🙂
This looks delicious! I only have regular potatoes on hand – how many do you think that would be? Thanks!
We’d guess about 3-4 depending on the size of your potatoes.