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Thai Coconut Soup is an easy Asian-inspired soup recipe loaded with fresh vegetables in a rich, vegan coconut milk curry broth. It includes instructions for Instant Pot or stove.
If you love Asian comfort soup, try my easy pho recipe next!
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What is Thai coconut soup?
Thai Coconut Soup is a delicious Asian-inspired soup made with loads of simple vegetables in a curry-spiced coconut milk soup broth.
Coconut soup takes various forms. You may have come across the popular Tom Kha on Thai restaurant menus. My version doesn't use lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, yet it offers a rich Thai coconut taste ideal for those with a limited Asian pantry.
Even beginners will crush this restaurant-quality recipe right at home!
Ingredients you'll need
- Coconut oil - This is used for sauteing vegetables and creates a distinct coconut flavor. You're welcome to use your preferred oil.
- Aromatics - These include green onions, carrots, celery, ginger, and garlic.
- Curry paste - Use green, red, or yellow curry paste for this recipe. They're in your grocery store's international section or local Asian market.
- Vegetable broth - Or bone broth, if preferred.
- Canned coconut milk - Available at most grocery stores in the international section.
- Fresh or frozen vegetables - Use any combination. I used the aromatics mentioned above, along with mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and cabbage, for this soup.
- Garnish ingredients - Cilantro, Thai basil, and lime are classic Thai soup toppings. I recommend all three, if available.
How to make Thai coconut soup
Saute onion, carrot, celery, ginger, and garlic in coconut oil over medium-high heat until tender and fragrant. Add Thai curry paste and continue sauteing for a few minutes until fragrant.
Add vegetable broth, coconut milk, and remaining vegetables to the pot.
Increase heat to bring everything to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer until vegetables have softened to your liking, stirring as needed.
Serve warm. Garnish with green onion tops, cilantro or Thai basil, and fresh lime.
How does coconut soup get its flavor?
Fresh aromatics, consisting of onions, carrots, garlic, and ginger, will get the flavor fest started. The Thai influence shines through by simmering everything with curry paste and coconut milk. Cilantro or Thai basil and a squeeze of lime add an authentic touch and elevate the regional flavors.
Recipe tips
- Thai coconut soup is packed with vegetables! Chop veggies ahead to make the cooking process smoother.
- When using frozen vegetables, add them during the last 5 to 10 minutes of simmering to avoid overcooking.
- You can boost the spice level by adding more curry paste at any stage of cooking the soup.
- Taste the soup before serving and enhance the flavor by adding salt and lime.
- Don't skip the toppings! Fresh herbs like cilantro or Thai basil bring brightness and depth to the flavor, while a squeeze of fresh lime adds the essential citrus note that ties all the Thai flavors together.
Recipe variations
- Feel free to swap out the vegetables in this soup—there are countless options, and you can't go wrong.
- Give this soup a thicker, creamy texture by replacing 1 ½ cups of vegetable broth with a 15-ounce can of coconut cream. You can add the cream without replacing the broth for more volume.
- Boost the protein in this soup by adding cooked shredded chicken, diced tofu, or raw shrimp during the last 5 or 10 minutes of the simmering phase.
- Serve Thai curry soup by serving it over cooked rice noodles or brown rice your noodle lovers.
Storage and reheat
Cool completely and refrigerate for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave using medium heat, stirring as needed
Can I freeze this soup?
Yes! Cool the soup thoroughly. Transfer to freezer-safe containers or zip-top freezer storage bags. Store coconut soup can for up to 3 months in the freezer or longer if vacuum sealed.
More Asian dinner recipes
📖 Recipe
Thai Coconut Soup Recipe
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Video
Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil, or preferred oil
- 2 Green Onions, sliced (white and green part separated)
- 2 large Carrots, diced
- 2 ribs Celery, diced
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger, finely grated
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons Green Curry Paste, or red or yellow
- 2 cups Vegetable Broth, or more as needed
- 1 (13.5-ounce can) Coconut Milk, or more as needed
- 2 cups Mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups Broccoli, chopped
- 2 cups Cauliflower, chopped
- 1 cup Green Beans, chopped
- 2 cups Cabbage, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
Garnish options
- Cilantro or Thai Basil and Fresh Lime
Instructions
- In a 4-quart soup pot, heat COCONUT OIL on medium-high.
- Sauté GREEN ONIONS, CARROTS, and CELERY until tender.
- Add GARLIC and GINGER, and sauté for a few minutes.
- Stir in CURRY PASTE to coat the vegetables and sauté for a few minutes.
- Add COCONUT MILK, VEGETABLE BROTH, MUSHROOMS, BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER, GREEN BEANS, CABBAGE, and SALT. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Simmer for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked to your desired tenderness.
- Serve warm, garnished with GREEN ONION tops. Add CILANTRO, THAI BASIL, and LIME for next level flavor!
- To store, cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days or up to 90 days in the freezer (or longer if vacuum sealed).
Recipe Notes
Use the "Sauté" setting to heat the coconut oil and sauté the green onions, carrots, celery, ginger, and garlic until tender. Add the curry paste and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, broth, and remaining vegetables. Pressure cook on high for 0 minutes, followed by a 15-minute natural pressure release (NPR). Release any remaining steam, open the lid, and add salt to taste. Continue with item 8 in the instructions above.
Equipment
- 4-quart soup pot or 6-quart pressure cooker
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Elsie says
I should have read the recipe more closely before I started. It contains about 11 cups of vegetables and only 3½ cups of liquid. I added 2 more cups of vegetable broth but didn't have any more coconut milk so it ended up with very little coconut flavor. It was more like plain vegetable soup until I added more curry.
Traci says
I know it can seem like there’s not enough liquid at first, but trust the process 😉 Once the vegetables cook down, they shrink and release their own water, which evens everything out. That’s why I keep the broth amount lower—it keeps the flavor rich. Adding extra broth can dilute the coconut flavor, which is why the recipe suggests adding more coconut milk if needed. Hope that helps! Thanks!
P says
Seemed like it either needed more liquid or this is more like a stew. Maybe need to double vegi broth and coconut milk? Loved the taste though!
Traci says
I’m so glad you loved the taste! This soup is packed with veggies on purpose, but it's not intended to be a stew. Feel free to add more broth and coconut milk to your liking. Thanks and enjoy!
Alisha Laro says
It says to pressure cook on high for 0 minutes, is that correct?
Can I use the slow cooker setting?
Traci says
That’s right—pressure cook for 0 minutes. The pot will come to pressure, then it will immediately begin the natural release process.
I have not experimented with the slow cooker setting, but you're welcome to! Let us know how it goes. Thanks and enjoy! xoxo
Doc Caty says
I just made this soup... it is sitting on my stove waiting for the rest of my family to get home... I am planning to serve it with Buchujeon (Korean Garlic chive pancakes) I'm hoping it will work as we love to dip crackers or bread into our soup!!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I feel that poaching salmon in the soup could be possible with all of the flavors and veggies?
Traci says
Hiya! The poaching idea sounds fab and would definitely work. Love the pancake dipping idea too. Let me know what you end up doing with it. Thanks so much and enjoy! xoxo
Rosalee Adams says
Amazing!!!! I am wondering if I can use TJ Thai Yellow Curry Sauce instead of the Green Curry Paste?
I am unable to handle red or green curry.
I hope it works because this is a recipe I am dying to try!!
Traci says
Yes! You can use any curry paste for this recipe! Let me know if you have any more questions and enjoy!! xoxo
Theresa Stefanko says
OH my gosh! Unbelievably amazing! I had red curry, broccoli, snow peas and sweet red and orange peppers. I also sautéed firm tofu into carrots and celery. OOOOOOHHHH so good!
Traci says
Yayyy! Day made for both of us! This truly is a favorite soup for me. I make it often! Thank you for bringing my recipe into your kitchen and for taking the time to leave feedback. Enjoy!
JS says
Excellent! I made the instant pot version and added sliced tofu sheets from Trader Joe's at the end. Served over jasmine rice and topped with green onion, cilantro, and sriracha. Delicious!
Traci says
Aweasome!! I'm glad you're loving this one! I appreciate this feedback and thanks for bringing my recipe into your kitchen. Enjoy!
KB says
Followed the instant pot directions and the coconut milk seemed to have curdled.
Traci says
Hiya, yes, coconut milk can separate during the pressure cooking process but I always find that stirring it makes it becomes smooth again. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!
Naia says
I kind of winged this recipe to my own specs, but it was amazing. I used a hefty amount of red curry to give it a kick, added some coconut cream to the milk to add some depth and texture, as well as shiitakes and oyster mushrooms. I replaced snap peas for the green beans, bok choy for cabbage. I put chicken broth in the soup instead of vegetable broth. With broccoli, carrots, and cilantro, it’s so flavorful and healthy. You can really play with this recipe which is what makes it fun.
Traci says
Yayy!!! I'm so glad you're loving it. Your customization sounds great! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this feedback - and for bringing my recipe into your kitchen. Enjoy!
Tara says
Absolutely delicious. I took it to a potluck today and everyone loved it and my husband can't stop talking about it. He usually isn't so excited about soup and he's already asked me to make it again tomorrow and regularly thereafter! Thank you for a fantastic recipe with the perfect amount of kick! I didn't have cabbage and hubby doesn't love green beans but I added everything else and cauliflower rice. Yum! Spinach would be awesome, too.
Traci says
Yayyy!! I'm so glad to hear this – it's always great when the other half gives thumbs up. Thank you for going with my recipe and for sharing it with so many! I'm honored and really appreciate this feedback. Enjoy!