Veg Thai Tom Kha Soup Recipe | Vegan Tom Kha Recipe

Vegetarian Thai Tom Kha soup recipe, step by step.

Thai recipes are not supposed to be vegetarian. They like their seafood and their meat, and create magic with it.

Since some of us like to be vegetarian and eat Thai food, we need vegetarians versions of Thai recipes. Someone's got to do it!

While I may not be the first, this is an awesome vegetarian Tom Kha recipe. Tom Kha is my favourite Thai soup and I usually order the one with chicken and mushrooms. However, my homemade vegetarian version has tofu and no mushrooms (because I was serving this to someone who doesn't eat mushrooms either!).

Also check out vegetarian pad thai recipe.

In Singapore, we get something called a Tom Yam set on most supermarkets that has all the essential ingredients to make vegetarian Tom Kha soup, namely, galangal, lemongrass, thai chillies, kaffir lime leaves, lemon, and shallots.

Veg Thai Tom Kha Gai Soup Recipe | Vegan Tom Kha Recipe

Galangal is not optional and ginger is a very poor substitute. Galangal tastes nothing like ginger, although they look very similar.

Tom Kha soup is supposed to be watery, not thick, so water is a reasonably good base for the soup. However, if you have the patience to make your own vegetable stock or have access to good vegetarian stock cubes, please use that for added flavour.

For more Thai recipes, check out pad thai recipe, vegetarian green curry recipe and also how to make Thai green curry paste at home. Oh and by the way, if you haven't tasted a good Thai mango sticky rice dessert, you haven't lived. Just saying.

Vegetarian Thai Tom Kha Soup

Serves 2 generously

Ingredients:

1.5 cups thick coconut milk

1 cup water / vegetable stock

2 stalks of lemongrass

2-3 1" pieces of galangal

5-6 kaffir lime leaves

4 shallots

1 block of soft tofu cut into 1" cubes

12 button mushrooms, quartered (or any other variety you like)

4-5 Thai chilli padi / serrano chillies

1 teaspoon sugar

1 lime

Fresh coriander leaves / cilantro to garnish

Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Discard the bottom 2 inches of the lemongrass. Discard the top woody part and use the middle portion (about 8" of it) for the soup. Cut this part into small circles and set aside.

2. Roughly chop the galangal, chillies, and shallots. Tear the limes leaves into two.

3. Bring water or vegetable stock to a boil and lower fire to a simmer. Add the galangal, lemongrass, shallots, chillies, sugar, and lime leaves. Keep on simmer for 5-7 minutes.

4. Add the coconut milk and the tofu and mushrooms with some salt. Keep on simmer for another 7-10 minutes until the mushrooms are soft.

5. Remove from fire. Squeeze in fresh lime starting with half a lime and then increasing the quantity as you like. Garnish with roughly torn coriander leaves / cilantro. Serve hot.

The flavour of Tom Kha soup should be spicy, sour, and sweet from the coconut milk and added sugar. Adjust the ratios according to personal taste.

Comments

Namratha

April 20, 2011 at 3:46 pm

Looks very authentic Nags, and loveeee the bowl!

Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal

April 20, 2011 at 3:23 pm

Nags, that looks mouth watering. I would so love to have that soup 🙂

Sakshi

April 20, 2011 at 3:13 pm

🙂 🙂 🙂 all these smileys exclusively just for the soup bowl 🙂 🙂 🙂 It reminds me of the good times we had together.

Haa what to say about the soup? I think I will definitely sneak in a piece or two of both chicken and mushrooms. I love the way Thai soups are flavored and now you say its bcoz of that look alike of ginger??

Nitha

April 20, 2011 at 11:52 am

delicious soup ... love ur clicks too..

arundati

April 20, 2011 at 8:41 am

oh looks like such a delight! making this soon... managed to find galangal in hyd recently

Prathibha

April 20, 2011 at 8:19 am

I love this soup..its like a complete burst of flavors..:)

uma shankar

April 20, 2011 at 2:14 pm

Such a unique recipe you are too good

Tina

April 20, 2011 at 11:51 am

yummy yummy soup....

Sharmilee! :)

April 20, 2011 at 9:14 am

Yummy looking soup, beautiful pics

sowmya's creative saga

April 20, 2011 at 9:10 am

wow..looks creamy and yumm..am sure coconut milk does give a delicious flavour and taste to the soup..

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Vegetarian Thai Tom Kha Soup

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