This Northern-style vegan Thai coconut soup is a take on one of my favorite Thai soups: Khao Soi. This version is made vegan and gluten-free by using vegetable broth and replacing the traditional egg noodles with rice noodles.
And…I’m back with another Thai recipe!
Have you missed them?
It’s been a little while since I’ve made a Thai inspired recipe on the blog. In fact, the last one I shared was this vegan pad Thai from all the way back in November. Well, don’t fret my friends! Because Thai cuisine (my all time favourite) is back. And this time, with a take on one of my FAV SOUPS EVER!
As you can tell I’m getting pretty excited over here. Pretty much because I’ve been wanting to make my own take on a Khao Soi (northern Thai soup) for a while now.
I had my very first Khao Soi experience years ago on my first trip to Thailand. It was in the North in an area called Chiang Mai, which is a huge foodie area! Chiang Mai is the cultural hub of Thailand, and if you’re planning a trip there do not skip out on this area!
I’ve returned to Chiang Mai (and Thailand) 3 times now, (I know…I just love it there) and it keeps getting better and better. On my most recent trip there two years ago, the city was loaded with a ton more vegetarian and vegan restaurants. You can get anything from Pad thai, or stir-fried noodles, to soups, to curry bowls with tofu and brown rice.
Chiang Mai is also known for their coffee, so you can find a ton of great little cafes in the area. I can’t exactly remember the name of the one I went too, but I had the most incredible almond milk latte at one of the little cafes while I was there.
Make sure to also not miss out on brunch and shopping for ceramics at Cafe Woo. That is where I bought the soup spoon you can see in the images on this post!
Traditionally a Khao soi is made with egg noodles, both in the soup and fried ones on top, a chicken leg, and some Indian curry powder in addition to the Thai curry paste. You can also find some vegetarian/ vegan-friendly versions of this recipe in Thailand of course, especially up in Nothern Thailand where it’s like a vegan mecca!
My version of a Khao soi skips out on the chicken, (duh.) and uses rice noodles instead of egg noodles. But hey, if you like egg noodles in your soup I say GO FOR IT! If you opt to use egg noodles in this recipe and want to go super traditional, you can cook up half the egg noodles in boiling water, and then save a few to fry up quickly in some oil to top the soup with. That’s how I learned to make this soup in cooking class back in Thailand.
This soup is also a saviour if you feel any sort of sickness or cold coming on. It’s proven to beat any lingering winter cold you might have! (Okay, it’s only proven by me…but I swear it works.) I love to make a big batch of this soup when I have a cold to help clear it up. The combination of all the spices and ginger really works wonders!
This Northern-style vegan Thai coconut soup:
- Can be enjoyed as an appetizer or a main dish
- Loaded with bold and vibrant Thai flavour
- Is versatile and can use any types of noodles or veggies in it
Some more of my favourite Thai recipes on the blog:
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A Northern-style Thai soup made with curry, coconut, and loaded with noodles!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp avocado oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1-inch cube of ginger
- 1–2 tbsp of Thai red curry paste (*see note)
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 Litre low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup coconut milk (full-fat from a can)
- 2–3 tbsp soy sauce (*gf if needed)
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar (maple syrup or agave work too)
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 7oz rice noodles (about 1/2 a pack)
- cilantro to top
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large pot on medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Next, add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
- Add the Thai red curry paste, curry powder, turmeric powder, vegetable broth, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil stirring everything together, then lower the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Next add in the soy sauce, coconut sugar, and lime juice and stir together. Reduce heat to low and let the soup simmer for another 5 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, cook the rice noodles according to package directions.
- Add the rice noodles to the soup.
- Serve with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge.
Notes
Some brands of Thai curry paste are spicier than others. I’d recommend starting with 1 tbsp and then adding more as needed to your taste. Depending on how salty your vegetable broth is to start, you may need more or less soy sauce. Taste and adjust accordingly
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 268
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 2.5g
- Protein: 2.3g
Keywords: Thai soup, vegan Thai recipes, coconut soup recipe
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Sammy
July 21, 2019 at 10:40 pmI had a craving for Thai style coconut soup but I’m a wuss with spice and ordering takeout is difficult with dietary requirements so I made this last night and it was EXACTLY what I had been craving!
So delicious, creamy, warming, wonderful! I added broccoli, zucchini and red capsicum and softened these by adding some water to the pot and “steaming” them before adding coconut milk and broth etc.
Bf suggested this go on the meal rotation and I definitely agree 🙂
I topped mine with extra lime juice, fresh coriander and sesame seeds ( I add sesame seeds to everything… it’s a problem haha)
★★★★★
Jess
July 22, 2019 at 1:38 pmHi Sammy, thanks for the review! So glad you liked this recipe! It’s great to make at home so you can control how spicy it is 🙂
Linda Jameson
June 4, 2019 at 12:37 pmThis was the most delightful tasting thai soup ever. Everybody absolutely loves it.
I have made it many times, and we never get tired of the wonderful flavours.
★★★★★
Jess
June 7, 2019 at 7:26 pmThank you for the review Linda! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Jackie van der Meer-Cairncross
May 11, 2019 at 6:50 amI have made similar recipes before but the addition of the curry powder and turmeric made all the difference. I used Raman noodles as I had them anyway and added diced red and yellow peppers and courgette. It was super yummy. I will definitely be making this again and will experiment with the addition of different veggies and/or tofu or veggie ‘chicken’.
Jess
May 12, 2019 at 7:19 pmHi Jackie, glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! I’m sure it must have been delicious with ramen noodles!
Sara
June 20, 2019 at 10:53 pmAmazing soup! Making it for the second time. I added sweet potato and tofu. I also used ramen noodles like a previous poster suggested.
★★★★★
Jess
June 21, 2019 at 2:49 pmHi Sara, thank you for the review! I bet it was delicious with ramen noodles!