Thai Coconut and Vegetable Soup

I am a big fan of using herbs and spices in cooking, so I love the flavours associated with Asian cuisine. Experimenting with different ingredients to recreate the dishes of Thailand, India, China, and elsewhere in Asia. After making a Thai vegetable red curry one day, I was inspired to create this recipe for a Thai Coconut and Vegetable Soup.

This recipe involves making your own Thai red curry paste, and you can store this to use with other dishes at a later date. See the additional tips at the end of the recipe for more information about storing and using your paste.

On the other hand, if you are short of time or you can’t get hold of all the ingredients to make your own paste, you can buy pre-prepared pastes to use. These are readily available in supermarkets and many local stores.

If you opt to use a pre-prepared Thai red curry paste, then simply skip the instructions for making the paste. Likewise, just use your shop-bought paste when it comes to the section of the instructions about adding the paste. If you enjoy the flavours of this soup, then you might also like our recipes for prawn laksa and hot and sour soup.

Here is a simple and delicious recipe for a ‘Thai Coconut and Vegetable Soup‘.

Preparation time: 10 minutes for the paste and 15 minutes for other preparation.
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Vegetarian/ vegan: Yes, if you omit the fish sauce
Dairy-free: YES
Gluten-free: YES

Ingredients for Thai Red Curry Paste

• 2 red chillies
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 shallot
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 lemongrass stalks
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2cm piece of ginger
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (Replace with 1/2 tsp of salt for vegetarians)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 40 g chopped coriander leaves

NOTE: You can also use this Thai red curry paste in our recipe for prawn laksa, a Malaysian soup.

How to Make Thai Red Curry Paste

1. Remove the stalks from the chillies.
2. Peel the garlic and shallot.
3. Crush the cumin and coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar before transferring to a food processor.
4. Add all the other ingredients into a food processor.
5. Blend to create a smooth paste.

Ingredients for Thai Coconut and Vegetable Soup

• 1 courgette (zucchini)
• 2 carrots
• I red pepper
• 100g green beans
• 8 spring onions
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 red chilli
• 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste, ready-made or fresh
• 2 tins coconut milk
• 2 tbsp olive oil

How to Make Thai Coconut and Vegetable Soup

1. Prepare the Thai red curry paste if you are using a homemade paste, following the instructions in this recipe.
2. Slice the courgettes and peppers, julienne the carrots, and chop the green beans into one-centimetre strips.
3. Add the carrots and green beans to boiling water and cook for five minutes before draining.
4. Heat the olive oil in a pan and put it over medium heat.
5. Add the chilli and crushed garlic to the pan and fry for two minutes.
6. Next, add the curry paste to the pan and cook for a further two minutes. This will release the flavours of the herbs and spices.
7. Then, add all the vegetables to the pan and stir around, so they are lightly coated with paste, garlic, and chillies. Cook for a further two minutes.
8. Add the coconut milk and stir into the mixture.
9. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Additional Tips for Making Thai Coconut and Vegetable Soup

• Vegetarians– For vegetarian curries, omit the fish sauce and add some salt.
• Storing you paste– If you have made your own curry paste, you will have plenty left over to use for other dishes. You can store your paste to use at a later date. Put it in a jar with a screw top and add a label with the date. You can then store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Alternatively, spoon the paste into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, remove the cubes of paste and put in a freezer storage bag and wash out the ice cube tray.
• Vegetables– The vegetables in this Thai coconut and vegetable soup recipe are the ones that I like to use, but you can switch these for the vegetables of your choice.

• Adapting spice levels– Everyone has different tastes. If you want to tone down the spice levels in this dish, simply add a little less paste. Similarly, you can take out any of the spices if you do not like their flavour. For a spicier soup, add more of the paste or add an extra chilli.
• Cumin and coriander– If you do not have a pestle and mortar, you can just use ground cumin and ground coriander. Using the ground options will also save you time, although it has a slightly different flavour. For a spicier Thai Coconut and Vegetable Soup, try adding some more of the Thai red curry paste or some extra chillies.
• Similar recipes: Those who like vegetable soups that pack a punch might like our Greek lentil (fakes) soup, vegetable mulligatawnyVegetable Mulligatawny: Easy Soup Recipe, lentil mulligatawny, or Moroccan chickpea soup recipes.

Have you tried our Thai coconut and vegetable soup recipe? Let us know what you think below.