This nourishing Vegetarian & Vegan Thai Noodle Soup is filled with vegetables and plant based protein from tofu. Being quick to prepare, it is the perfect mid-week meal. Filled with Thai flavors like fresh cilantro, coconut and lime, this delicious soup recipe is about to become your new go-to!
With the perfect level of spice, this is a meal that the whole family will love and the perfect, warming meal for a cold day. I love that it is also budget friendly! If you are looking for more quick and easy tofu recipes, try my Crispy Tofu Bowls and Salt & Pepper Air Fryer Crispy Tofu.
Things to Love About Vegetarian Thai Noodle Soup
- gluten and dairy free – this recipe uses rice noodles and full-fat coconut milk, making this recipe gluten and dairy free.
- vegan/plant-based – this Thai red curry noodle soup is completely vegan, vegetarian and plant-based, perfect for meat-free Monday or any night that you’re wanting a plant based meal.
- quick to make – this healthy soup takes just 30 minutes to make! Get the taste of Thai without having to leave the house for Thai takeout!
- nourishing – filled with plant-based protein from the tofu, lots of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and fibre, this is a meal that is not only really yummy but really nutrient dense!
Ingredients Notes & Substituions
This yummy Asian soup uses a mix of pantry ingredients and fresh ingredients. Read on to see any ingredients notes and possible substitutions. See the full list of ingredient quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- firm tofu – this recipe requires firm or extra-firm tofu. I don’t recommend using silken tofu as it will fall apart in the soup.
- Thai red curry paste – if you normally make a homemade red curry paste then you can go ahead and use that. I’ve used a store-bought red Thai curry paste, making it quick and easy to make. I’ve used the perfect quantity in this soup for a mild spice level. If you prefer extra spice you can use more, depending on your personal taste.
- red onion – you can use brown onion or pink onions in place of red onion if desired.
- fresh ginger – the ginger needs to be peeled and grated for this recipe. You can also swap for bottled ginger paste.
- coconut oil – swap for extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
- vegetable broth – if you’re not vegetarian you can swap the vegetable stock / broth for chicken broth.
- tamari – tamari is very similar to soy sauce but gluten free. You can swap for soy sauce or gluten free soy sauce.
- coconut milk – I recommend Ayam coconut milk over coconut cream as coconut cream can be slightly overpowering in this recipe. Ayam coconut milk is quite a bit creamier then other brands so you could get away with using coconut cream in a different brand.
- vegan fish sauce – swap for regular fish sauce if you’re not vegan or vegetarian.
- snow peas – sugar snap peas can be used in place of snow peas.
- red bell pepper (capsicum) – swap for other crunchy vegetables like green beans, zucchini noodles, baby corn or thinly sliced carrots.
- baby bok choy – I love slicing the boy choy in half lengthways for an impressive presentation.
- vermicelli noodles – option to swap for udon noodles if you’re not following a gluten free diet.
To Serve
- lime wedges – I absolutely love the taste of lime juice squeezed over this soup, it is insanely delicious and I do not recommend skipping on this step.
- fresh cilantro (coriander) – use the green leaves to serve on top of the soup. You can swap the cilantro for Thai basil. I also love adding bean sprouts to the top of the soup when serving.
How to Make Vegetarian Thai Noodle Soup
Read onto see the step-by-step instructions for making my Thai curry Noodle Soup.
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Prepare your ingredients. I like to start by prepping all of the vegetables and cutting the tofu into cubes – this makes the rest of the process much easier.
Sauté the onions and curry paste. Heat the coconut oil in a large soup pot on a medium heat. Add the thinly sliced red onions and sauté until translucent. Next add the curry paste and grated ginger and sauté until fragrant.
Add liquids. Once the curry paste is fragrant, quickly add the vegetable stock (you don’t want to burn the paste!), coconut milk, tamari and fish sauce. Add the tofu cubes and capsicum and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling reduce it down to a low heat to simmer.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Carefully add the noodles and submerge them under the liquid using tongs. Add in the halved bok choy, place the lid on and simmer for 5 minutes or until the noodles are tender. Once the noodles are tender, add the snow peas and simmer until they are vibrant green.
Serve! Serve the soup in bowls topped with a lime wedge and fresh coriander. Enjoy the soup hot.
Variations
- spicy – add extra red Thai curry paste and top with thinly sliced fresh red chilli.
- chicken or fish – thinly slice chicken breasts or cubed white fish (like snapper) and add to the soup when you would normally add the tofu. When adding chicken, the soup may require a little longer to cook before adding the boy choy and noodles, just make sure the chicken is cooked through before adding.
Storage
Store leftover Thai noodle soup in the pot with the lid on in the fridge for up to 4 days. To freeze, transfer to a heatproof airtight container or divide into individual serving sized heatproof containers and freeze for up to 6 months. Allow to defrost and then reheat in a pot on the stove or heat in the container in the microwave.
Vegetarian Thai Noodle Soup with Tofu
Equipment
- large soup pan or dutch oven
- Sharp knife
- Chopping Board
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, cold pressed extra virgin
- 1 red onion, skin removed, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
- 1 knob ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 litre vegetable stock, or chicken stock
- 400 millilitre coconut milk, canned
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce, or vegan fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons tamari, or soy sauce
- 500 grams firm tofu, cubed
- 1 large red capsicum, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch baby bok choy, or pak choi, halved
- 200 grams vermicelli noodles
- 100 grams snow peas, topped and tailed
To serve
- 1 lime , cut into quarters
- 1/4 cup coriander , to serve
- bean sprouts, optional
Instructions
- Bring the coconut oil to a medium heat in the saucepan. Add the thinly sliced red onion and sauté until translucent.2 tablespoons coconut oil cold pressed extra virgin
- Add curry paste and ginger to onions and continue to stir for 30 seconds to release flavours. Immediately add in stock, coconut milk, tamari and fish sauce, stirring to combine.
- Add cubed tofu and thinly sliced capsicum and bring the soup to a boil.
- Once boiling reduce to a simmer and add in the bok choy halves and the noodles, making sure to submerge the noodles in the liquid. Place the lid on and simmer for 5 minutes or until noodles are tender.
- Once noodles are tender remove the lid and add the snow peas, stirring through the soup. Simmer until the snow peas are a vibrant green.
- Serve immediately topped with coriander, lime wedges and bean sprouts.
Notes
- chicken – add thinly sliced chicken breast when you would normally add the tofu. You will need to simmer for longer until the chicken is cooked through before you add in the bok choy and noodles.
- spicy – add extra spice by adding fresh red chilli, thinly sliced. You can also add more curry paste at the beginning if you prefer the soup extra spicy.
Nutrition
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