Name: Vegan Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: ThaiAsianAsia
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms , stemmed and cut into ½-inch pieces; 1–2 stalks lemon grass , trimmed to bottom 6 inches and minced (3 tablespoons); 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger; 1 garlic clove , minced; 4 teaspoons Thai red curry paste; 6 cups vegetable broth; 3 tablespoons fish sauce substitute; 1 tablespoon organic sugar; 2 (14-ounce) can coconut milk; 14 ounces extra-firm tofu , cut into ½-inch pieces; 6 ounces snow peas , strings removed, cut into ½-inch pieces; 3 tablespoons lime juice; Salt and pepper; ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves; 3 scallions , green parts only, sliced thin on bias; lime wedge

Why This Recipe Works

For tom kha soup, a Thai coconut soup, a lively contrast of ingredients and flavors is essential: Fragrant lemon grass, fragrant fish sauce (in this case, fish sauce substitute), fiery chiles, tart citrus juice, peppery ginger, sharp garlic, and aromatic herbs combine to create a tantalizing dish. While chicken is traditionally used to bulk up this soup, we opted for tofu along with meaty shiitake mushrooms and crunchy snow peas. Thai curry paste, which packs a spicy (and convenient) punch along with floral, fruity flavors, was a good stand-in for tiny Thai chiles. We sautéed the shiitake mushrooms at the start along with the aromatics to deeply infuse the soup with their flavor, and we waited until the last 5 minutes of cooking to heat the tofu and snow peas through and maintain their delicate texture. With a final garnish of cilantro leaves, sliced scallion greens, and lime wedges, this soup was ready to serve.

Before You Begin

Not all brands of red curry paste are vegan, so read labels carefully. We strongly prefer our favorite vegetable broths, Orrington Farms Vegan Chicken Broth or our homemade Vegetable Broth Base.

Instructions

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms, lemon grass, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk ½ cup broth into pot, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps.

Stir in remaining 5½ cups broth, fish sauce substitute, and sugar and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.

Stir in coconut milk, tofu, snow peas, and lime juice and bring to simmer. Cook until tofu is warmed through and snow peas are just tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with cilantro, scallions, and lime wedges.