Vegan Khao Soi Thai Soup is the vegan form of a traditional Thai curry noodle soup popular filled with vegetables, noodles and shiitake mushrooms.
Vegan Khao Soi Thai Soup is easy to make and deliciously spicy. I added broccolini and mushrooms but you can add what's in your refrigerator. If you are looking for a savory spicy soup, this is it! As comforting as my other favorite comfort recipes such as Grilled Portobello Steaks, and Chickpea Meatballs.
What Is Khao Soi Thai Soup
Khao soi is a popular dish from the Chiang Mai region of northern Thailand.
It is a coconut curry Thai noodle soup and oddly not often found in Thai restaurants around the world. A co-worker here in Washington DC served an authentic version at an office party recently, and I thought, hmm..this could be made vegan.
The authentic version is made with egg noodles and chicken, which I replaced with glass bean noodles and shiitake mushrooms.
Ingredients
The ingredients are in three parts - the paste, broth and components such as veggies and noodles.
1. The paste: I provide the ingredients to make the paste from scratch but you can also buy it, there is a link in the recipe card for a delicious commercial paste. If you want to make it from scratch, you'll need:
- red chilis
- garam masala spice
- fresh ginger
- shallots
- coriander
- garlic cloves
- ground turmeric
2. The broth: The broth consists of vegetable broth, coconut milk, butternut squash and a few residual ingredients like sugar and turmeric and lime juice. You'll need:
- vegetable broth
- coconut milk, full fat
- butternut squash
- liquid aminos (or tamari sauce or coconut aminos)
- coconut sugar
- turmeric
- lime juice
3. The components: These are the additional vegetables you choose to add to your soup. They can vary but I chose to include:
- broccolini
- sundried tomatoes
- shiitake mushrooms
- butternut squash
- black sesame seeds
How to Make
Don't worry if you don't normally make your own soups from scratch. This one may have a longish ingredient list, but it is very easy to put together. Just gather the ingredients and get started. The only ingredient you may not have in your pantry is liquid aminos.
step 1: Make the Paste
Heat olive oil in a skillet, just enough to coat it. Slice the chilis in half and throw away the seeds. Stir fry the chilis for a minute or two, then toss them and the rest of the paste ingredients into a food processor (I used a mini one) and blend into a lumpy paste (add more or less water to achieve a paste) and set aside.
step 2: Make the Broth
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Heat the broth in a pot. When steaming but not boiling, pour in the coconut milk, stirring as it separates. Stir in a few tablespoons of the paste you made, and then the rest of the broth ingredients. Keep stirring until soup becomes thick. I used a thermal blender so I just finished off the thickening by putting my soup in there for a hot spin, but if you don't have a thermal blender, keep simmering for about 1-2 minutes, keeping up with the stirring..
step 3: Prep of other components
1. Chop the butternut squash and soak them and the mushrooms in the liquid aminos for about 20 minutes or until both are "squishy". If your butternut squash is hard and under-ripe, you might want to steam it first. (Both the butternut squash and mushrooms should be squishy before adding to the soup; another option is to saute them both, after marinading, in a hot skillet with a bit of olive oil to heat them as well as to soften them.)
2. Steam the broccolini.
3. Prepare the noodles according to package.
4. Reconstitute the sundried tomatoes
step 4: Soup Assembly
1. Pour broth in a bowl, top with cilantro, your favorite plant-based noodles, marinated butternut squash and mushrooms, broccolini and sprinkle with black sesame seeds and a sprinkle of lime juice.
2. Mix a half-cup chopped sundried tomatoes in the remaining paste, and serve on the side to be used as a garnish.
Recipe Tips
Here are a few tips to make sure your process goes swimmingly.
1. First, be sure to shake up the can of full fat coconut milk (I know, so many canned coconut milk recipes have you only using the fat separated after a night in the fridge. Well, not this time!). Using both makes for a very rich broth.
2. Regarding the spicy red paste, you can buy it which cuts the time in half. But if you want to make your own, I give you the recipe!
3. And now I'd like to say something about the aminos. In this recipe, I have you marinate the butternut squash (or sweet potato) as well as the mushrooms in this delicious liquid. It only takes 20 minutes or so and brings a delicious savory softness to these veggies. And then no cooking of these ingredients is needed.
Alternatively, if you want to pan fry both, marinate them in the aminos, and then do this: Toss the squash and mushrooms in olive oil and a bit of chopped onion. Heat a skillet, and saute the squash and mushrooms for about 5 minutes or until a touch brown. Then toss them in the soup.
What are Liquid Aminos?
Liquid aminos are a common gluten-free alternative to soy sauce. Also made from soybeans, but in a more natural process that renders it alcohol-free. You can also use coconut aminos, also considered healthier than soy sauce, but which contains alcohol and is a bit low in sodium for some recipes.
I often marinate portobellos, for instance in either coconut aminos or liquid aminos to bring them amazing flavor before using these large mushroom caps as "hamburger buns" for my vegan sandwiches, haha.
But I digress. Let's go make soup!
Other Healthy Soups
Buckwheat Soba Noodle Soup
Spicy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Khao Soi Thai Soup
Ingredients
the spicy paste
- 1-2 red chilis, or more depending on their size
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoon ginger, peeled and chopped
- 4 shallots, chopped
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tsps ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoon water
- OR BUY this paste ready-made as a short-cut! (Here is good brand)
the broth
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups coconut milk, full fat
- ½ cup butternut squash (I used organic canned for the broth)
- 3 tablespoon liquid aminos (or tamari sauce or coconut aminos))
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1-2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- pinch salt
Other Components
- 1 broccolini stalk per serving
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms (white button can also be used)
- 1 cup butternut squash (or sweet potatoes) (whole veggie, peeled, chopped)
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
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Instructions
For Paste
- Heat olive oil in a skillet, just enough to coat it. Slice the chilis in half and throw away the seeds. Stir fry the chilis for a minute or two, then toss them and the rest of the paste ingredients into a food processor (I used a mini one) and blend into a lumpy paste (add more or less water to achieve a paste) and set aside.1-2 red chilis, or more depending on their size, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 2 teaspoon ginger, peeled and chopped, 4 shallots, chopped, ½ teaspoon coriander, 3 garlic cloves, chopped, 2 tsps ground turmeric, 2 tablespoon water
For the Broth
- Heat the broth in a pot. When steaming but not boiling, pour in the coconut milk, stirring as it separates. Stir in a few tablespoons of the paste you made, and then the rest of the broth ingredients. Keep stirring until soup becomes thick. I used a thermal blender so I just finished off the thickening by putting my soup in there for a hot spin, but if you don't have a thermal blender, keep simmering for about 1-2 minutes, keeping up with the stirring..2 cups vegetable broth, 1 ½ cups coconut milk, full fat, ½ cup butternut squash, 3 tablespoon liquid aminos, 1 tablespoon coconut sugar, 1-2 teaspoon turmeric, 2 tablespoon lime juice, pinch salt
Prep of other components
- Chop the butternut squash and soak them and the mushrooms in the liquid aminos for about 20 minutes or until both are "squishy". If your butternut squash is hard and under-ripe, you might want to steam it first. (Both the butternut squash and mushrooms should be squishy before adding to the soup; another option is to saute them both, after marinading, in a hot skillet with a bit of olive oil to heat them as well as to soften them.)
Steam the broccolini.Prepare the noodles according to package.Reconstitute the sundried tomatoes1 broccolini stalk per serving, ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, 1 cup butternut squash (or sweet potatoes) (whole veggie, peeled, chopped), 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
Soup Assembly
- Pour broth in a bowl, top with cilantro, your favorite plant-based noodles, marinated butternut squash and mushrooms, broccolini and sprinkle with black sesame seeds and a sprinkle of lime juice.
Mix a half-cup chopped sundried tomatoes in the remaining paste, and serve on the side to be used as a garnish.
Jamie Farley says
Hello,
If using store bought thai curry paste then how much do I use?
Thank you,
Jamie
Dee Dine says
Hi Jamie, I'd add a few tablespoons full of curry paste. That's how much the homemade paste recipe produces.
Va says
Hi Dee this looks amazing! I am new to cooking and I want to make sure I do this correctly. I seem to be a little lost. You say to chop and soak the butternut squash and mushrooms but then there are no further instructions. Does the coconut aminos cook them? I'm sorry just want to make sure I get this right. Thank you!
Dee Dine | Green Smoothie Gourmet says
Va! Thank you for your helpful question. I added a longer explainer about liquid aminos (or coconut aminos) to the post. The short answer is marinating both the butternut squash and mushrooms in liquid aminos is enough "cooking" for flavor although you might want to heat them up in a skillet in colder seasons. Hope you enjoy! Dee xx