Thai Red Curry Soup
This Thai red curry soup has everything we love about curry but in soup form. Make it your own by switching out the vegetables depending on what’s in season or personal preference. This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan.
Curry is a crowd-pleaser. It’s great for serving to family or friends with different eating styles because it’s so adaptable. This means less work for you and everyone is happy and well-fed.
But, it’s also nice to switch things up from time to time. And making red curry soup, instead of just curry is a great way to do that.
Ingredients
As always, you’ll need a little oil for sauteing and salt for seasoning, but here’s what we used:
- rice noodles
- shallots
- fresh ginger
- garlic
- bell peppers
- carrots
- dino/lacinato kale
- red curry paste
- canned coconut milk
- broth – veggie or chicken
- coconut aminos or soy sauce/tamari
- coconut sugar
- lime juice
- cooked protein of choice
Make It Your Way: Substitution Substitutions
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this red curry soup using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No shallots? âžť use 1 medium yellow or white onion instead
- No kale? âžť leave it out
- No coconut sugar? âžť brown sugar or cane sugar also works
- No lime juice? âžť rice vinegar (also called rice wine vinegar) is great
- No noodles? âžť use rice instead
- Swap out the vegetables âžť you want about 3 cups
- here are some ideas: broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, diced butternut squash or pumpkin, eggplant, potatoes, etc.
- Add-ins âžť fish sauce adds a really nice salty, umami flavor
Helpful Tips For Making The Best Red Curry Soup
DON’T SKIP THE AROMATICS
These include shallots, ginger, and garlic and are what contribute to building great flavor early on.
CHOOSE FULL-FAT COCONUT MILK
Skip the canned lite coconut milk and head straight for the full-fat variety. This helps add richness and balances the dish out.
TASTE AND ADJUST THE FLAVORS
Depending on which curry paste you use, the ripeness of your produce, etc., all affect the outcome of the dish. So, taste and adjust the flavors per your tastebuds.
HOW TO AVOID MUSHY VEGETABLES
Don’t slice the peppers too thin, otherwise, they’ll get mushy. I find it easiest to cut them into 1/4 inch-ish strips and then cut them in half (which leaves you with about 2-inch pieces). This way can withstand the curry bath.
MISE EN PLACE
This means having all your ingredients chopped (peeled, grated, etc.) and ready to go. Once you get started, the process moves pretty quickly and it’s incredibly helpful to have everything ready to get added to the pot at a moment’s notice.
ADDING THE NOODLES
Add the noodles to your serving bowls instead of to the pot and then pour the soup over. Otherwise, the noodles absorb too much of the liquid and get really soft and mushy over time.
Tools Needed
- chef knife
- large pot
- cutting board
- micoplane
- vegetable peeler
- wooden spatula
- liquid measuring cup
- measuring spoons
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Thai Red Curry Soup
Ingredients
- 8 oz rice noodles of choice
- 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 2 large shallots, diced or 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 3-5 tablespoons red curry paste, to taste
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 cup carrots, coined
- 3 cup veggie or chicken broth
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (13.5 oz)
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 large handful dino kale, cut into small strips
- juice of ½ lime, plus more to taste
- cooked protein of choice: chicken, shrimp, tofu
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package directions, rinse thoroughly with cold water, and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook about 2-3 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Next add the crushed garlic and ginger and cook for another minute or so. Stir in the curry paste and add the chopped vegetables (minus the kale), broth, coconut milk, sugar, and coconut aminos/soy sauce.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are fork-tender. In the last 2-3 minutes, add in the cooked protein, kale, and lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Add the cooked noodles to your serving bowls, spoon over the red curry soup and serve with lime wedges, cilantro and/or basil.
Notes
- How can you make this red curry soup using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
-
- No shallots? ➝ use 1 medium yellow or white onion instead
- No kale? âžť leave it out
- No coconut sugar? âžť brown sugar or cane sugar also works
- No lime juice? âžť rice vinegar (also called rice wine vinegar) is great
- No noodles? âžť use rice instead
- Swap out the vegetables âžť you want about 3 cups
- here are some ideas: broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, diced butternut squash or pumpkin, eggplant, potatoes, etc.
- Add-ins âžť fish sauce adds a really nice salty, umami flavor