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    Home » Vegan Asian Recipes

    Vegan Tom Kha (with tofu)

    Published: Nov 13, 2023 by Jim Mee Sha · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This vegan Tom Kha soup is rich, creamy, and packed with flavors! A comforting meal that is easy to make and ready in 30 minutes. Even non-vegans will be impressed by this tofu Tom Kha. 

    A bowl of tom kha on a plate served with a ceramic spoon with another bowl of curry beside.

    If you want a milder Thai curry, try this vegan tom kha. It's fragrant, creamy, and satisfying. Serve with rice or noodles like pad see ew for a simple weekend dinner! 

    💚Why you will love this recipe 

    • Creamy, satisfying, and bold in flavors 
    • An easy one-pot meal that is ready in 30 minutes 
    • The perfect comforting dish for colder evenings 
    • A filling curry that is healthy and high in protein! 

    🤔What is tom kha 

    Tom Kha Gai is a popular Thai curry made with coconut milk, chicken (or other proteins), and spices such as galangal, lemongrass, and chilies. The term 'Tom Kha' translates to boiling galangal, and 'gai' means chicken.

    Tom Kha is creamy, flavorful, and slightly tangy due to the addition of lime juice. Unlike most Thai curries, it is mild and, hence, can be enjoyed by those more sensitive to spices. 

    This soup is commonly served with a side of rice to soak up the delicious sauce! 

    To make this recipe vegan, we will substitute tofu for chicken and soy sauce for fish sauce. 

    Tom Kha vs. Tom Yum

    Tom Yum and Tom Kha are two distinct Thai curries. Tom Yum is a tangy and spicy clear soup, while Tom Kha is milder in flavor and has a richer mouthfeel due to the inclusion of coconut milk. Additionally, Tom Yum is commonly made with shrimp and other seafood, while Tom Kha is frequently made with chicken. 

    🍛What you will need 

    Ingredients needed like tofu, coconut milk, mushrooms, lime juice, soy sauce, and sugar.
    Ingredients needed like onion, chilies, galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, curry paste, and garlic.

    📃Ingredient notes and substitutions 

    • Galangal - Fresh galangal works best, but feel free to substitute it with frozen or dried galangal. Although you can replace it with ginger in a pinch, it will alter the taste.
    • Lemongrass - Only the bottom white half will be used. You can substitute it with 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste. 
    • Chilies - I deseeded my chilies to make my curry milder, but you can choose to leave them on. For a spicer version, use Thai chilies instead of regular ones. 
    • Red curry paste - An optional ingredient. Omit to reduce the spice levels. 
    • Tofu - Use extra-firm tofu that has been pressed and drained beforehand, either using a tofu press or stacking something heavy on top. Check out this post on ‘how to press tofu’ for more detailed instructions. 
    • Mushrooms - I am using shiitake, but you can substitute it with another kind of mushroom like oyster, enoki, or button mushrooms. 
    • Soy sauce - Can be substituted with tamari or shoyu. Use a gluten-free brand if needed. 

    🔪How to make 

    Preparing aromatics - Lightly smash your lemongrass and cut them into 2 inches pieces. As for the kaffir lime leaves, remove the center stem and tear them into small pieces. 

    Sauteing aromatics - Heat a tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven. Add onion, and saute until translucent. Add galangal, garlic, kaffir leaves, chilies, and lemongrass next. Cook for a minute until fragrant.Stir in curry paste and cook for an additional 30 seconds. 

    Cooked onion in a white Dutch oven.
    Cooked onion, aromatics, and curry paste in a white Dutch oven.

    Cooking curry - Add coconut milk and broth to the pot and bring it to a gentle simmer before adding mushrooms and tofu. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft. Cook on low to medium heat to prevent the coconut milk from curdling. 

    A pot of tofu tom kha on a grey background.

    Serving - Top your vegan Tom Kha with cilantro leaves and chili slices, and serve it with freshly cooked rice! 

    ✅Helpful tips 

    • Using tom kha paste - If you do not want to buy a whole bunch of ingredients and are looking for a simpler version, use Tom Kha paste instead! 
    • Deseeding chilies - Chilies that are deseeded are much less spicy. You can skip this step if you are okay with the heat. 
    • Make it creamier - Substitute broth with more coconut milk. 
    • Cook curry on low heat - This helps prevent the coconut milk from curdling. 
    • Storing leftover - Leftover vegan Tom Kha will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

    ✨Variations and add-ins 

    Tofu - If you are not a fan of tofu, replace it with another source of plant-based protein like seitan chicken, tempeh, or rehydrated soy curls. Store-bought vegan chicken slices will also work, but I recommend lightly pan-frying them before using them. 

    Veggies - To make this vegan tom kha more nutrient-dense, add other kinds of veggies to the soup. Some that work particularly well includes carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, and tomatoes. 

    Noodles - For a heartier dish, stir some cooked noodles like rice vermicelli and flat rice noodles. 

    Spice free - Omit chilies and red curry paste. 

    Spooning some tom kha from a bowl on a plate.

    🍚How to serve 

    Here are some of my favorite ways to serve this tofu tom kha: 

    • Rice - Jasmine rice, brown rice, or fried rice like my Thai fried rice. Feel free to use cauliflower rice to make a lower-carb meal. 
    • Noodles - Serve your coconut soup over cooked noodles like rice vermicelli, ramen, or rice noodles. 
    • Thai dishes - To make a heartier meal, make another 1-2 Thai dishes like pad pak Thai and basil tofu stir-fry. 

    ❔Commonly asked questions

    What does tom kha taste like?

    Tom Kha is a creamy coconut soup that is rich, umami, and citrusy. Due to the addition of lime juice, this soup is slightly tangy. It is usually mild in spiciness when compared to other Thai curries.

    Is Tom Kha spicy?

    Compared to other Thai curries, Tom Kha is considered one of the mildest. However, the spice level does differ depending on the recipe and the chef’s preference. If you have a low spice tolerance, you can make this recipe spice-free by omitting the Thai red curry paste and chilies.

    Is this soup gluten-free?

    This vegan Tom Kha can be made gluten-free if a certified gluten-free soy sauce is used.

    A bowl of tom kha on a plate served with a ceramic spoon with lime wedges and another bowl of curry beside.

    🍽️More vegan curries

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    • Bowl of rice and curry served on a plate with a fork beside.
      Vegan Japanese Curry with Tofu
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      Creamy Indian Tofu Curry
    • A bowl of Jamaican curry served with spoon with bowl of rice and chopped cilantro beside.
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    If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉

    📖 Recipe

    A bowl of tom kha on a plate served with a ceramic spoon with lime wedges and another bowl of curry beside.

    Vegan Tom Kha Soup (with tofu)

    Meesha
    This vegan Tom Kha soup is rich, creamy, and packed with flavors! A comforting meal that is easy to make and ready in 30 minutes. Even non-vegans will be impressed by this tofu Tom Kha.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Thai
    Servings 3 servings
    Calories 389 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ medium yellow onion diced
    • 10 slices galangal *see notes
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 red chilies roughly sliced
    • 5 kaffir lime leaves destemmed and roughly tore into smaller chunks
    • 1 stalk lemongrass bottom white part only, smashed
    • 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
    • 2 cups vegetable broth
    • 1 can coconut milk full-fat or light
    • 8 shiitake mushrooms sliced
    • 1 block extra-firm tofu drained and pressed (14oz/ 400g)
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free if needed)
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 2 tablespoons lime juice
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    Instructions
     

    • Heat a tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven. Add onion, and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
    • Add galangal, garlic, kaffir leaves, chilies, and lemongrass next. Cook for a minute until fragrant. Stir in curry paste and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
    • Add coconut milk and broth to the pot, and bring it to a gentle simmer before adding mushrooms and tofu. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft. Cook on low to medium heat to prevent the coconut milk from curdling.
    • Top your vegan Tom Kha with cilantro leaves and chili slices, and serve it with freshly cooked rice!

    Notes

    *Galangal - Fresh galangal works best, but feel free to substitute it with frozen or dried galangal. Although you can replace it with ginger in a pinch, it will alter the taste.
     
    Helpful tips
    • Using tom kha paste - If you do not want to buy a whole bunch of ingredients and are looking for a simpler version, use Tom Kha paste instead! 
    • Deseeding chilies - Chilies that are deseeded are much less spicy. You can skip this step if you are okay with the heat. 
    • Make it creamier - Substitute broth with more coconut milk. 
    • Cook curry on low heat - This helps prevent the coconut milk from curdling. 
    • Storing leftover - Leftover vegan Tom Kha will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 389kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 6gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 28gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 1325mgPotassium: 673mgFiber: 5gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 1413IUVitamin C: 53mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 4mg

    Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

    Did you make this recipe ?Tag @myplantifulcooking on Instagram !

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. jennifer

      November 22, 2023 at 9:52 pm

      where's the tofu? and when to add it in?
      recipe looks delish!

      Reply
      • Jim Mee Sha

        November 25, 2023 at 9:18 am

        Thanks for pointing it out, I had updated the recipe card. The tofu should be added in together with the mushrooms.😁

        Reply

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