Thai Vegetable Coconut Soup With Noodles

Written by
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.
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Darlene Schmidt
Updated 12/09/20
Thai Vegetable Coconut Soup With Noodles

The Spruce / Ali Redmond
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
943 Calories
28g Fat
151g Carbs
42g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 943
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 36%
Saturated Fat 19g 97%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 4179mg 182%
Total Carbohydrate 151g 55%
Dietary Fiber 28g 98%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 42g
Vitamin C 152mg 761%
Calcium 457mg 35%
Iron 20mg 109%
Potassium 2603mg 55%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Comforting and nutritious, this Thai vegetable coconut soup with noodles is easy to make, and great for a light dinner or warm and soothing lunch. A rich broth made with vegetable stock and coconut milk is the creamy base for vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and carrots, as well as tofu, making this delicious soup a complete meal in itself. It's also a tasty spin on the traditional noodle soup often consumed when fighting a cold or flu, and thanks to mood-boosting lemongrass, it'll put some pep in your step to boot. 

Ingredients

  • 8 to 10 ounces dried flat wheat or rice noodles

  • 4 to 6 cups vegetable stock

  • 1 to 2 stalks lemongrass (minced), or 1/4 cup frozen prepared lemongrass

  • 1 thumb-sized piece galangal or ginger (sliced into matchstick pieces)

  • 3 to 4 makrut lime leaves (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon lime juice)

  • 1 to 2 carrots (sliced)

  • 1 head broccoli (chopped into florets including stems)

  • 1 to 2 cups Chinese cabbage (bok choy), chopped into bite-size pieces

  • 1 1/2 can (6 3/4 ounces) coconut milk

  • 1 1/2 package (7 ounces) soft or firm tofu (cut into cubes)

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari

  • Freshly cut chilies or Thai chili sauce (Nam Prik Pao), to taste, optional

  • 1/4 cup fresh basil (roughly chopped if leaves are large) or cilantro

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather ingredients.

    Thai Vegetable Coconut Soup With Noodles ingredients

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. Cook the noodles according to package instructions.

    noodles cooking in a pot of water

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  3. Cover and set aside to keep warm.

    noodles in a bowl, covered with a towel

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  4. Pour the stock into a soup pot and add the lemongrass (include leftover stalk pieces if using fresh), galangal, whole lime leaves, and carrots.

    stock with lemongrass, galangal, whole lime leaves, and carrots in a pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium to simmer.

    boiling stock with spices and carrots

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  6. Add the broccoli and cabbage and simmer until the vegetables have softened but are still bright in color, about 5 minutes.

    Add the broccoli and cabbage to the pot of soup

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  7. Reduce the heat and add the coconut milk, stirring to dissolve.

    add coconut milk to the soup in the pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  8. Add the tofu, stirring gently so it doesn't fall apart.

    tofu added to coconut soup

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  9. Add the soy sauce and stir to combine.

    add soy sauce to the coconut soup

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  10. If you prefer your soup spicy, add some fresh-cut chilies or 1 to 2 teaspoons chili sauce—or simply serve it on the side.

    fresh-cut chilies added to the coconut soup

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  11. Do a taste test, adding more soy sauce if not salty enough. If you find the soup too salty, add 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice. If too sour for your taste, add 1 teaspoon sugar.

    add soy sauce, lemon or sugar to the soup, to taste

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  12. Portion out the noodles into bowls.

    noodles in the bowl

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  13. Pour several ladles of soup over each bowl of noodles. Sprinkle with fresh basil, and serve with chili sauce on the side, if desired.

    ladle Thai Vegetable Coconut Soup With Noodles into the bowl with the noodles

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Non-Vegetarian Variation

  • Use chicken broth instead of the vegetable broth.
  • In place of the soy sauce, use 3 tablespoons fish sauce plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
  • Replace the tofu with shrimp or chicken.

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