Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

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This Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup will have your taste buds dancing. The combination of umami-packed shiitake mushrooms, sautéed veggies, silken tofu, creamy coconut milk, and oodles of noodles will make you fall in love! Plus, it'll be on your table in just 35 minutes.

When you need a little extra comfort, this Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup is the recipe to make. It's hearty, mildly spiced, and filled with noodly goodness!

It's especially perfect when the cold weather hits because it'll warm you right through. Plus, it's easy to make and it's a great choice for weeknight meals.

This soup is also easy to customize, so feel free to make it your own by adding or omitting some ingredients or adjusting the spice level.

• Dried Vermicelli Noodles - I prefer the Taste of Thai brand but any brand of thin rice noodles will work. Pictured above is the Thai Kitchen brand. They cook well but are harder to portion out because it comes in a block.
• Red Onion - my next choice would be shallots and then yellow onion.
• Red Bell Pepper - a yellow or orange bell pepper would work well too or you can just omit the pepper altogether.
• Garlic - fresh is best here!
• Shitake Mushrooms - these add umami flavor and a wonderful chewy texture to your soup. If you can't find them, regular mushrooms will work, too.
• Ginger - fresh ginger adds such a wonderful pop of brightness to the soup so try not to skip this.
• Thai Red Curry Paste - I prefer Thai Kitchen because it has mild heat, and great flavor, and is readily available in most mainstream stores. Other brands of paste could be spicier, so you may need to reduce the amount to 3 tablespoons depending on your preference. Make sure to read the packaging because some brands aren't vegan-friendly and may contain shrimp paste.
• Tomato Paste - this adds more depth of flavor and deeper color to your soup, but it's optional, so feel free to omit it.
• Vegetable Broth - I used Better Than Bouillon's low-sodium vegetable base, but any vegetable broth will work.
• Coconut Milk - full-fat coconut milk will give this soup a subtle richness and creaminess.
• Vegan Fish Sauce - if you can't find it, you can use 1-2 tablespoons of low-sodium tamari or soy sauce.
• Light Brown Sugar - I like the slight caramel flavor and sweetness that it adds, but you can use any type of sweetener that you prefer. Palm sugar would be the best choice, but it's not easy to find in regular stores. You can usually find it in the Asian market or online. Here is an informative guide to palm sugar if you'd like to learn more.
• Silken Tofu - It's best to choose extra-firm silken tofu, otherwise it tends to break in the soup.
• Lime Juice - adds a touch of brightness to the finished soup. I highly recommend it.
• Cilantro -this adds a pop of freshness and brightness. You can also replace it with Thai basil, or holy basil (if you can find it).

1. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, and pepper. Sauté until tender,
2. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add a splash of oil then add curry paste and tomato paste. Sauté for a few minutes until the paste has slightly darkened
4. Stir in broth, coconut milk, vegan fish sauce, and sugar, scraping to release any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. Raise heat to bring to a boil then reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
6. Stir in rice noodles and tofu and gently warm for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro.

More Thai-inspired meals to try

• Vegan Pad Thai
• Vegan Thai Green Curry
• Vegan Pineapple Fried Rice

📖 Recipe

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5 from 8 votes

Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

This Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup will have your taste buds dancing. The combination of umami-packed shiitake mushrooms, sautéed veggies, silken tofu, creamy coconut milk, and oodles of noodles will make you fall in love! Plus, it'll be on your table in just 35 minutes.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Thai-Inspired

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 325kcal

Author: Melissa Huggins

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 6 ounces dried vermicelli noodles (I used A Taste of Thai)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons avocado oil or oil of choice
• ▢ 1 small red onion , thinly sliced into half moons (sub shallots or yellow onion)
• ▢ 1 small red bell pepper , thinly sliced
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic , minced
• ▢ 4 ounces shitake mushrooms , stems removed/discarded and slice tops
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (peeled first)
• ▢ 4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 5 cups vegetable broth , low sodium
• ▢ 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vegan fish sauce , sub low sodium tamari or soy sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ▢ 12 ounces silken tofu extra firm, cubed into ½-inch pieces
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped cilantro + more for serving

Recommended Equipment

• 1 Large Pot
• 1 Medium Pot

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Instructions

• Cook noodles according to package instructions (usually 2-3 minutes if boiling). Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water until completely cooled. Set aside (*note: some brands require soaking only)
• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, and pepper. Sauté until tender, about 4-6 minutes.
• Now, add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
• Add a splash of oil then add curry paste and tomato paste. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until paste has slightly darkened
• Stir in broth, coconut milk, vegan fish sauce, and sugar, scraping to release any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Raise heat to bring to a boil then reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• Stir in rice noodles and tofu and gently warm for 1-2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Taste for seasoning and add if needed.
• Add noodles into each bowl using tongs and ladle the rest of the soup on top. Serve with cilantro and lime wedges. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Vermicelli Noodles - I prefer the Taste of Thai brand but any brand of thin rice noodles will work. 
• Red Curry Paste - I prefer Thai Kitchen because it has mild heat, and great flavor, and is readily available in most mainstream stores. Other brands of paste could be spicier, so you may need to reduce the amount to 3 tablespoons depending on your preference. Make sure to read the packaging because some brands aren't vegan-friendly and may contain shrimp paste.
• For a spicier soup, you can add 2-3 dried red chilies to the recipe. Just slice them lengthwise and deseed them first (leave some seeds for more heat) Sauté them along with the onions and cook them in the soup. You can also add ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper during the garlic and ginger step. 
• If you feel the soup is too spicy, you can tone it down by adding more coconut milk. The fat content helps cut the heat. A dash more sugar and lime can help too.
• For a creamier broth, feel free to add the remainder of the canned coconut milk.
• For an extra pop of Thai-style flavor, I highly recommend adding a few fresh kaffir lime leaves to the simmering soup if you can find them. It adds a subtle spiced-citrus flavor that is just mouthwatering. Just tear them slightly before adding them to the soup. You can usually find them in Asian markets in the produce section.
• Salt - I didn't use any added salt because the curry paste, vegan fish sauce, and broth had just the right amount. However, this could differ for you depending on the brands used and your personal taste so feel free to add some if needed. 
• The noodles don't technically have to go into the pot of broth and they can be added right to the soup bowls and the broth ladled on top. However, I found that this cooled down the soup a little bit. I prefer it piping hot so this may not be an issue for everyone.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 287mg

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