Recipe: $5.45 | Per Serving: $1.36 | Yield: 4
This Thai Red Curry Coconut Soup is a super easy flavor-packed meal that's sure to become a weeknight dinner staple in your house!
This might be a soup, or it might be a stew. I'm not sure, but it is definitely 1000% AWESOME.
If you have never ventured into the world of Red Thai Curry Paste, I highly recommend you start now - and with this recipe!
This post was originally published October 5, 2015 when we were living in Japan. Photos are new (except the one just below) and the instructions have been updated for clarity but the recipe is otherwise the same. I also filmed a video! Thank you for supporting me and my blog!
An excerpt from the original post: "Inspired by the jar of Red Thai Curry Paste in my fridge, I decided to make another super easy Thai coconut recipe. When I'm in the states, I usually buy Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste - it tastes good and it has a pretty simple list of ingredients. But here in Japan I bought LEGIT red curry paste straight from THAILAND. With Thai all over it. Differences I've noticed: it's not as salty as the American version, and it's SPICY! (Sorry I keep shouting.)"
What is Thai Red Curry Paste?
It's a chili pepper paste that's commonly used as a flavor base for Thai cuisine. The main ingredients are: red chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, salt, spices, kaffir lime, and sometimes shrimp paste or fish sauce.
Thai Kitchen is the most widely available brand in the US and it also contains shallot, galangal (which is like a Thai ginger), and has no shrimp paste, making it completely vegan.
Is Thai Red Curry Paste Spicy?
Sometimes, yes. I find that Thai Kitchen is not very spicy, but I've tried some other brands from International stores and Asian markets that can be very spicy!
Can I Make Substitutions for This Recipe?
Yes! Here are some tips for substitutions:
- Vegetables: You can swap out these vegetables for different ones if you want.
- Protein: I've also made this with chicken and with shrimp instead of the chickpeas.
- Thai Curry Paste: You won't be able to replicate this flavor perfectly, but a combination of ginger, lime juice, lime zest, cayenne, garlic, and maybe some coconut aminos or fish sauce can get you something pretty delicious and somewhat similar.
- Coconut Milk: I don't recommend skipping this! You can definitely use canned coconut milk for this recipe, but I highly recommend making your own creamy coconut milk if you've got the time! It is certainly cheaper and making it yourself is so rewarding!
This dish is fast, flavorful, and made in one pot! I can't wait for you to try it!
Vegetarian: Yep!
Paleo: No! But you can actually swap out the chickpeas for chicken and serve it with cauliflower rice or sweet potato noodles and it will be grain-free and Paleo.
PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!
Thai Red Curry Coconut Soup with Rice Noodles (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 4 servings rice noodles brown or white
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 large sweet bell pepper sliced into thin strips
- 1 large carrot sliced into thin strips (julienne peeler)
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger ~1 inch of ginger, grated
- 1-2 Tablespoons red Thai curry paste
- 1 can coconut milk about 1.5 cups
- 1 can chickpeas about 1.5 cups cooked
- optional garnish: lime wedges and cilantro
Instructions
- Follow package instructions for rice noodles. (Usually this means place rice noodles in shallow dish and cover with hot or boiling water. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain immediately and rinse with cold water. Set aside.)
- Sauté vegetables in coconut oil with salt for about 5 minutes, or until slightly soft. Add ginger, Thai curry paste, coconut milk, and drained chickpeas. Stir well.
- Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
- When ready to serve, divide the rice noodles among 4 bowls and top with the soup. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro, if you’ve got it!
Notes
Nutrition
This looks delicious! I'm all about easier versions of recipes. :)
Thanks Christy! It's easy & delicious, I promise!
Made this recipe the other night. Substituted the chickpeas for sliced carrots, and added chicken. It's a fantastic recipe. Definitely going to be my go-to from now on. Thanks so much!
Yum! Thanks Food Guy, glad you were able to adapt it to your tastes! Once when I was out of chickpeas I doubled the shiitake mushrooms and mixed in rotisserie chicken - also great!