This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
When I traveled to Thailand, I was always in awe of how the locals could mix fresh ingredients in one pot and produce the most aromatic, flavorful dishes. With this easy Coconut Curry Soup, I did my best to capture just a sliver of the authentic bowls I had on my travels. All I have to do is close my eyes while I eat this, and I am instantly transported back to hot days and tropical beaches.
Why You’ll Love Coconut Curry Soup
- Quick: This coconut Curry Soup only takes 10 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to make.
- Colorful: If you want a dish that will wow your family and friends, this is it! This coconut curry soup is so beautiful, with its colorful broth and toppings.
- Flavorful: Curry is supposed to be jammed with flavor, and this does not fall short. This soup is so damn delicious!
Ingredients
Fresh Ingredients – Have you ever walked down the “ethnic” food aisle at the grocery store only to find pre-packaged and boxed curry and noodle bowls? Please, friends, quickly divert your eyes and get out of Aisle 10! Skip the packaged curry mixes and go straight for the produce section! Fresh vegetables, aromatics, and herbs are the secret to creating authentic depth and rich flavors in this coconut curry soup. The vibrant colors and textures of butternut squash, peppers, and fresh herbs create a bowl that’s as beautiful as it is delicious.
Maria Koutsogiannia
Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.
Nutritional Yeast – This nutty-tasting deactivated yeast is a plant-based eater’s cheesy dream, making its way to the main stage of trendy foods for good reason. It’s the perfect substitute for parmesan cheese. Sprinkle it on popcorn, mash it with potatoes, or add it anywhere you want that distinctive umami flavor. I keep my pantry stocked with Bob’s Red Mill nutritional yeast for all my vegan recipes. Beyond taste, this vegan superfood packs impressive nutrition: just 1/4 cup provides 8g of protein, 3g of fiber, and substantial B vitamins, including B-1, B-2, B-6, and B-12 (11.85mg, 9.70mg, 5.90mg, and 17.60mcg, respectively).
How to Make Coconut Curry Soup
- Into a large soup pot add your coconut oil and heat for 20-30 seconds on medium-low heat before adding your white onion. Sweat this out for around 5 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning.
- 2. Now add your peppers and cook for 1-2 minutes before adding your garlic, ginger, curry, and cumin. I let this cook for 3-5 minutes. The longer you let them cook, the more fragrant the soup. Now add your butternut squash, turn the heat to low, and pop the lid on for 5 minutes or until the squash is tender.
3. Remove lid, increase heat to high and add your red curry paste, desired seasoning to taste, chilli flakes, coconut milk, water, veggie stock paste, nutritional yeast, coconut aminos and tofu. Stir till everyone is well combined and then bring mixture to a boil.
4. Once bubbling, add your noodles and reduce heat. Cook your noodles as per the package instructions.
5. Serve this soup hot with fresh cilantro, lime, jalapeños and red onion!
Tips and Tricks
- Flavor Development: Let the aromatics (garlic, ginger, curry) cook for 3-5 minutes – the longer they cook, the more fragrant your Coconut Curry Soup.
- Squash: For tender butternut squash, cook it covered on low heat until it is just fork-tender.
- Noodles: Add noodles at the very end to prevent them from becoming soggy.
Substitutions
- Coconut Oil: Swap coconut oil for any kind of cooking oil. I recommend using olive oil or avocado oil.
- Coconut Milk: I promise this Coconut Curry Soup will not have a heavy coconut flavor, but you can always substitute another milk product.
- Coconut Aminos: This can be swapped with soy sauce for a similar flavour profile.
- Protein: If you aren’t on a vegetarian or vegan diet, swap for cooked chicken or beef.
Best served with
- Asian-Inspired Broccoli Salad
- Veggie Spring Rolls with Mango Salsa
- Rice Paper Rolls with Peanut Sauce
How to Store Leftovers
This will last for up to 5 days in a tight, sealed container in the fridge.
Common Questions
This vibrant curry noodle soup comes together so easily, and just like the street vendors in Thailand, all you need is one pot! You can have this simmering in the oven any day of the week, or you can bust it out for friends and family. Trust me, even the most timid curry-goer will enjoy this noodle bowl.
It does have a bit of a kick. If you like it less spicy, use less red curry paste and chili flakes.
Yes! Frozen butternut squash is a great time-saver and works perfectly in this Coconut Curry Soup. Add it directly to the pot without thawing—just adjust the cooking time slightly, as it may cook faster than fresh squash.
Rice noodles are traditional and hold up well in the broth, but you can also use ramen, udon, or even vermicelli. For a lower-carb option, try shirataki noodles or spiralized zucchini.
The combination creates complex flavor layers – curry powder provides aromatic spice notes while red curry paste adds depth, color, and authentic Thai flavor. Together, they create a more well-rounded and rich curry experience than either would alone.
Save this recipe for later
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 medium sized white onion, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 2 inch cube of ginger, grated or finely chopped – skin removed
- 1 tbsp. curry powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 cup butternut squash, cubed
- 3 tbsp. red curry paste
- season to taste
- ½ tsp chili flakes – add as little or as much as you’d like
- 1 can coconut milk
- 4-6 cups boiling water, more if you find the soup is too thick
- 2 tsp. veggie stock paste
- 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast – I used Bob’s Red Mill
- 1 tbsp. coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 cup cubed tofu, optional
- 45 g uncooked vermicelli rice noodles
- garnish with: fresh cilantro, lime, jalapeños pepper and red onion
Instructions
Start Cooking- Into a large soup pot add your coconut oil and heat for 20-30 seconds on medium-low heat before adding your white onion. Sweat this out for around 5 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning.
- Now add your peppers and cook for 1-2 minutes before adding your garlic, ginger, curry and cumin. I let this cook for 3-5 minutes. The longer you let them cook, the more fragrant the soup. Now add your butternut squash, turn heat to low and pop the lid on for 5 minutes or until the squash is tender.
- Remove lid, increase heat to high and add your red curry paste, desired seasoning to taste, chilli flakes, coconut milk, water, veggie stock paste, nutritional yeast, coconut aminos, brown sugar and tofu. Stir till everything is well combined and then bring mixture to a boil.
- Once bubbling add your noodles and reduce heat. Cook your noodles as per package instructions.
- Serve this soup hot with fresh cilantro, lime, jalapeños and red onion!
- Enjoy!!
Notes
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill
143 people are discussing this recipe.
This recipe is YUMMY! I added sambal and some lemongrass to it and used soba noodles and it was delicious!
Oh wow, what great additions!! Thanks for the comment. This will hopefully inspire other to try some different versions of this recipe!!
I tried this recipe this week it was so delicious! Easy to make and took no time at all. I topped the soup with everything suggested, it took the soup to the next level! I used Thai kitchen red curry paste, I put a few extra tablespoons in. I will be making this again!!! Thank you Maria !
Hey Melanie!!! this is amazing, thanks for letting me know. So glad you loved it and thanks for your support on the recipe!
We loved this as a whole family, had for our tea and even the littles lapped it up, saw that someone added a splash of lime, I think will do that next time 🙂 could I ask, will this freeze ? thank you and I’m looking forward to trying some more of your recipes 🙂 xxx
Hello beauty!!! Yes the recipe calls for lime with your garnish!!! Totally do it next time! Someone else asked me if it would freeze and Andrew and I ate it so fast the first time I don’t have an answer for you but I can remake it soon and let you know. If you try it please let us know too!!!!
I loved the flavor!!! It was so simple to make too. I’ll be adding this to my weekly rotation, the whole family really enjoyed it. Thank you so much!
Hello Holly!!! Oh thank you so much this makes me so happy!!! Thanks for your support.
This recipe was super easy– essentially chop the ingredients and put them in the pot. I’ve tried other curry recipes, but none of them compared to this one. So delicious, flavorful, creamy yet fresh tasting. My boyfriend even complimented me by saying it was better than our local, go-to Thai place! Will be using this recipe over and over again!
Hey Brittany! ok, wow, this makes me so damn happy!!! I can’t believe he liked it THAT much. I mean I knew it was incredible but that’s an amazing compliment. Thanks for all your support and trying all my recipes! You should try my “black bean meat balls” next!
This was one of the most delicious + easy curry dishes I have made. I couldn’t stop eating it! Didn’t have butternut squash, so I used baby potatoes- I pre roasted them, before added them to the dish, to keep cook time around the same.
Oh hey!!!!! Yes, this is amazing. That’s a great substitute. So glad you enjoyed it Lindsay!!!
Thank you so much food this recipe Maria! It is simply delicious. I’m going to make it again tomorrow. Just to practise the recipe 😉
Really delicious! My curry powder is spicier than I realized so I added a few tablespoons of peanut butter to mellow it out. It paired really well and would do the same next time! Great meal
Hey Kathleen, so glad you figured out how to balance that out. I hate it when that happens. Thanks for sharing the love xx
Hey Monika!!! Yes, this makes me so happy!!! Enjoy practicing the recipe 😉
Made it for dinner tonight, but added mushrooms and zucchini to it – and used soy sauce instead of coconut aminos because I didn’t have that. It was so simple and delicious. I was so proud of myself, though I should probably be crediting you and the recipe instead. Will definitely be adding this one to the meal prep roster.
hahah YESSS! This is amazing. Oh, don’t worry about crediting me!! Give yourself all the credit. Thanks for making this recipe!!
Such an authentic and delicious recipe!!! I loved it finished with a squeeze of lime! We will be making this soup again and again, thank you Maria!
Thank you so much Olivia!!! So glad you loved it!
I tried this recipe tonight for supper and it was simple and delicious! The cilantro, red onion, and lime (I skipped the jalapenos) on top elevated the whole thing. I didn’t add any addition spices, not even salt, and I used Thai kitchen red curry paste. Definitely adding this recipe to my regular soup rotation!
Hello beauty!!!! Thank you so much for the love here . I love this recipe so much and I am glad you did too. Your support means everything.