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.
"Few soups come together this quickly and have this much flavor. Make sure you have extra soy sauce, fresh lime, sugar, and chili sauce on hand to adjust the broth to your taste before serving. I especially like soft or silken tofu for this dish." —Laurel Randolph
Ingredients
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10 ounces dried flat wheat or rice noodles
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6 cups vegetable stock
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1 stalk lemongrass (minced), or 1/4 cup frozen prepared lemongrass
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1 thumb-sized piece galangal or ginger (sliced into matchstick pieces)
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3 makrut lime leaves, optional
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2 carrots, sliced
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1 head broccoli (chopped into florets including stems)
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2 cups bok choy or Chinese cabbage, chopped into bite-size pieces
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1/2 can (6 to 7 ounces) coconut milk
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8 ounces soft or firm tofu (cut into cubes)
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3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, or to taste
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2 sliced chilies or Thai chili sauce (Nam Prik Pao), to taste, optional
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1/2 lime, or more to taste
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1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste, optional
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1/4 cup fresh basil or cilantro (roughly chopped if leaves are large)
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Cook the noodles according to package instructions.
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Cover and set aside to keep warm.
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Pour the stock into a soup pot and add the lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, and carrots.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium to simmer.
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Add the broccoli and bok choy and simmer until the vegetables have softened but are still bright in color, about 5 minutes.
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Remove the lime leaves. Reduce the heat and add the coconut milk, stirring to dissolve.
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Add the tofu, stirring gently so it doesn't fall apart.
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Add the soy sauce and stir to combine.
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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.
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Squeeze in the juice from half a lime. Do a taste test, adding more soy sauce if not salty enough and more lime juice if desired. If too sour for your taste, add up to a teaspoon of sugar.
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Portion out the noodles into bowls.
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Pour several ladles of soup over each bowl of noodles. Sprinkle with fresh basil or cilantro and serve with more chili sauce on the side, if desired.
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.
How to Store
Store any leftover broth and vegetables separate from the noodles, if possible. It will keep a couple of days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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509 | Calories |
15g | Fat |
82g | Carbs |
17g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 509 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 15g | 19% |
Saturated Fat 10g | 49% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 1880mg | 82% |
Total Carbohydrate 82g | 30% |
Dietary Fiber 7g | 26% |
Total Sugars 6g | |
Protein 17g | |
Vitamin C 94mg | 468% |
Calcium 345mg | 27% |
Iron 7mg | 39% |
Potassium 1155mg | 25% |
*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. |