This coconut curry soup is a great way to incorporate more veggies into your diet in a scrumptious way! More over it is a one pot meal that can be prepped ahead and made fresh even on a busy weekday. Make it your way with or without meat Plant-Based
Planning to start the new year off healthy? Well, you are in the right place. Not only is it healthy, but it is also easy to make and perfect for the COLD weather. Man, it is COLD outside.
I love this coconut curry soup on a cold evening. It is one recipe that can accommodate a vegan, a vegetarian, or someone who does not think a meal is complete without meat. One-stop-shop that caters to all
A recipe that uses all these colors and more – I left out all yellow and orange peppers – is just what you need to get more veggies into every day diet easily. So how do you do it?
Main Components of Coconut Curry Soup
Coconut curry soup takes inspiration from the Asian flavors and noodle soup shops. There are two main components
- Soup Base or the fragrant liquid that binds everything together
- Everything else – protein, veggies, herbs , noodles or as I call it the RAINBOW
These two parts come together at the table. Sounds simple doesn’t it ?
The beauty of it is that all the prep work can be done in advance, even the serving bowls filled with fresh veggies and herbs can be prepped ahead of time and refrigerated. Come dinnertime, pour the piping hot soup base right into the bowls!
Note : If there is a salmonella outbreak, or there health concerns, or you don’t want to eat anything uncooked, just add all the RAINBOW into the into the hot soup pot and simmer for a couple minutes.
Advantages to Assembling the Soup at the Table
- The veggies stay crunchy
- The colors of the rainbow just pops – in other words purple cabbage stays purple, and the broccoli stays deep green !
Looking for more soup ideas ?
Base for the Coconut Curry Soup
The soup base is made with curry powder, coconut milk and chicken/vegetable stock. Use your favorite version of curry powder or use the spice blend in the recipe.
Use a mild curry powder. The curry powder is used to flavor the soup, but blend into the coconut milk. It should bind all the elements together and not overpower.
Protein
Feel free to add your own choice of protein to the bowls. Chose any, all or none of the following
- Firm Tofu – press and get as much water out as possible, slice and pan fry.
- Chicken – slice thin and add to the broth as it is reheated/cooks or use pre cooked shredded chicken
- Shrimp/Scallops – clean and pat dry. Shallow fry them until they just turn pink.
- White Fish – slice very thin and pour the hot soup over it. Frankly I am not a fan of fish in this soup. But yes, it is an option .
Veggies
Use a variety of fresh crunchy vegetables that you can eat row. Here are a few options
- Carrots – Shredded or sliced thin
- Cucumber – sliced about ½ inch thick
- Cabbage – shredded
- Broccoli – Florets
- Cherry tomatoes
- Bell Pepper – Sliced thin
- Bean Sprouts
Carbs
Adding noodles to the soup is the easiest way to make it into a one pot meal. Cook the noodles separately and add to the bowl. The recipe uses rice noodles, but you can make use your favorite noodles – rice noodles, wheat noodles, glass noodles, or lentil noodles.
Another option is to add starchy vegetables like potatoes or yams . Cook them separately before adding to the soup.
Herbs and Spices
- Chilies – Use Thai chilies, jalapenos or any others that you like. For spicier soup slice or slit the chilies. Leave them out for milder versions.
- Lemons/Lime
- Basil – Freshly washed sprigs
- Scallions
- Cilantro
Eat the Rainbow Coconut Curry Soup
Ingredients
- 7 oz Rice Noodles Notes
For the broth
- 1 Shallot minced
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced
- ½ in Ginger minced
- 1 Can Coconut milk full fat
- 6 C Veg/Chicken stock
- 1 Tbsp Curry powder store bought / use recipe below
- Salt To Taste
Protein (Pick 1 )
- 2 C Thinly sliced Chicken Breasts
- 1 C Thinly sliced fish Any white fish fillets (Notes)
- ½ lb Shrimp / scallops
- 1 lb Firm Tofu cubed
Vegetables
- 2 C Broccoli Florets
- 2 C Shredded Purple cabbage
- 1 C Sliced carrots
- 1 C Bean Sprouts
- 1 C Bell pepper/Tomatoes/Cucumbers
To garnish
- A few Cilantro / Fresh basil / Spring onions
- Lemon wedges
- Sliced chilies
For Curry Powder
- 2 Tsp coriander
- 1 Tsp Cumin
- 1 Tsp Turmeric
- ½ Tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ Tsp Nutmeg
- ½ Tsp Black Pepper
- ½ Tsp Cayenne optional
Instructions
Cook the protein
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. If using tofu/chicken/shrimp/scallops pat it dry and add to the pan. Cook until the meat turn opaque or the tofu begin to brown. Turn and cook the other side. Remove and reserve.
Make the broth
- In the same pan add 1 to 2 tbsp more oil if needed. When hot add shallots , ginger and garlic. Cook until the shallots turn soft. Add the curry powder and cook for 30 more seconds. Add the coconut milk and mix in. Once the coconut milk is warm add the stock. Cover and let it simmer for 30 mins. Taste and adjust salt.
To serve
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions
- Heat the broth to boiling.
- Portion the noodles, the protein of choice and vegetables into serving bowls. Pour the hot soup broth over it. Garnish and serve immediately.
For the curry powder
- Mix all the spices lisgted under curry powder and store in an airtight container.
Notes
Important: Nutrition Values are estimates. Actuals vary based on ingredients and serving size.
Need more easy dinner ideas ?
- Curried Salmon With Spinach
- Easy Chicken Curry
- Shakshuka – Eggs never tasted better !
- Penne With Chicken and Veggies