Are you in the mood for a creamy, comforting coconut soup? Well then, a vegan tom kah is just the ticket. Simple to make and appropriately spicy, each well-rounded bite of this unctuous chickpea, carrot and jalapeño-filled bowl of coconut-curry goodness will have you smiling from the inside. Break out your soup pots and prepare for an absolutely mind-blowing chickpea vegan tom kah soup!
What’s Tom Kha?
Simply stated, it’s a Thai coconut soup.
I’m not sure if my take of Vegan Tom Kha is very authentically Thai, so if that’s what you’re looking for, then this might not be the recipe for you.
But what I do know is that this soup was extraordinarily delicious and homey – as all soups should be! There were no leftovers afterwards – what better testament to any dish than that?
Chickpeas, Please
I debated what ought to be the central protein point of this vegan tom kah for a time. Initially, I thought some pressed and fried tofu might be good, but it seemed too much of a bother, and I was wondering whether tofu would stand out in the pale broth.
Unsure, I invoked the chickpea.
You know the saying: when it doubt, chickpea it out…Well, nobody says that, but they should. These little beans are an amazing ingredient, and they’re almost always a welcome addition to any soup or salad. Check out the category, Everything Chickpeas, to see an inkling of the garbanzo’s versatility.
They gave this vegan tom kah a beautiful focal point, a nice bite, and – surprise, surprise – some wonderfully healthy plant-based protein.
The best canned chickpeas to use for this vegan tom kah recipe, as well as for anything else where you need them, is S&W Garbanzo beans! They’re almost always extremely flavorful and full-bodied, and you can find them in most grocery stores.
Aromatics: to strain or not to strain?
A lot of tom kah recipes will have you straining out the garlic, onion, ginger, and all the other delicious bits of veg that give this soup not only flavor but also aroma.
As for me, I don’t really see the point. I’m not bothered by the minced ginger or garlic or shallot, and so I simply left them in. I didn’t notice that they hindered my experience of eating this soup significantly, and it saved me the additional step of passing the soup through a sieve.
If you want to be more traditional in your approach to this soup, feel free to strain out the ginger, shallot and garlic before adding the lemon grass, carrots, jalapeños and chickpeas. Doing this means that you’ll have a smoother soup overall. Indeed, if you do decide to strain, you may sauté the garlic in whole cloves and the ginger and shallot in bigger slices, so that you can fish out the aromatics much more easily.
It’s really up to you. This is your vegan tom kah, after all.
Making the Soup Your Own
There are numerous ways to alter this vegan tom kah recipe to make this soup truly your own. Here are a couple options:
- Instead of jalapeños, you can use Thai chilis for more authenticity, or bell peppers for less spiciness.
- Instead of red curry paste, use can use a different color or combination of curry, or none at all!
- Instead of chickpeas (gasp!), you could use mushrooms or tofu. Fungi probably take a little bit longer to cook in the broth, and tofu takes longer to prepare beforehand (pressing and/or frying).
I would whole-heartedly recommend that, however you make this vegan tom kah, that you do make it! It’s quite delicious, stores well in the fridge as leftovers (assuming there are any), and can be easily customized to your particular penchant.
So perhaps on the next colder, windier day, rather than on one with sweltering summer heat, you break out your soup pots and get to tom kha’ing.
Chickpea Tom Kah Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, finely diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (13.66-ounce) can of coconut milk, lite or regular both work
- 1 stalk of lemon grass
- 1 large carrot, cut into about ¼-inch thick half-moons
- 2 jalapeños, de-seeded and cut into circles or half-moons
- 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas, drained and thoroughly rinsed
- 2 – 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
- 2 – 3 teaspoons mild red curry paste, or to taste
- Lime wedge, pea sprouts, or fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat, and then sauté the shallot, garlic, and ginger for a minute or two, until fragrant and just beginning to turn brown. Then, add the broth and coconut milk, as well as the lemon grass stalk. Turn up the heat slightly, and bring to a steady boil, and allow this to simmer for a couple minutes.
- (Optional Step): After the soup has been simmering for a couple minutes, you can strain out the ginger, shallot and garlic bits with a fine sieve if you wish, but I leave them in because I don't mind the texture.
- Next, add the carrots and jalapeños, and cook them in the simmering broth until tender. This should take about 10 – 15 minutes. About 5 minutes before the carrots are done, add the chickpeas.
- Lastly, just before serving, add the lime juice and red curry paste, and stir until incorporated.
- Serve the tom kha with some fresh lime wedge, pea sprouts, or cilantro.
Video
Nutrition
I hope that you enjoyed this vegan tom kah recipe. If you did, please leave me a comment and/or recipe rating before you go.
Also, if you enjoy chickpeas in soup, check out this Lemon Orzo Soup with “CheatBalls,” A.K.A. Chickpea Meatballs.
May you have good food in good company,
That Vegan Nephew
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Really tasty soup on a cold, rainy, Northwest day. I like the spice level, sweetness of the carrots, and tenderness of the chickpeas. Lovely.