Coconut Curry Soup with Crispy Tofu

This coconut curry soup with crispy tofu is filling, satisfying and extra healthy. It's dairy-free, gluten-free, and totally delicious! The crispy tofu acts just like croutons but with all the protein and a fraction of the carbs.

I'm a massive fan of soups with crunchy things in them — this spiced soup with roasted chickpeas is one of my favourite meals ever, and I do love my croutons in this lemon rice soup.

But since croutons have lots of carbs and I tend to sprinkle them generously on a bowl of soup, I started to look for other options to satisfy my need for crunchiness.

So it was only a matter of time until I came up with the idea of a coconut curry soup with crispy tofu, where the tofu is so crispy it's basically croutons.

Tofu is full of protein instead of carbs, not to mention extra delicious in a red Thai curry soup such as this.

Once you add it to the soup, it starts to absorb the flavours while remaining slightly crunchy, so you don't need any regular croutons.

What goes into this Thai soup?

Olive oil — You just need a tablespoon of extra virgin oil to saute the veggies, but if you don't cook with oil, you can substitute it with some vegetable stock.

Onions and red pepper — These veggies form the base of the soup and infuse it with lots of flavour. You can use red onion and green or yellow peppers instead.

Garlic — Fresh garlic is perfect for this soup, but if you don't have it, you can use frozen or jarred ready-chopped garlic instead. You can either crush or mince the fresh garlic for this soup, with crushed being the way to go if you want the soup to have a strong garlicky flavour.

Thai red paste — I use ready-made Thai red paste for this soup. The stuff from Blue Dragon is really good as it's not too fiery while still having a great flavour. Make sure the paste you choose is vegan, as not all of them are.

Chickpeas — Tinned chickpeas are super convenient to use in this Thai coconut curry soup. You can also use chickpeas that you've cooked from dry if you want.

Coconut milk — Full-fat coconut milk will make this soup extra creamy, but you can use the light version if you want to cut down on calories. The soup will lose some of its creaminess, though.

Kale — You can use your favourite leafy greens in this soup — kale, chard and spinach are all good choices. If you choose to go with spinach, you'll only need to cook it for a minute because it wilts so much quicker than kale.

How do you make crispy tofu?

Crispy tofu is so easy to make and you can have it ready in the time it takes to make the soup. You can make it as crunchy as you want.

Keep in mind that the tofu will soften in the soup, so it will need to be on the crunchier side if you want it to be a bit like croutons.

Here's how to make crispy tofu.

• Preheat the oven at 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut the pressed tofu into 1-inch pieces (they will shrink in the oven) and transfer it to a medium mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Toss to combine, then transfer the tofu to the prepared baking sheet. Arrange it in an even layer and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and crispy, tossing it halfway.
• If you want it extra crispy, add 10 more minutes to the baking time.

How do you make the coconut curry soup?

• Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottom pan such as a Dutch oven and saute the onions and pepper for 3-5 minutes over medium heat until softened.
• Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes until fragrant. Stir in the Thai red paste and chickpeas and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Next, add the chopped tomatoes and coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the kale and cook for a further 3 minutes. Serve topped with the baked tofu bits and freshly chopped coriander if you like.

Extra recipe notes and tips

• I like to keep the tofu neutral in flavour, which is why I make it with just a bit of olive oil. However, you can marinate it in a mix of soy sauce ( 4 tablespoons) and garlic ginger paste (1 tablespoon) for extra flavour.
• You can also skip the baked tofu step for an even quicker meal — the soup still tastes great without it.
• The soup will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can also make a big pot and freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months.
• This Thai curry soup is highly adaptable and you can add some extra veggies to bulk it up. Sweet potatoes and mushrooms are just two ideas. If you're not a vegan, you can also make it with chicken.

If you liked this coconut curry soup with crispy tofu, have a look at some of my other vegan soup recipes:

Vegan White Bean Soup with Rosemary and Garlic

Easy Barley Soup with Vegetables

Vegan Harira (Moroccan Chickpea and Lentil Soup)

Creamy Spiced Chickpea Soup with Coconut and Lime

Vegan Lemon Rice Soup

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