Best Vegan Tom Yum Soup 🌱 A bright, flavorful hot & sour Thai soup abundant with fresh veggies, tofu, lemongrass, spicy chiles, fresh lime & other vegan ingredients. Your taste buds are going to say "yum yum" with this delicious & nutritious plant-based soup! Oil-free and gluten-free.
Sometimes I crave for a bowl of vegan tom yum soup. There is just something about the citrusy tartness, flavors and colorful veggies that I adore.
The first time I tasted tom yum soup was at a small Thai restaurant in North Hollywood. I had ordered wonton soup and my husband decided to try something new, which of course, I had to sample. Let's just say, his tom yum won over my won ton. We were both hooked, immediately.
As soon as we returned home, John went on a quest to make his own tom yum soup. The challenge was, many of the key ingredients weren't items we kept on hand. In fact, some we hadn't ever heard of, like kaffir lime or galangal. After doing a bit of research, he visited a local Asian market and found the ingredients he needed. A couple hours later, he had a pot of simply the best vegan tom yum soup on the stove.
The first thing you should know is this soup is easier to prepare than it might appear. Yes, there are a lot of ingredients and steps, but each is simple and straightforward.
🥕Note: See the printable recipe card below for all the details.
Equipment
- 7 qt or larger soup pot
- Cutting board
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Kitchen knife
- Citrus juicer optional
- Citrus zester optional
- Veggie peeler
- Cutting board
- A tofu press or two cutting boards and some heavy cans as weights
- Long spoon
- Cheese cloth or sachet bag
Ingredients
Don't let the exotic-sounding ingredients scare you. Chances are, you've seen most of these in your grocery store and didn't know what they were! You should be able to find these ingredients at most Asian markets, organic produce stores or at many local supermarkets.
🥕Tip: Don't worry if you can't locate an ingredient - you can substitute it with something similar, such as:
- Galangal root - use ginger root
- Cilantro - use dried coriander
- Thai Chiles - use Chile de arbol (use fewer - they're HOT) or red pepper flakes
- Kaffir lime leaves - use dried/powdered Kaffir lime leaves
- Vegetable broth
- Vinegar - white
- Agave nectar - or sugar
- Bok choy
- Carrots
- Mushrooms
- Tomatoes
- Onion
- Lemongrass
- Limes
- Garlic
- Onion
- Tofu
Variations
🥕 There are lots of other great veggies/ingredients you can add to this soup! Go for it! Be creative!
- Baby corn
- Squash
- Water chestnuts
- Bean sprouts
- Broccoli florets
- Snow peas
- Green beans
- Rice noodles
- Steamed rice
For the batch of tom yum soup we made for this post, we didn't have tomatoes on hand, but we did have some mini squash, so we added those to the soup. They were delicious! Don't hesitate to add or switch out veggies in your ingredients. You really can't go wrong.
Instructions
🥕See the recipe card below for details on how to make vegan tom yum soup.
Finely dice onion & garlic.
Sauté onions & garlic in a small amount of water. Add more if needed.
Add broth & water.
Combine lime juice, zest, & vinegar. Add to broth.
Rinse and cut red peppers and lemongrass into strips.
Place lemongrass, peppers, lime leaves and seasonings on cheesecloth
Roll into a bundle (sachet) and tie with string.
Carefully drop sachet into hot broth.
Thoroughly rinse & drain bok choy.
Cut bok choy into quarters, then cut each in half.
Wash, peel, and slice carrots into rounds.
Add carrots and bok choy to soup broth.
Rinse mushrooms. Break apart into individual pieces.
Add mushrooms to broth.
Rinse and cut squash into bite-size pieces.
Add squash to soup broth.
Drain water from tofu. Cut into cubes.
Stir in tofu and any other add-in ingredients (like tomatoes, snow peas, etc.) to the soup broth. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Once veggies are tender, remove the sachet from the pot and serve!
Yum yum tom yum!
FAQ's
Tom yum soup is a spicy and sour soup that is popular in Thai cuisine. It is made with a variety of ingredients including lemongrass, lime juice, chili peppers, shrimp, and mushrooms.
According to Wikipedia, tom yum or tom yam, the words "tom yam" are derived from two Thai words. Tom refers to the boiling process, while yam refers to a Thai spicy and sour salad. Tom yum is characterised by its distinct hot and sour flavours, with fragrant spices and herbs generously used in the broth. The soup is also made with fresh ingredients such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lime juice, fish sauce, and crushed red chili peppers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_yum
With this vegan tom yum soup recipe, we omitted all the animal-derived ingredients, making it better for us, the animals and the planet!
Yes, tom yum soup is typically spicy due to the use of chili peppers in the recipe. However, the level of spiciness can vary depending on the recipe and the individual's preference.
Yes, tom yum soup can be made vegetarian or vegan by using vegetable broth and substituting the shrimp or other seafood with tofu or another protein source.
Tom yum soup is typically served hot and can be eaten on its own as a main dish or served alongside other Thai dishes. I like to add rice noodles to mine.
Tom yum soup can typically last for up to 3 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. It can also be frozen for up to 2-3 months when stored in a freezer-safe container.
Tom yum soup and tom kha soup are both popular Thai soups, but tom kha soup is typically made with coconut milk and has a creamier texture than tom yum soup.
This recipe for tom yum soup is gluten-free, however, depending on your sensitivity to gluten, it is important to read labels to make sure your ingredients have not been packaged on shared equipment. Always look for ingredients and products that are certified "gluten-free".
Love great soup? Check out these delish recipes!
- Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
- Great Homemade Vegan Wonton Soup
- Easy Vegan Lentil Veggie Soup
- Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup
- Vegan Rustic Vegetable Soup
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ please rate it in the comments below.
Thanks a bunch!🥕
Recipe
Best Vegan Tom Yum Soup
Equipment
- 7 qt or larger soup pot
- A tofu press or two cutting boards and a few heavy cans or books for weights
- Long spoon
- Cheese cloth or sachet bag
Ingredients
- ½ onion red or yellow, diced
- 6 cloves garlic diced
- 32 oz vegetable broth
- 6 cups water filtered
- 3 whole limes juiced
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 1 cup white vinegar
- ¼ cuo cilantro fresh, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried coriander
- 4-5 stalks lemongrass cut in 3" lengths
- 10-12 whole Thai chiles sliced and de-seeded
- 1 piece Galangal root
- 6 - 8 leaves Kaffir lime or 1 tablespoon dried Kaffir lime leaves
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar or brown sugar - optional
- 1 package tofu extra firm
- 8 - 12 whole baby bok choy thoroughly rinsed, quartered lengthwise, then cut ½
- 4 - 6 whole carrots peeled & sliced
- 1 cup mushrooms your choice
- 2 cups tomatoes fresh, firm tomatoes cubed into 1" - 2" pieces
- salt or pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place 7 qt. (or larger) soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and a small amount of water. Sauté until transparent.
- Add garlic, stir frequently making sure not to burn.
- Add vegetable broth and rest of water.
- Add lime juice and zest. Stir to combine.
- Add vinegar.
- Create sachet by placing cilantro, lemongrass, chiles, galangal root (or ginger), Kaffir lime leaves (or powder), in a food-safe sachet bag or, bundle in a piece of cheesecloth tied with string.
- Place sachet into broth and bring to a boil.
Tom Yum Veggies Tofu
- Drain tofu and cube into 1" pieces.
- Thoroughly wash and rinse bok choy. Slice in quarters lengthwise, then cut pieces in half.
- Wash & peel carrots, cut into bite-size pieces.
- Thoroughly wash and rinse mushrooms. Small mushrooms can be kept whole, larger mushrooms should be sliced.
- Cut tomatoes, and other optional veggies into large bite-size pieces.
- Add all to broth. Lower heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes - 1 hr.
- Remove sachet with tongs, squeezing out the excess liquid & flavor into the soup. Discard.
- Add extra agave/sugar or salt and pepper to taste, as desired.
- Serve soup hot, garnish with fresh cilantro.
Notes
- Galangal root - use ginger root
- Cilantro - use dried coriander
- Thai Chiles - use Chile de arbol (use less - they're HOT) or red pepper flakes
- Kaffir lime leaves - use dried/powdered Kaffir lime leaves
- Baby corn
- Water chestnuts
- Bean sprouts
- Broccoli florets
- Snow peas
- Green beans
- Rice noodles
- Steamed rice
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
JoAnne Lowe
Connie, this was just the best I've make yet! So flavorful and just the right blend of flavors and heat. Tastes even better the next day as the flavors mellow and the tofu absorbs the flavor. It took a while for me to gather the ingredients as the Asian store nearby has the same supply issues as the grocery stores, but the search was worth it and It was so so good!
When I have this in a restaurant I usually have rice with it and sometimes noodles. Thanks again for this familiar and loved taste made "legal"!
Connie Edwards McGaughy
Hi JoAnne! I'm so glad you made yourself a batch of Tom Yum! The list of ingredients can appear a bit daunting and good for you for persevering! I'm like you, I love having rice noodles with mine too. Thanks a bunch for sharing your experience and for the 5-star rating!💚🥕
Connie Edwards McGaughy
If you're in the mood for a flavorful soup full of bright intense flavor, fresh healthy ingredients and super satisfying - this is your recipe! 🌱