Tofu Tom Yum, Vegan Thai Noodle Soup
This traditional Thai soup — called tofu tom yum — has a thin broth brimming with refreshing citrusy flavours, balanced umami, rich saltiness, creamy undernotes, and subtle sweetness. I’ve opted to serve it with delicate rice vermicelli noodles and crispy tofu, which adds protein, texture, and a mild nutty taste.
When hot summer days come visiting, my appetite leans away from heavier, warming meals. Instead, I find myself longing for the fresh, light, and vibrant flavours of warmer countries.
I first came across this delicious meal when ordering from a local restaurant. I know instantly i have to recreate it and share it with my readers!
I haven’t visited Thailand (yet!) but as a certified foodie, the distinctively sour, sweet, and salty flavours of classic Thai dishes such as tofu pad Thai, vegetable Thai curry, and now tofu tom yum, have caught my attention. There’s just nothing else like it out there.
After recipe-testing for months, I finally perfected a tofu tom yum recipe that captures the beautiful traditional flavours. It’s got sweetness from quartered tomatoes, silky nuttiness from a splash of coconut milk, fiery heat from red chilli paste, saltiness from the vegetarian fish sauce (yes, it exists!), and hints of peppery citrus from galangal, lemongrass, fresh lime leaves, vibrant cilantro, and lime juice. The complexity of flavour you can achieve with very little work is astounding.
Is Tofu Tom Yum Soup Vegan, Gluten Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, and Soy-Free?
Tom Yum Soup is usually not vegetarian, as it includes fish sauce and often additional seafood. However, this recipe is a different kettle of fish (get it?). I’ve adapted it to be vegan, nut-free, and dairy-free. Tofu is the main protein, which happens to be naturally vegan and vegetarian.
To make Tofu Tom Yum gluten-free, make sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce (most brands actually include wheat by default), or Japanese tamari. Additionally, do check the ingredients on your vegetable stock cubes, as these are sometimes not suitable for those with a gluten intolerance either.
To make Tofu Tom Yum soy-free, you’ll have to swap out tofu (made with soybeans) for something else or omit it entirely for a vegetable-based Tom Yum soup, which is equally as tasty. Additionally, exchange soy sauce for coconut aminos.
What is Tom Yum Soup?
Tom Yum soup is a sweet, sour, and spicy soup with classic Thai flavours. In Thai, “tom” refers to the process of boiling the broth, while “yum” means “mixed,” relating to the depth of flavour profiles. It’s easy to remember the name because the soup is yummy! It’s made with a fragrant, aromatic broth packed with healthy spices, vegetables, and umami-filled ingredients. Traditionally, the dish usually includes seafood — most commonly, prawns — although the one we’ll be making today is vegan, and therefore utilizes delicious crispy tofu instead.
The meal is incredibly light and refreshing, making it perfect for the hot weather of the summer months. I choose to serve my Tom Yum soup with vermicelli rice noodles, although it’s also wonderful spooned over rice, or eaten directly as a broth. Let me know which you opt for in the comments below!
What is Tom Yum Soup Broth Made Of?
A fantastic Tom Yum soup that packs a real depth of flavour is all dependent on the soup broth. It’s full of aromatics such as galangal, garlic, shallots, chilli peppers, and lemongrass. Let’s look at a more in-depth explanation of all the ingredients:
- Vegetable Stock: Using vegetable stock as opposed to water helps give your broth a rounder, more full-bodied flavour. I like to use Knorr Vegetable Stock Cubes dissolved in water, but you can use your favourite liquid stock too.
- Lemongrass: Provides a distinctive citrus taste, with the sharpness of ginger. It’s a valuable aromatic to use in Thai food, and I recommend using it fresh. Simply peel and cut into two.
- Galangal or Ginger: Galangal is another common aromatic in Thai foods, and well worth seeking out. It’s similar to ginger but has a sharper, spicer flavour profile. If you can’t obtain galangal, substitute it for ginger and an extra pinch of black pepper.
- Garlic Cloves: Crush the garlic to release its flavour, and when cooked in the broth, it will add a gorgeous aroma and pungency to the soup.
- Shallot or Onion: The milder subtleness of shallot is the more authentic flavour, but if you can’t get hold of them, substitute for yellow onions.
- Fresh Tomato: The sweetness from fresh tomatoes is an essential component of Tom Yum soup.
- Chili Powder or Paste: You can use store-bought chilli paste, make your own with dried chilis, or in a pinch, use dried red chilli powder.
- Ground Black Pepper: Just a small pinch of black pepper elevates the other flavours. You can skip this, but I highly recommend the addition if you’ve substituted ginger for galangal.
- Sugar: While it may seem odd to use sugar in a spicy broth, Tom Yum soup is actually a balance of flavours: Spicy, Sour, and Sweet. Sugar mellows out the spice and provides a gentle depth in the background.
- Dark Soy Sauce: A small amount goes a long way to adding that essential umami.
- Vegetarian Fish Sauce: Fish sauce is an important ingredient in traditional Thai Tom Yum soup, but of course, it’s not vegetarian. Most Chinese supermarkets in metropolitan cities offer vegetarian alternatives, or you can order them online. If you really can’t find it, add a little extra soy sauce, salt, and a piece of dried seaweed (wakame) to enhance the taste of the sea.
- Kaffir Lime Leaves: Use the fresh kaffir lime leaves whole, just so they impart their fragrance into the dish. It’s a distinctively citrusy, tart, and punchy flavour with peppery notes. The best substitute would be lime zest, but it’s worth specifically seeking them out for Thai recipes.
- Lime Juice: Tom Yum soup is deliciously sour, and lime juice is the perfect addition to bring that sharp acidity.
- Salt: This should be added to taste.
- Coconut Milk: You can leave out coconut milk for a much spicer version. My personal preference is a slightly mellower soup broth with hints of coconut flavouring.
Phew! That’s a long list, and it can seem overwhelming. While there are a lot of ingredients, it’s easy to slowly build up a pantry of useful ingredients by assessing the ones you require most often and heading to an Asian supermarket. In this case, while it may seem like too many ingredients, the method is really simple, so please don’t be put off.
Tips to make the Best Vegan Tofu Tom Yum Soup
- Press the tofu! This small step may add extra time to your prep, but it’s worth it. Pressing tofu has several advantages, mainly texturally. Tofu generally has a lot of excess moisture, and when we press that out, we compact the texture, making it more robust and ‘meaty’. This, in turn, improves the crispness when fried and allows the tofu to absorb the flavours of the broth much better. Although you can use a makeshift tofu press with two plates and anything weighted, if you cook with the ingredient often I recommend investing in a tofu press.
- Prep the lemongrass properly. You’ll get a much better flavour out of the lemongrass if you remove the outermost dry layer. Some people crush the lemongrass so it releases more flavor, or cut it into large pieces. Either works for this recipe.
- Don’t skimp on the aromatics. Galangal, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, and chilli paste add so much flavour. Although we’ve already got a great base with vegetable stock, these infuse all the gorgeous flavours Thai food is known for.
- Season to taste. Tom Yum soup has a lot of different flavours going on — spicy, sour, salty, and sweet. Getting the balance right is integral to the recipe. Everyone has different tastes, so I highly recommend tasting the broth as you cook and adjusting it as you see fit. Bear in mind that after adding coconut milk the flavours will mellow out slightly, so add extra lime juice, vegetarian fish sauce, or sugar at the end.
- Don’t overcook the vegetables. You can use whatever vegetables you like, but be sure to cook them al dente. A little bite of the vegetables really enhances the fresh flavours and textural play between the smooth, creamy broth, soft noodles, and crispy tofu.
- Garnish, garnish, garnish. Adding freshly chopped cilantro (coriander) and green onions (spring onions) add the end will help the other flavors to sing.
This Recipe Is …
Tofu Tom Yum, Vegan Thai Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For the Tofu*
- 1 litre oil to deep fry**
- 160 g extra firm tofu pressed and cut into triangles
- 2 tablespoons cornflour cornstarch in the U.S.
For the Tom Yum Broth
- 1 litre water**
- 1 vegetable stock cube**
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 5 leaves kaffir lime
- ½ inch fresh galangal substitute for ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot quartered, substitute for white onion
- 1 teaspoon chilli paste add more to taste
- black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 lime, juiced add more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons vegan fish sauce add more to taste
- 1 large tomato quartered
- 40 g carrot peeled and sliced
- 20 g green beans
- 40 g mushrooms quartered
- 200 ml coconut milk****
For the Noodles
- 80 g fine rice noodles
- boiling water to soak noodles
To Garnish the Tofu Tom Yum Soup
- 1 handful fresh coriander cilantro, chopped, to garnish
- 2 green onions finely sliced, to garnish
- bird's eye chillies sliced, to garnish
- ½ lime quartered
Instructions
Fry the Tofu
- Skip this step if using tofu puffs. You can also at raw tofu in the soup (it will heat in the broth). If you want to fry your own tofu, you can air-fry, shallow-fry, deep-fry, or even bake. These instructions are for deep-frying.
- Preheat 1 litre oil to 180℃ (356℉). Cut 160 g extra firm tofu into cubes or triangles and place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle over 2 tablespoons cornflour and gently shake the bowl to coat the tofu.
- Once the oil comes to temperature, carefully add the tofu. Fry until golden brown, then turn off the heat. Drain any excess oil and set aside until later.
Make the Tom Yum Broth
- To a large stockpot over medium heat, add 1 litre water** and 1 vegetable stock cube**. Remove the outer layer of 2 stalks lemongrass and cut them into two. Add these to the stock. Tear 5 leaves kaffir lime, and add these too, along with ½ inch fresh galangal , 3 cloves garlic, 1 shallot, and 1 teaspoon chilli paste. Stir, and then wait until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Once the broth boils, strain it into another pan through a metal sieve or cheesecloth. Discard the aromatics, and put the clear broth back on to cook and medium heat.
- Season the clear broth with black pepper and salt to taste. Next, add 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 lime, juiced, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, and 4 teaspoons vegan fish sauce. Taste the broth and adjust as needed.
- Once the broth is seasoned, add the vegetables: 1 large tomato (quartered), 40 g carrot (sliced), 20 g green beans (trimmed), and 40 g mushrooms (quartered). Cook the vegetables until al-dente, which should take around five minutes.
- Turn the heat to low-medium, then add 200 ml coconut milk**** and the fried tofu.
Make the Rice Noodles
- Add 80 g fine rice noodles to a large, heatproof bowl or saucepan. Pour over enough boiling water to cover the noodles completely. Leave them to sit for two minutes, then drain.
Assemble and Garnish the Tom Yum Soup
- Add a portion of noodles to a deep ramen or soup bowl. Ladle over the broth and vegetables. Repeat for the remaining bowls. Garnish to taste with 1 handful fresh coriander, 2 green onions, bird's eye chillies, and ½ lime, quartered.
Loved it, going to make twice the quantity next time and hope there’s left overs. Well thought out recipe and I liked all the extra information and tips.
This recipe is a testament to what tofu can be when it’s prepared correctly. I have to be honest, I usually hate tofu. I decided to give this one a try, though. Long story short, I don’t know what was done with the tofu dish that made me hate it in the first place, but this is delicious!
It’s very apt that “yum” is in the name of this dish. This looks absolutely delicious! I’m definitely giving this one a try.
The recipe sounds delicious, especially for those who enjoy Thai cuisine and are looking for a flavorful vegetarian option. The step-by-step instructions along with the photos make it seem quite doable, even for someone who might not be an expert in the kitchen.
Thank you Ramil! I’m so glad you found the instructions helpful. Making the vegan mushroom wontons can seem intimidating, but it’s actually really easy. And super delicious!
Great recipe. Sounds wonderful and yummy. I can’t eat Thai food in restaurants because they always put MSG in it. But if I make my own…
I know the feeling, Richard. I generally avoid Thai restaurants as they put fish sauce in vegetarian dishes. The best thing about cooking at home is that you can adapt the recipes however you like them! This tofu tom yum soup is super easy and has NO MSG!
I’ve never had sour soup. I’d like to try the Tom Yum soup.
It’s worth trying, Rosey! The tofu tom yum soup has a perfectly balanced sweet, spicy, and sour flavor that makes it really moreish.
Crispy Tofu Yum Yum! Where I am based right now I don’t have access to many good Asian Restaurants. So I’m loving this recipe.
I know that feeling, Karletta! Hopefully the recipes on Oh My Veg help you to recreate your favorite Asian restaurant dishes at home, including this tofu tom yum!
Wow, your description of the Tom Yum soup has my mouth watering! It sounds like the perfect meal for hot summer days, and I love how you’ve added rice vermicelli noodles and crispy tofu for some extra texture and protein. I also appreciate how you’ve taken the time to perfect the recipe and capture all the complex flavours. I can’t wait to try it out myself! Thank you for sharing your delicious creation with us.
The food looks so delicious, it makes me hungry! This food is so new to me
Learning a new cuisine can be overwhelming when everything is new to you. But if you take it slowly, it can be such a rewarding experience! Thai food, including tofu tom yum soup, is really delicious, you’re right.
Ooh! This sounds so healthy and delicious. I’d love to try it as a new dinner option. Yum!
Yes, it’s surprisingly light and healthy! Especially with all the extra vegetables and vegan protein from tofu. Please try it out and let me know what you think.
I like the Tom Yum Soup. And I’m sure this is one of the best vegan dishes. Looks so good. I want to try it with instant noodle.
This is so yummy, never tried it before but would love to make it or the first time. Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe!
This is yummy, love the look and how colorful it is. I would love to try this for te first time. Thank you for sharing!