• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Loving It Vegan

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Free Ebook
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Free Ebook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Recipes
    • Free Ebook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Entrees

    Vegan Tom Yum Soup

    Published: May 28, 2019 Updated: Jul 4, 2022 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Vegan Tom Yum Soup

    This vegan tom yum soup has all the authentic flavor and spicy, sweet and sour tang you could dream of. Better than a restaurant. 

    Vegan tom yum soup with fresh cilantro in a black bowl with a spoon.

    We love Thai food. In fact Thailand has been our favorite holiday destination for pretty much our whole marriage. We first went there on honeymoon in 2007. 

    So Thai food is something that we never get tired of, and making homemade versions of dishes we’ve enjoyed many times at Thai restaurants is a bit of a side hobby. 

    So it was about time we made a vegan tom yum soup for this blog. 

    And this version is seriously delicious. It’s also really easy.

    It has some fancier ingredients like lemongrass and shiitake mushrooms (do shiitake mushrooms even count as ‘fancy’? I’m not sure), but it still manages to be really simple with a wonderfully authentic flavor. 

    Vegan tom yum soup in a black bowl with a spoon.

    How To Make Vegan Tom Yum Soup

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    Do you have a herb infuser? We JUST got one and I love this thing!

    Instead of having to fish the herbs that infuse your food – but that you are not supposed to eat – like sticks of lemongrass or bay leaves or whatever out of your food before serving, you just pop the herbs into this little thing, put it into your pot and then just lift it out when you’re ready. 

    So start off by cutting your lemongrass stalks in half (so you have 4 halves) and then add the lemongrass and lime leaves into your herb infuser. It’s helpful if you sort of smash the lemongrass stalks a bit with the back of your knife so that they are more inclined to release more flavors and then place them into the herb infuser. 

    Lemongrass placed into herb infuser.

    Then you just want to add coconut oil to a pot with chopped onion, crushed garlic, minced ginger and Thai red curry paste and sauté until the onions are softened. 

    Coconut oil, chopped onions, crushed garlic, minced ginger and Thai red curry paste added to pot and sautéed.

    Add vegetable stock, chopped tomatoes and coconut cream along with your herb infuser. 

    Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes letting those herbs do all their delicious infusing! Then you can remove the herb infuser and carry on with the rest of the dish. 

    If you don’t have a herb infuser, don’t worry, you’ll just have to fish out the stalks of lemongrass and the lime leaves the old fashioned way, using a spoon! 

    Vegetable stock, chopped tomatoes and coconut cream added to pot with herb infuser and simmered.

    Add soy sauce, lime juice and all your sliced shiitake mushrooms. Bring back to the boil and cook for around 3 minutes. 

    Soy sauce, lime juice and shiitake mushrooms added to pot and simmered.

    Turn down to a simmer and add coconut sugar, sliced cherry tomatoes and tofu and leave it to simmer for around 5 minutes. 

    Coconut sugar, cherry tomatoes and tofu added to pot and simmered.

    And then you’re ready to serve. 

    Vegan tom yum soup in a pot with a soup ladle.

    Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

    Lime leaves. If you can’t find lime leaves you can switch for bay leaves. Bay leaves are usually very easy to find. Since this recipe uses fresh lime juice, it will still have the tangy lime flavor even without lime leaves. Otherwise check out an Asian grocery store if you have one in your area, you should be able to get the lime leaves there.

    Lemongrass. The same thing goes for lemongrass, check at an Asian grocery store if you’re struggling to find it. I really do recommend you make every effort to use the lemongrass as it is very much a signature flavor here. But if you have to leave it out, well…this soup will still taste amazing! So no worries there. 

    Shiitake mushrooms. You can use fresh shiitake mushrooms or dried. We had a struggle finding fresh ones so used dried ones that we soaked in hot water for 3 hours first. Of course this is time consuming so fresh mushrooms are going to be easier! But either/or are an option for this soup.

    Coconut cream. This should be canned and unsweetened. You can also use canned, unsweetened coconut milk.

    Vegan tom yum soup in a black bowl with a spoon.

    Storing Instructions

    Keep leftovers stored in the fridge where they will stay good for around 5 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stove.

    Vegan tom yum soup with fresh cilantro in a black bowl.

    More Vegan Asian Inspired Recipes

    1. Vegan Pad Thai
    2. Vegan Massaman Curry
    3. Vegan Thai Green Curry
    4. Vegan Coconut Curry
    5. Kung Pao Tofu
    6. Thai Pumpkin Curry

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Vegan tom yum soup in a black bowl.

    Vegan Tom Yum Soup

    This vegan tom yum soup has all the authentic flavor and spicy, sweet and sour tang you could dream of. Better than a restaurant. 
    5 from 13 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Thai
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 547kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    • 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
    • ½ Medium Onion White, Yellow or Brown, Finely Chopped
    • 1 Tablespoon Crushed Garlic
    • 1 Tablespoon Minced Ginger
    • 2 teaspoons Thai Red Curry Paste
    • 3 cups Vegetable Stock (720ml)
    • 14 ounces Canned Chopped Tomatoes (400g)
    • 14 ounces Canned Coconut Cream (400ml) Unsweetened
    • 2 Stalks Lemongrass
    • 2 Lime Leaves or sub for Bay Leaves
    • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
    • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
    • 3 cups Shiitake Mushrooms Sliced
    • 1 Tablespoon Coconut Sugar
    • 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes (150g) Sliced in half
    • 16 ounces Extra Firm Tofu (450g) Cubed
    • Fresh Cilantro For Serving
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Cut the two lemongrass stalks in half so that you have four small stalks. Bash them a bit on the counter with the back of a knife so that they release more of their flavor. Place them into a herb infuser along with the lime leaves. If you don't have a herb infuser, then don't worry, you can place the herbs directly into the pot, but you'll just need to make sure you remove them.
    • Add the coconut oil to a pot along with the chopped onion, crushed garlic, minced ginger and red curry paste and fry until onions are softened.
    • Add the vegetable stock, chopped tomatoes and coconut cream along with the lemongrass and lime leaves (either in your herb infuser, or just straight). Bring to the boil and simmer for around 5 minutes for the flavors to infuse.
    • Remove the herb infuser or just remove the lemongrass stalks and lime leaves.
    • Add in soy sauce, fresh lime juice and sliced shiitake mushrooms. Bring back to a boil and cook for around 3 minutes.
    • Turn down the heat to a simmer, and add in the coconut sugar, sliced cherry tomatoes and cubes of tofu. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
    • Serve the soup with fresh cilantro for garnish.

    Notes

    1. Coconut cream. This can be replaced with canned, full fat, unsweetened coconut milk. 
    2. Mushrooms. We used dried shiitake mushrooms and 3 cups of the dried mushrooms weighed 70g. Once soaked for 3 hours in hot water and rehydrated, they were still 3 cups (sliced), but the weight was 370g. This is not a crucial measure, if you use a little more or less it won’t matter, so going for a cup measure here will work great. Using fresh shiitake mushrooms and not dried will definitely save time so go this route unless dried are the only ones you can find.
    3. Gluten-free. Use a gluten-free soy sauce or switch for tamari if you want to keep this gluten-free.
    4. Storing. Keep leftovers stored in the fridge (covered) for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serve | Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1452mg | Potassium: 1398mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1072IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 7mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
    Get Your Copy! It's FREE!
    « Vegan Scrambled Eggs (No Tofu!)
    Homemade Cashew Milk »
    2.1K shares

    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maya says

      December 28, 2022 at 3:47 pm

      Hello! Do you think it would be fine to make this the day before? And is there any ingredients I should wait with until I serve, tofu for instance?:)

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 29, 2022 at 9:50 am

        It can be made the day before!

        Reply
    2. Chelvi says

      October 26, 2022 at 1:20 am

      This is such a delicious recipe. I made this today and everyone loved it sooo much. I wanted something green in the soup, so at the end I added some baby bok choy leaves and it was still delicious. Thanks a lot for the recipe. Looking forward to making it again.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        October 26, 2022 at 11:44 am

        Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it Chelvi!

        Reply
    3. Enid Abrahami says

      February 18, 2022 at 10:37 am

      AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. THANK YOU5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        February 18, 2022 at 11:48 am

        You’re so welcome! So glad you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    4. Megan says

      February 07, 2022 at 5:48 pm

      Outstanding!!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        February 08, 2022 at 10:05 am

        Thanks Megan!

        Reply
    5. sarah says

      December 08, 2021 at 8:55 pm

      Hi, Can I freeze this meal?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 09, 2021 at 12:15 pm

        Hi Sarah, yes you can freeze it. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Susanna says

      March 20, 2021 at 3:55 am

      Another amazing recipe! i followed it to a T. So good. Thank you!5 stars

      Reply
    7. Isaac Archer says

      January 22, 2021 at 5:31 pm

      If I wanted to make it a little spicy is there a certain chilli that you would recommend using. Also I love your site. I have made loads of things on here and it has made everything better. Everything always turns out amazing!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        January 23, 2021 at 11:03 am

        Hi Isaac, thanks so much, so happy you love the recipes! You could add in a couple of red chili peppers for spice! You could slice them and remove the seeds for a spicy version that isn’t too spicy. They will add some heat but you can also avoid eating them if you don’t want it too hot.

        Reply
    8. Rachel Griffiths says

      November 20, 2020 at 2:00 pm

      I made this today and didn’t have shiitake mushies so just used buttons and it was so delicious. As a vegan transitioner I’m still getting used to tofu and this was the perfect dish to get some protein and iron into the mix. I have enough for 2 more bowls and this will definitely be made every week. Thanks so much ????5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        November 20, 2020 at 3:24 pm

        So happy you enjoyed it Rachel! Thanks for the wonderful review!

        Reply
    9. Chris Day says

      June 20, 2020 at 9:09 pm

      I love this recipe! I’m planniing on making it again tonight but don’t have coconut cream, only coconut milk. Is that a good sub?5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        June 22, 2020 at 9:12 am

        That will work fine so long as it’s canned full fat unsweetened coconut milk. 🙂

        Reply
    10. Chris says

      May 04, 2020 at 12:49 am

      Mal wieder richtig lecker!

      Another great recipe, thanks so much.

      Btw is there any other way I can contribute apart from buying the book?

      Danke,
      Chris

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 04, 2020 at 12:30 pm

        Thanks so much Chris that’s so kind! No need to do anything other than leave a comment now and again – that is a very appreciated contribution! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Eefje says

      May 03, 2020 at 6:34 pm

      I swapped a few ingredients and it still turned out beautifully. Next time I’m considering adding some lentils to give it some extra body.
      Thanks for sharing the recipe!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 04, 2020 at 12:35 pm

        Great! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

        Reply
    12. Kirsty Allen says

      April 30, 2020 at 3:15 pm

      Struggling to find a vegan red thai curry paste

      All contain fish.
      Can u reccomend one

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 01, 2020 at 1:31 pm

        Hi Kirsty, I’ve added a link to one on Amazon that doesn’t have any animal products in it. 🙂

        Reply
    13. Leonard says

      February 25, 2020 at 9:01 am

      Amazing soup!! Thank you for sharing with us, it is going to be one of our favourite dinners from now on. Delicious and very easy to make!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        February 25, 2020 at 11:51 am

        Awesome! Thanks so much Leonard! 🙂

        Reply
    14. Anna Andrews says

      May 31, 2019 at 12:04 pm

      Such a lovely blend of flavours and perfect for a wintry day!5 stars

      Reply

    Comment Policy: Your feedback is really appreciated! Please do us a favor and rate the recipe as well as this really helps us! The most helpful comments are the ones that give useful feedback for others who might make the recipe, tell about substitutions you made or adjustments you made and how it turned out, or assisting other commenters. Rude or insulting comments will not be accepted.

    Leave A Comment & Review Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I’m Alison Andrews! I love making delicious vegan food and creating delicious vegan versions of all your old favorite dishes, so you can have your vegan cake and eat it too!

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest

    Popular Posts

    • Vegan Tuna
    • The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese (Classic, Baked)
    • Vegan Burrito
    • Super Eggy Vegan Tofu Scramble
    • Sliceable Cashew Cheese
    • Homemade Vegan Butter

    Veganuary

    • Vegan Halloumi
    • Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
    • Vegan Stuffed Peppers
    • Vegan Granola
    • The Best Vegan Waffles
    • Vegan Salmon

    See all Veganuary Recipes →


    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    As Seen In

    Press logos black and white

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Follow Us

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Loving It Vegan

    Get 10 fabulous dinner recipes!
    Absolutely free! Sign up below!
    Get Your Copy! It's FREE!