This red curry noodle soup is made with slurpable rice noodles, veggies and pan-fried tofu in a spicy Thai coconut milk broth. Super easy to make, full of flavor, and satisfying enough for a meal! The best part: this soup can be on the table in about 30 minutes!
You really can't go wrong with curry. Curry pastes and powders, whether they be Thai, Indian, or from somewhere else, are loaded with flavor. This is good news for anyone looking for a delicious meal that entails minimal work!
Thai red curry is one of my favorite varieties of curry. It's got a nice little kick to it, so it's perfect for making a dish to warm you up in the winter. This red curry noodle soup will definitely warm you up! It's delicious and so good when served piping hot.
Let's talk about how it's made!
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What You'll Need
- Vermicelli rice noodles. Look for these in the international foods section of your supermarket. Prefer a different variety of noodle? Go for it! This recipe will work just fine with udon noodles, soba noodles, ramen, and lots of other types!
- Peanut oil. Feel free to substitute with another high-heat oil such as coconut, vegetable, or corn oil.
- Tofu. Super-firm tofu works best, as it has a great texture and requires minimal prep work. You can substitute with extra-firm or firm tofu, but you'll need to press it first.
- Onion.
- Red bell pepper.
- Red curry paste. Not all curry pastes are vegan, so check the ingredients on yours. Maesri is my favorite brand, but it's quite spicy! Thai Kitchen is good a vegan brand to use if you prefer milder red curry soup. You can also substitute a totally different flavor of curry paste if you'd like. Yellow, green, panang and massaman would all work great!
- Vegetable broth.
- Coconut milk. Full-fat coconut milk works best. Make sure you're using coconut milk from a can and not coconut beverage, which is sold in cartons.
- Broccoli.
- Lime juice.
- Salt.
- Fresh herbs. Feel free to top your curry noodle soup with any combination of basil, cilantro, and scallions!
How to Make Red Curry Noodle Soup
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
- Soak your noodles. Bring a pot of water to a boil, remove it from heat, then add your noodles. Soak them until they're tender — refer to the package instructions for how long this should take.
- Cook the tofu. While the noodles soak, cut the tofu into cubes and pan-fry them in a lightly oiled skillet. Flip them every so often, so that they're browned and crispy on multiple sides when they're done.
- Make the soup. Heat some oil in a large pot and add sliced onion and chopped bell pepper. Cook the veggies in the oil for a few minutes, until they start to soften up.
- Stir in the curry paste and sauté it briefly with the pepper and onion.
- Add the broth, coconut milk, and broccoli.
- Bring the soup to a simmer and let it cook until the broccoli is tender and bright green. This should only take about 5 minutes!
- Stir the soaked noodles and cooked tofu into the soup.
- Season the soup with salt to taste and some lime juice.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle the soup with fresh basil, cilantro, and/or scallions before serving.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover red curry noodle soup will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
If you know in advance that you'll have leftovers, I recommend adding the noodles right to the bowls you're using to serve the soup in, then storing the leftover noodles separately from the soup. This will keep them from getting soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is!
Absolutely! Try green beans, snap peas, carrots, baby corn, or cauliflower.
More Thai Curries
- Thai Green Curry with Tofu & Veggies
- Thai Coconut Pumpkin Curry
- Thai Yellow Curry with Potatoes & Tofu
- Thai Butternut Squash Curry
- Golden Spring Vegetable Thai Curry
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Red Curry Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 3 ounces rice noodle vermicelli
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
- 7 ounces super firm tofu, cut into ½ inch cubes
- ½ medium onion, sliced into half rings
- 1 small red bell pepper, roughly diced
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste, plus more to taste (up to 6 tablespoons)
- 2 cups vegetable broth, plus up to 1 additional cup
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 small broccoli crown, broken into florets
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Salt, to taste
- Fresh basil, cilantro, and/or scallions, for serving
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan with water and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and remove the pot from heat.
- Submerge the noodles in the water and soak them until softened, stirring occasionally. This normally takes about 3 minutes, but refer to the noodle package directions, as brands may vary.
- Drain the noodles into a colander and rinse them thoroughly with cold water.
- While the noodles soak, coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon of the oil and place it over medium heat.
- Add the tofu cubes and cook them for about 10 minutes, flipping once or twice, until browned on multiple sides. Transfer the tofu to a plate when done.
- While the tofu cooks, begin the soup. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large pot, then add the onion and bell pepper.
- Sweat the onion and pepper for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Stir in the curry paste and cook it with the onion and pepper for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in 2 cups of broth, coconut milk, and broccoli. Raise the heat and bring the soup to a boil.
- Lower the heat and allow the soup to simmer until the broccoli is tender and bright green, about 5 minutes. You can add up to an additional cup of broth if the liquid reduces too much or you prefer a brothier soup.
- Remove the pot from heat and stir in the cooked tofu and soaked noodles. Season the soup with lime juice and salt to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with fresh basil, cilantro and/or scallions. Serve.
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A very similar recipe has been in my rotation for for several years. My husband won't even consider tofu, so I sub vegan chicken strips and use whatever green veggie is in the fridge...even some thin sliced romaine lettuce in a pinch once. This is a great soup that's even better leftover.
Just made this today! So tasty & easy. I used Yellow curry paste. I Wii be making this again.
Would it work to just cook the noodles in the soup at the end, instead of separately at the start? T
I think so. Most thin rice noodles are soaked in hot water rather than boiled. Check the package instructions and if they require soaking, take the soup off of heat and add the noodles. You might also need to add some hot water to make up for any liquid that the noodles will absorb.
We made this tonight and it turned out yummy but the rice noodles turned out mushy and sticky. Will make it again though without noodles lol
Do you have vegan recipes without onion and garlic as we practice meditation and do not use them and also mushrooms . Thank you and awaiting ur reply .
I'm not sure I do, other than baked goods. I know there are a number of blogs that specialize in this, but I'm not terribly familiar with any of them.
I made this last night and it was great. However, i don't like coconut milk. what can i substitute for it? :<
Glad you enjoyed it. :) Cashew milk might work.
I made this last week and it was delicious!!! I ended up subbing angel hair pasta for rice noodles, but it still worked just fine. LOVE!
I've made this a few times with different types of noodles too! It's one of those recipes that works with whatever you've got on hand. Glad you enjoyed it!
Came across this recipe and have been eager to try it. I didn't have red curry paste on hand but I did have green curry paste. It turned out yummy
Glad to hear it! I've been meaning to try this out with some other types of curry pastes too. Thanks for letting me know you liked it with green. :)