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Our very first TOFU recipe is coming at ya!!!! And our 2nd recipe of 2018.
I’m kinda digging the beautiful golden color of turmeric! Last recipe was my favorite golden granola with turmeric as the star. Now this Thai curry soup has a lovely golden hue due to the curry powder that has turmeric as it’s base! Not planned BTW.
Maybe I should keep the theme going?! All golden recipes for January?! GOLDEN POWER!
Moving on.
I don’t know why it’s taken me THIS LONG to start working with tofu recipes because I have really been missing out. If you’re new to tofu you might be saying: Emily, tofu is so bland and boring.
And yes, it is. BUT that’s what makes tofu so fun to work with and incorporate into dishes. It’s a blank canvas for any variety of flavors. I am dying to try this crispy peanut tofu and cauliflower rice stir fry by Minimalist Baker, yum!
The other key to making tofu that’s not super boring is how you cook it. So far I have only mastered crispy tofu made in a skillet. Let me tell you, it’s pretty delicious. It gets all crispy and firm and then we hit it with a little soy sauce/sesame oil/chili garlic paste sauce and BOOM the tofu has transformed from blah to a party in your mouth!!! A delicious party that is.
Are you ready for a little “making of” story about this Thai curry soup?!
An idea was born. I tested the recipe and added WAY too many brown rice noodles, there were more noodles than there was broth. As the soup continued to sit the noodles soaked up ALL OF THE BROTH.
Thai curry soup was no longer a soup it was now noodles. Which we still ate and kind of loved. But I really wanted to make you a Thai curry soup to warm up with during this frigid January!
Second try: it was better, less noodles, more of a soup. It was only meh. Something was a little off.
Third try: Perfection, the right amount of noodles and right amount curry powder, the right amount of veggies.
Thai curry soup recipe lived happily ever after here on Robust Recipes for you to make again and again and again, forever and ever.
The End.
Don’t you just love happy endings?!
I know you’ll enjoy this Thai curry soup with crispy tofu as much as we did. It’s got the right amount of noodles for slurping and twirling around your fork/chopsticks. I am not skilled enough to use chopsticks so I do a spoon and fork combo when I eat this soup LOL!
There’s tender sauteed onions and mushrooms, red bell peppers all in a creamy coconut curry broth. It’s slightly spicy, just enough to warm you up with a good tang from some fresh squeezed lime juice.
Plus it comes together in 30 minutes making it a great weeknight dinner.
The fun part is topping the soup with whatever you want:
- crispy tofu (of course!)
- a wedge of lime for more tanginess
- a few dashes of sesame oil – LOVE
- sliced green onions
- cilantro leaves
Toppings are up to you. For me they are all a 100% must have for me. As I said in the notes below if you’re really not into tofu than a little sauteed shrimp with the same sauce would also be really delicious! Please make it…I’ll be right over to help you eat it!
Happy cozy soup eating!
Thai Curry Soup with Crispy Tofu
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4 to 5 1x
- Category: Soup, Entree
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Description
Thai curry soup, sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and rice noddles in a creamy curry broth. And topped with crispy tofu. Only takes 30 minutes to make, the perfect weeknight dinner recipe.
Ingredients
- Crispy Tofu
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce (or sub tamari or coconut aminos)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic paste
- Soup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon butter (sub vegan butter for vegans/dairy free eaters)*
- 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- Optional :1 serrano pepper, minced (remove seeds/membrane for less heat)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 3 to 4 teaspoons curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper**
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 4 cups low sodium veggie broth or chicken broth
- 1 cup filtered water
- Optional: 1 tablespoon fish sauce (omit for vegans)
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1 inch strips
- 4 ounces gluten free brown rice noodles
- 1 15 ounce can low fat coconut milk (sub full fat for a richer taste)
- salt to taste
- Juice of 1 lime
- 4 green onions, sliced
- Optional Toppings:
- Lime wedges for squeezing
- sesame oil
- green onions, sliced
- cilantro leaves
- the crispy tofu
Instructions
- Drain the tofu: While you prepare any of your other ingredients/get the kitchen ready remove the extra firm tofu from it’s package and drain the water off. Place it on a dinner plate that is lined with several layers of paper towels. Place more paper towels on top and another dinner plate. Allow the tofu to hang out and release it’s liquid for at least 10 minutes, or even longer if you can. If you have a tofu press, use that instead.
- Cook the tofu: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cut the tofu into 1 inch pieces. Melt the coconut oil in the pan and add the tofu. Allow the tofu to cook about 5 to 8 minutes per side, or until it’s gotten crispy. In a small bowl mix up the soy sauce, sesame oil, and chilli garlic paste. Once the tofu is crispy add the sauce and cook for 30 minutes to 1 minute, or until the liquid has absorbed and the sauce sticks to the tofu. Remove from the heat. If you need to keep the tofu warm while you finish the soup then place it on a plate or cookie sheet in the oven at 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Saute the onions, mushrooms, and spices:Get the soup started while the tofu is cooking. Heat a large stew pot or dutch oven over medium low heat. Melt the coconut oil and butter. Add the mushrooms, onions, and Serrano pepper. Saute until the onions and mushrooms are tender. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, black pepper, and turmeric powder. Cook until fragerent, about 1 minute.
- Simmer : Add the veggie/chicken broth, water, fish sauce (if using). and bell pepper. Turn up the heat to high, put on the lid and allow it to come to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes.
- Cook the noodles: Add the noodles and allow the soup to simmer for another 3 minutes, or until the noodles are soft but still have a bite to them, remove from the heat. (they will continue to soften as they sit in the soup).
- Finish: stir in the coconut milk, salt to taste, lime juice, and green onions. Taste and adjust flavors/seasoning as needed.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Serve with any of the optional toppings. I love to stir in an extra squeze of lime juice and a few splashes of sesame oil. Then top with extra green onion, cilantro leaves and then the crispy tofu! YUM!!!
- Store leftovers: Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep any leftover tofu in a separate container. The noodles may continue to absorb some of the broth liquid and anymore than 3 days they start falling apart in the soup.
Notes
*I like using butter because it adds a lot of flavor to the sauteed mushrooms. You can omit and replace with more coconut oil if you prefer.
**Black pepper helps our bodies absorb the health benefits of turmeric. You can omit it if it’s already in the ingredients list of your curry powder.
We love the crispy tofu so much that I have ended up making a second portion of it for the leftover soup. Also the tofu is best when fresh, not as crispy delicious leftover, but still good.
You could swap the crispy tofu with shrimp or cubed chicken breast. Cooking time will vary and you could still use the same sauce.
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