Thai Coconut Curry Corn Soup
Spicy Thai Curry Corn Soup with coconut milk, fresh corn, shiitakes, and red bell pepper are simmered together in a golden broth for a crave-worthy vegan meal ready in 30 minutes!
With corn in season, this Spicy Thai Coconut Curry Corn Soup recipe is a perfect place to feature it!
The sweet corn pairs well with the spice from the red pepper flakes and curry, while the coconut wraps it all up making this a flavorful dish to come back to again and again.
Why We Love This Recipe!
- It’s healthy and nutritious. Full of whole food plant based ingredients, this recipe is 100% vegan and gluten-free, and loaded with protein, fiber, and vitamins! See the nutritional label below.
- Easily customized. This can easily be customized with different ingredients and is able to suit those with certain dietary restrictions as noted below.
- It’s made in one pot. All in one pot recipes make for easy cooking and clean-up!
Five ❤️ for this soup!
Ingredient Notes
There are just a handful of ingredients for this coconut curry corn soup. I’ve gathered all the substitution ideas and have them listed here reference.
- Corn – When in season, fresh corn is a favorite. If needed, you can use 2 cans (14oz), drained, or 3 cups frozen.
- Mushrooms – I used shiitake mushrooms here. They go beautifully with this soup. But just about any mushroom will do – cremini, wild, or white.
- Red bell pepper – Adds a pop of color and mild sweetness. You can sub with orange bell pepper.
- Celery – Adds a bit of crunch and coolness. If you’re not a fan of celery, by all means, omit it.
- Onion – Yellow or white onion will work well.
- Garlic – I love using fresh garlic in this recipe, but 1 – 2 teaspoons of garlic powder will do when you’re in a pinch.
- Ginger – Use fresh, or for convenience I’ve been loving this ginger paste that I pick up at Target (it can also be found in your local grocery store).
- Curry – I used a yellow curry powder. If you don’t have any on hand, try using 2 teaspoons of turmeric and 1 teaspoon cumin.
- Coconut milk – Use full-fat or light coconut milk. For extra creaminess, coconut cream will do wonders for this soup!
- Leafy greens – The recipe calls for spinach, but you can sub with baby kale or even baby chard would be great.
How To Make Thai Coconut Corn Curry Soup
Here is a quick overview of the process with photos for reference. You can find the full printable recipe card below.
- If using corn off the cob, lay the corn on its side and slice downward, turn and repeat until all the corn is sliced off. See upper left photo.
- In a large pot, saute the onion, garlic, and ginger.
- Next, add in the corn, celery, red bell pepper, mushrooms, curry powder, coconut milk and remaining liquids, give a good stir.
- Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. Add the lime juice and spinach, letting the spinach soften and wilt.
Now, you are ready to serve.
I love to add a squeeze of lime and cilantro with my individual serving, adding extra brightness and herbaceousness.
Top Tips
- Add protien. Round this meal out with some cubed tofu thrown in.
- The vegetables are meant to be somewhat al dente but feel free to cook your soup a little longer over low heat if you prefer them on the softer side.
- Storing. Leftover soup can be kept for up to 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator and reheated on the stovetop or microwave when ready to eat. Its also freezer-friendly!
Adjusting For Dietary Restrictions
- Nightshade free: Omit the bell pepper and red pepper flakes. In place of curry powder, use 2 teaspoons turmeric and 1 teaspoon cumin.
- Low fat: Use low-fat canned coconut milk along with water or vegetable broth for the remaining liquids. When sauteing, use water in place of oil.
- Fat-free: You can make this recipe virtually fat-free by using water saute and skipping the coconut milk, using vegetable broth in its place.
- Nut-free: Use vegetable broth in place of non-dairy milk. If using non-dairy milk, try oat, soy, or rice milk.
More Easy Soup Recipes!
- Lemon Rosemary White Bean Soup
- Vegan Minestrone Soup
- Hearty Vegan Lentil Soup
- Creamy Celery Soup
- Vegan Cauliflower Soup
If you try this easy corn soup recipe or have a question, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintSPICY THAI CURRY CORN SOUP
Spicy Thai Curry Corn Soup with coconut milk is a combination of simple, delicious flavors that come together for a delicious vegan meal ready in about 30 minutes!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 – 6 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: saute, simmer
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame or coconut oil (or 1/4 cup water for water saute)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated or minced
- 4 ears of corn, cut off the cob
- 3 celery stalks (leaves ok too), diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 5 – 8 oz. mushrooms (shiitakes or cremeni), sliced
- 3 – 4 teaspoons yellow curry powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 can (15 oz) coconut milk, full or low fat
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or plant milk of choice)
- 1 cup water or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
- juice of 1 lime
- large handful spinach, chopped if needed
- salt + pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prep: Have all the veggies chopped, diced, and ready to go.
Saute: Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and saute onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, saute 1 minute more. Add the corn, celery, bell pepper, and mushrooms, cook 3 – 4 minutes.
Simmer: Pour in the coconut milk, unsweetened non-dairy milk, water, curry powder, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper to taste, and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes or until heated through.
Add spinach + lime: Add lime juice and spinach, and cook until wilted to your liking. Test for flavors adding more spices if desired.
Serve with lime wedges and cilantro if you like.
Serves 4 – 6
Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 6 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 – 3 months. Let thaw before reheating.
Notes
Corn: If not using fresh corn, add 2 cans of corn (drained) or 3 cups of frozen corn.
Add protein: Looking to add protein, throw in some cubed tofu when you add the liquids.
Adjust spiciness: 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes makes this pretty spicy. Use less if you’re not a fan of heat.
If you don’t have plant milk on hand, use 3 cups water, or for full flavor, vegetable broth is best.
Cooking variation: In the recipe post, I sauteed the onion, garlic, and ginger, then added the remaining ingredients, except for the spinach and lime, and simmered for 15 – 20 minutes. Continue as directed with spinach and lime. Both ways work well.
Dietary Adjustments
- Nightshade free: Omit the bell pepper and red pepper flakes. In place of curry powder, use 2 teaspoons turmeric and 1 teaspoon cumin.
- Low fat: Use low-fat canned coconut milk along with water or vegetable broth for the remaining liquids. When sauteing, use water in place of oil.
- Fat-free: You can make this recipe virtually fat-free by using water saute and skipping the coconut milk, using vegetable broth in its place.
- Nut-free: Use vegetable broth in place of non-dairy milk. If using non-dairy milk, try oat, soy, or rice milk.
Updated: This recipe was originally published in September 2012. It has been retested and updated with new photos and helpful tips in July 2021. The only changes made were adding ginger for another layer of flavor.
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Your website is listed as nut free – so what do you suggest other than coconut milk or cream for this recipe? Also – corn has gluten in it.
Great questions, Lisa!
Despite its name, coconut is not actually a nut, but a fruit. Sometimes those with nut allergies can be allergic, although it’s rare. You may want to talk to your doctor to see if coconut is OK for you and avoid it until then. But most people with nut allergies should be able to enjoy coconut milk. If you are unsure and want to avoid it altogether, I suggest substituting it with flax milk, soy milk, hemp milk, vegetable broth, or water.
Corn in its natural form is 100% gluten-free. You can safely use fresh, canned, or frozen corn in this recipe.
I hope that helps – enjoy the soup! :)
This recipe is PHENOMENAL!!!! Make it now and eat it two days in a row. Now!!!!
Thanks for sharing, Jeannie!
Is this recipe, as is, completely gluten free?
Yes, it’s 100% gluten-free. Enjoy!
Can this recipe be frozen? How long will it keep in the fridge? That is if there is any left!
Yes, you can freeze any leftovers. Or keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
I’m not a proficient cook, but the recipe was clear enough even for me. I reduced the red pepper flakes just a bit for less heat. The soup came out absolutely delish. The only recipe adjustment I would make in in the directions, specifically to specify that everything should be chopped and ready to go at the start. I didn’t quite get that, but I’ll know for next time. Regardless, it came out very well — a perfect soup that I will make again.
Thank you.
Thanks for sharing, Esther! I’ve updated the instructions to be more clear in hopes it will help others as well. So glad you enjoyed the soup and it was easy to make. That’s why we love it too! :)
Love this recipe and have made it many times over the years. Once you start making it, you learn some things you can always alter to your own tastes. The only change for me is just personal preference…I love spicy and I love heat. So I always amp up the curry by additional teaspoon and add another half teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
Periodically, I do add chickpeas to the recipe if I have them on hand. Such a nutrition powerhouse, plus they go very well with the curry. It starts taking it into a bit more of an Indian territory, but it does taste delicious.
There is a similar stew that I think is from this site with peanut flavorings added and it is more African leaning, but the base is very similar to that one. I always add sweet potatoes to that stew. I wonder if sweet potatoes would pair well with this soup? I think I may have to try it!
So glad you’ve enjoyed the soup over the years and have made it your own. I think sweet potato would be great in this. The only changes would be cooking it a little longer until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Thanks for sharing, August!
Corn season is in full swing where I live and while I could eat corn on the cob in different variations everyday as a result, it tends to get boring for my partner. I was looking for a recipe that would do this summer veggie justice and this one is spot on! The flavours and textures meld beautifully and such an easy recipe to make. Thank you for sharing!
I’m the same way! I love fresh corn, and this soup is one of my favorites during corn season. Thanks so much for sharing, Lisa!
Made this for lunch today and it was delicious! Unfortunately, it’s the end of the season and the corn I picked up from the store was moldy so I ended up using canned corn instead but it was still fantastic! Served it over rice noodles and plan to try over rice for dinner tomorrow night!!
Can I use frozen corn for this recipe?
Yes! I suggest using 3 cups of frozen corn or two (15 oz) cans of corn, drained. Enjoy!
Which curry powder did you use? There's so many to choose from I never know which goes good with what!?
I use the yellow curry powder I find in the spice isle at the grocery store. Usually there's only one in that section, use that one. It's a mix of a few of the following: cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne. Sometimes it may also include any of the following: ginger, cayenne, , cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, chili powder. Each brand will vary depending on what ingredients they use.
Hope you enjoy the soup! :)
This was easy and absolutely delicious!