*This post may contain affiliate links. Read more »
This vegan tom yum soup recipe goes stupid hard, but isn't hard at all to make for dinner. A pot, a baking pan, under 30 minutes, and it hits with that spicy, umami-packed goodness like a roundhouse kick to your palate (but in a fun way, not a hospital visit way). If your ideal soup experience involves flavor fireworks and not just a warm bowl of regrets, you're in the right place.
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cinnamon Snail.
Tom yum (which literally means "boiled mix" in Thai) is the soup equivalent of a power ballad-big, juicy, impossible to ignore, and will have you singing to yourself in a car using a rolled-up map as a microphone.
Traditionally, it's made with shrimp, but this vegan version keeps all the addictive flavors without the seafood sadness because no living being should have to take an L just so you can slurp some soup, right?
Equally as important to Thailand's soup rolodex as my vegan tom kha recipe, consider this to be Thailand's take on hot and sour soup. Both hit hard in the flavor department and are even better when you've got some Thai spring rolls on the side for dunking.
So, if you've ever been personally victimized by a weak, lifeless broth, today's your redemption arc.
Jump to:
🥰Why you'll adore this vegan Thai soup recipe
✊ Vegan AF: Like all my vegan Thai recipes, this one skips the seafood-because no shrimp deserves to be boiled for your din din. The deep umami comes from a mix of mushrooms and a vegan fish sauce that's got all the funk, none of the fishies.
🔥 Legit Flavor Bomb: The secret to that slap-you-in-the-face broth? Smashed lemongrass stalks, lime leaves, and galangal get a quick sear to pull out every last drop of citrusy, spicy goodness.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of my vegan recipes, this one went through hundreds of soup-obsessed testers across the globe, and I didn't share it with the world without incorporating feedback from them all!
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🥣 Vegan tom yum soup Ingredients
Lemongrass
Lemongrass is the backbone of tom yum, giving it that unmistakable bright, fresh flavor. I usually smash them with the back of my knife before tossing it in, so all those essential oils get to swim in the broth. If you've got extra, throw it into vegan green curry paste or steep it in tea for a DIY spa moment. Spoiler alert: my fave Southeast Asian lemongrass tea is Bandrek from Indonesia.
Mushrooms
Tear them by hand instead of chopping, and you'll get all these cool craggy edges that soak up the broth kinda like the prawns non-veg people normally make tom yum with.
No king oysters? Regular oysters or shiitake mushrooms work, but they won't be as thick and meaty.
Little brown-capped beech mushrooms are also in the soup, and they look suspiciously like those mushrooms you used to eat in college… you know the ones that caused you to stare for hours at the pattern on a shower curtain? Anyway, it's totally cool to use enoki (the kind I use in Korean tofu soup) instead; just toss them in last since they cook quite fast.
Tom Yum Paste
This soup is downright not tom yum without the tang, heat, and umami of proper tom yum paste. If you're out, red curry paste, green curry paste, or bumbu bali paste can step in and still keep things delicious, albeit, not super-traditional.
Lime Leaves
If you've had my sambal goreng kentang, pad ped, or vegan Thai yellow curry, you already know makrut lime leaves don't play when it comes to adding that extra magic. If you can't get any at your local Asian grocery store, just add a little lime zest to the broth instead.
Galangal
Think ginger's cooler, more aromatic cousin. Galangal has this piney, citrusy thing going on that makes tom yum taste like tom yum. No super-close substitutions here, but if you don't mind the soup having a little more pep in its step, regular ginger will be fine.
Nam Prik Pao (Optional)
This Thai chili jam is the secret weapon for extra umami and smokiness. I love adding a spoonful to tom yum for that deep, sweet-heat flavor. I've got a killer nam prik pao recipe if you wanna make it from scratch, and if you've got leftovers, use it in khao pad, or mix it into stir-fries.
Vegan Fish Sauce
This is where the umami happens-salty, funky, and just the right amount of depth to make the broth hit. My fave is the Ocean's Halo brand, made from kelp, blackstrap molasses, and mushroom powder. It's a must for nailing that classic tom yum flavor.
Don't have a bottle on hand? Vegan oyster sauce brings the depth, while vegan nuoc cham adds extra heat and a garlicky punch.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
📖 How to make vegan tom yum soup
Master this vegan spicy soup the first time by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Shroom Shakalaka:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Hand-tear the king oyster mushrooms into large 2-3 bit strips.
✅ Tearing these by hand rather than using a knife will give you awesome shapes and textures that look really pretty and soak up the broth more easily.
Step Two
Mushroom with a View:
Toss the mushroom pieces with olive oil, hoisin sauce, and sriracha. Spread them in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking pan and roast for 20-22 minutes until tender and golden. Set aside.
Step Three
Lemongrass Snicket:
While the mushrooms roast, trim off any dried outer leaves of the lemongrass and cut it into 3-inch sections. Use the side of a heavy knife or cleaver to lightly smash each piece, this releases the aromatic oils that will infuse the broth.
Step Four
It Shallot Be Done:
Heat the oil in a pot or dutch oven over medium heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the minced shallots and the prepared lemongrass to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallots soften and become fragrant.
Step Five
Paste Ventura, Pet Detective:
Stir in the tom yum paste and the nam prik pao if you are using it. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the curry paste starts to fry and darken.
Step Six
Stockpiling Flavor:
Pour in the vegetable stock, then add the cilantro stems, galangal, lime leaves, and bird's eye chilies. Bring everything to a simmer over medium heat and let it cook for 10 minutes, allowing the broth to absorb the flavors of the aromatics.
Step Seven
Mushroom for Improvement:
Add the beech mushrooms, sugar, vegan fish sauce, lime juice, and salt. Let the soup simmer for 3 minutes, just long enough for the mushrooms to soften and absorb the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Step Eight
The Last Soup-er:
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish as desired with the roasted oyster mushrooms, fresh cilantro leaves, crispy fried shallots, extra bird's eye chilies, and lime slices.
Grab my easy-yo-use app that builds your whole week with real, chef-tested vegan dinners in 30 seconds, customized to your budget, time, and taste, with a shopping list sorted by aisle.
💡Serving Ideas
If you're diving into this tom yum, might as well go all in. Thai basil fried rice soaks up that lemongrass-lime broth like it was made for it, while coconut jasmine rice makes a nice barley sweet plainer rice if you need some time to balance the heat.
Noodle freak, 8 days a week? Pad kee mao brings chewy noodles and a kick of chili, while pad woon sen keeps it light with glass noodles and crisp veggies.
Some other curries you can rock this with are my vegan massaman curry, green curry tofu, vegan red curry, or ca ri chay.
And because no Thai feast is complete without a little sweetness, vegan Thai iced tea is the move: creamy, simply spiced, and exactly what you need to cool off.
👉Top tips
- Control the Heat: To tweak spiciness to your level, add whole Thai bird's eye chilies for a milder heat or crush them to release more spice. Hate spice? Make this without any added chilies, skip the nam prik pao, and maybe go a little lighter with the tom yum paste, too.
- Serve Immediately: Tom yum soup is best enjoyed fresh. The mushrooms soak up all that bold, citrusy broth like sponges, which is great at first-but let 'em sit too long, and IMHO, they get a little bloated and gross.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
The traditional tom yum (tom yum nam sai) has a translucent broth, while the creamy version, tom yum nam khon, includes evaporated milk or coconut milk for added richness. My recipe is somewhere outside of both of those styles, with a deeper, darker, more flavorful curry broth.
Don't overcook 'em! Add mushrooms toward the end of cooking and let them simmer for just a few minutes until tender. If they boil too long, they can get chewy.
Yes, but aside from maybe not being vegan, the flavor probably won't be nearly as fresh and complex. If using a store-bought paste, taste and adjust with fresh lime juice, extra lemongrass, and chilies to brighten it up as needed.
Tom yum fried rice is the obvious choice; it takes all that spicy-sour goodness and loads it into a next-level rice dish. But if you're keeping it classic, nasi uduk, or green curry fried rice is perfies, soaking up the broth like a champ.
❄️ Refrigerating:
Let the soup cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight glass or stainless steel container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If possible, remove any large herb pieces like lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, and galangal before storing to prevent bitterness from developing over time.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating:
Pour the soup into a pot and warm it over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through. If the flavors taste muted, add a splash of fresh lime juice and a little extra vegan fish sauce or salt to wake everything up.
⚡️ Microwave Reheating:
Pour a portion into a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a plate to prevent splatters. Heat on high for 2 minutes, stir, then continue heating in 30-second bursts until steaming hot. Squeeze in fresh lime juice after reheating to keep the flavors bright.
✌️You'll love these vegan Thai recipes too:
Master the art of plant based Thai cuisine in this super-fun cooking class with Chef Adam Sobel!
Vegan Tom Yum Soup
Ingredients
For the Roasted Mushrooms:
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 5 teaspoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 14 oz. king oyster mushrooms hand torn into larger than bite size pieces
For the Soup:
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup shallots minced
- 3 tablespoons tom yum paste
- 1 tablespoon nam prik pao optional
- 4 cups unsalted vegetable stock
- ⅓ cup cilantro stems washed and minced
- 6 galangal thin slices
- 6 lime leaves
- 2 bird's eye chilies minced (or to taste)
- 100 grams. beech mushrooms
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar coconut sugar, or palm sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegan fish sauce
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Optional Garnishes:
- Cilantro leaves
- Fried shallots
- Sliced bird's eye chilies
- Lime Slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a small bowl, toss the mushroom pieces with olive oil, hoisin sauce, and sriracha. Spread them in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast for 20-22 minutes until tender and golden. Set aside.
- Trim off any dried external leaves of the lemongrass. Cut it into 3-inch sections and bash the lemongrass with the side of a heavy knife or cleaver. This will help the lemongrass release it's oils into the soup when added.
- In a medium pot, or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the shallots and bashed lemongrass sections, cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the tom yum paste and nam prik pao (if using), and sauté for 2 minutes until the curry paste darkens and breaks down into the shallots.
- Add the vegetable stock, cilantro stems, galangal, lime leaves, and bird's eye chilies. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, allowing the aromatics to infuse the broth.
- Add the beech mushrooms, sugar, vegan fish sauce, lime juice and salt. Simmer for 3 minutes just to get the small mushrooms tender. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with the roasted king oyster mushrooms, cilantro, fried shallots, additional sliced chilies, and lime slices.
Notes
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cinnamon Snail.
Reshyll says
This tastes just like the one I had in Bangkok. Would 100% make again!