Tofu & Basil Thai Soup


thai tofu-basil soupIf there's one thing I love about Thai food, it is the variety of flavor in their curries. A spoonful of red, green or yellow curry paste can add such a wonderful taste to an assortment of veggies! After mastering the recipe for Veg Tom Kha Soup, I decided to try a hand at this classic Thai Soup with Basil and Tofu. Its a very simple broth made of coconut milk and flavored with all the Thai herbs like lemongrass, galangal, kafir lime and ginger, coming together with the basil, tofu and peas to make this delicious and healthy soup.

Tofu, which is generally considered to be very bland, can miraculously take on the flavor of its surrounding ingredients making it a highly versatile as well as highly nutritious part of a healthy diet. Tofu is a very good source of protein, specifically soy protein, as well as numerous other nutrients like manganese, copper, iron and omega-3 fatty acids. It is also an excellent source of calcium which can help prevent the accelerated bone loss and untimely rheumatoid arthritis. Basil comes with its own share of heart-healthy properties, and also acts as a great cleansing agent. Hence it would be a fitting entry to Susan's Beautiful Bones event, and also to Michelle's Herbal Essence!

Ingredients
1 cup firm tofu (cubed or diced)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup peas - boiled
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2-1 cup water (or veg broth)
2 tsp green curry paste (recipe below)
fresh lime juice - to taste

Green Curry Paste
2 green Thai chilies
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped shallots
1 tspn chopped galangal
1/2 tspn chopped kaffir lime rind
1 tspn chopped lemongrass
1/4 tspn roasted cumin seeds
1/4 tspn roasted coriander seeds
1/2 tspn salt

Add the green chillies to a food processor and blend. Then add the garlic and shallots. Again give a whirl on the mixer. Finally add all the remaining ingredients and blend well to form a thick smooth paste.

You can either use the recipe above or use the store-bought Thai green curry paste. I've tried the ones from Trader Joe's before and they are pretty good.

Method
In a heavy pan, add the green chilli paste with 2 tbsp of coconut milk and roast a bit. Add salt and lemon juice, then the rest of the coconut milk and water to form the base of the soup. Add half of the basil leaves, then cover and let it simmer for about 5-7 mins. Keep stirring in between to let the coocnut milk be infused with the flavor of the thai green paste and basil.

When it starts to simmer, add the boiled green peas and pieces of tofu. Now lower the heat and cook for another 7-8 mins. Check for taste and add more green chilli paste or lemon juice if required.

Finally, just before serving, add the remaining basil leaves. Top with some shredded ginger if you like and serve hot. The spicy green chilli paste adds a wonderful flavor to this Basil and Tofu soup, giving it a Thai touch. You can add more veggies like carrots, shallots, or baby corn to the soup to make it suit your taste. The Thai Green Chilli paste can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for about a week.

Similar Recipes:
Chinese Hot & Sour Soup
Green Pea & Mint Soup
Roasted Cauliflower & Bell-pepper Soup


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26 comments :

Lakshmi said...

Hi Mansi, I have a award for you on my blog. Enjoyy!

FH said...

Planted some Herbs including Basil y'day!:)

Soup sounds fragrant and healthy!:)

Anonymous said...

I like soup. It's really testy. Thanks for your new recipe.

Anonymous said...

I love the basil flavor.Thai soups are my fav one. And adding basil must have tasted really good.

Anonymous said...

wow, loved all the flavors in there! thanks for sharing the green curry paste recipe! I never liked the ones we got in the asian store next to my house:)

~sarah

Mansi said...

Thanks folks, glad you all liked it! I can relate how indians can love Thai food as its a bit similar to our cuisine:)

this soup was really good and healthy, so do give it a shot!

Uma said...

this soup sounds so healthy and refreshing. Looks delicious.

ranji said...

i love thai food..this soup looks really good...

Madhavi said...

Lovely soup, love the combo of basil and tofu, thanxxx for sharing Mansi!!!

delhibelle said...

Hi Mansi,
Nice soup.I so LOVE Thai:P

Rosie said...

This soup looks really good Mansi very healthy indeed :)

Rosie x

@the_whisk_affair said...

love your soup...a thai recipe will always be accepted with open arms! :-)

Hetal said...

The soup looks delicious and healthy too..

Unknown said...

lovely healthy soup

Alpa said...

hi manasi! i love your soup recipe! seems like it comes together really fast and healthy too if you use lite coconut milk. my thai basil has just started growing so now i'm excited to try this out.

Shubha Ravikoti said...

Ohh how I love the thai soups.... this sounds too good... I have tried the red curry Thai soup... it was called gyang ped... and it was divine... I will surely try this one...

Do u have the recipe for the thai red curry.... with tofu?... Do put on that recipe too...:)

Do check my blog too...

Beyond Curries said...

I have not yet explored Thai cuisine. Maybe I should start with this one. Very interesting recipe and detailed procedure Mansi.

Mansi said...

thanks for the generous feedback folks!

Shubha - the red curry is next on my list, so be rest assured, I'll be posting it soon:)

amna said...

mansi! thank u so much for the lovely wishes. 15 new entries since my last visit!! my my :)

Srivalli said...

mansi..that looks very nice..though I haven't tried thai till now..:)

Beyond Curries said...

I have an award for you in my blog. Check it out Mansi.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

I love this soup with chicken, so I definitely want to try your version with tofu. Thanks for the recipe!

Susan from Food Blogga said...

I couldn't agree with you more, Mansi. Thai food is so vibrantly flavored. And Thai soup with tofu is one of my favorites! Thanks for a calcium-rich and delicious entry.

Suganya said...

Perfect. I have everything on hand.

Jessy said...

So happy that i can make my own green curry paste now!
This is delish!

Anonymous said...

The pieces of deep fried tofu were crispy and very tasty in the mixture of stir fried vegetables. The spicy beef lived up to its name, and had strong hints of red pepper and Thai basil. The chicken green curry that arrived later was ...

Thanks for sharing.