Ginger Lemongrass Soup with Coconut Milk

Ginger Lemongrass Soup with Coconut Milk is a vegan pot of soothing comfort that you won’t be able to get enough of. It will become one of your favorite lemongrass recipes!

This vibrant soup is perfect for when it’s cold outside, if you're feeling under the weather, or simply for a delicious and healthy meal.

Packed with fresh vegetables and herbs, every spoonful of this ginger lemongrass soup bursts with aromatic zesty flavors that are subtly sweet, spicy and sour.

Ingredient Notes

Look at the beautiful collection of fresh ingredients above.

• lemongrass - You should be able to find lemongrass at most grocery stores, and definitely in Asian markets. Choose stalks that are aromatic, firm, and heavy for their size. They should be a creamy pale yellow color towards the bottom and light to bright green on top.
• fresh ginger - Fresh ginger roots should be firm and feel heavy for their size.
• vegetable stock - Ideally low-sodium or sodium-free.
• garlic - Look for firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots, which are an indication it's old and likely bitter.
• coconut milk - Preferably not light coconut milk.
• Mung bean sprouts - These will add a very subtle crunch. They're sold both loose and in bags.
• red bell pepper - I love the pop of color this adds to the soup. Look for peppers that are firm, deeply colored and shiny.
• carrots - Choose firm, plump carrots, preferably without little roots on the bottom.
• green onion (scallions) - Select onions with crisp green tops. Both the white and green portions are used in this soup.
• lime juice - I find that limes with smoother skin are the most juicy.
• fresh cilantro - Choose bright green perky bunches.
• fresh basil - Choose bright green perky bunches. (Bunches with smaller leaves will be more tender and a touch sweet.)
• curry paste (optional) - The curry paste is to add a bit more of a kick if desired. Red or yellow curry pastes are best for this recipe. Many store-bought curry pastes contain shrimp paste, so if you're keeping the soup vegan, check the label.

What is lemongrass?

• Lemongrass is native to the tropical and sub-tropical climates of Asia, Australia and Africa.
• It has a tender creamy white core at the bottom of the stalk that's sometimes purple-ish inside, and it’s this portion that has a wonderful and distinct citrus flavor with notes of ginger, lime, and mint. While this bright flavor is subtle, it greatly enhances dishes that include it.
• Lemongrass is primarily common in Thai, Indian, Indonesian, and Vietnamese cooking.

Fresh Lemongrass Substitutions

If you can't find lemongrass, here are some ingredients that are good replacements:

• Lemon zest. Use the zest from 1 medium-large lemon to replace 2 stalks of lemongrass (bottom white portion).
• Lemon verbena. Use approximately 3 lemon verbena leaves to replace 1 stalk of lemongrass (bottom white portion).
• Makrut lime leaves (also called kaffir lime leaves). Use approximately 2 leaves to replace 1 stalk of lemongrass (bottom white portion).
• Lemongrass paste (also called Kroeung). Use approximately 1 tablespoon to replace 1 stalk of lemongrass (bottom white portion).

You might also find jarred lemongrass, which would typically be used in approximately equal amounts.

How to Make It

- Cut off the dark green portions of the lemongrass stalks and discard them (in the compost). It’s the bottom lighter, 3 or 4 inches you want to use. Use your fingers to gently split, and then pull away the outer stiff layer of the lemongrass.

- It should come off in one piece. (Sometimes it’s necessary to take off a second layer - to get to the softest portion of the lemongrass.)

- Use a meat mallet to firmly, but gently, smash the remaining lemongrass. (If you don’t have a meat mallet, you can use the bottom of a small sauté pan.)

---> Here is a more detailed photographic guide that shows you how to prep the lemongrass step-by-step.

- Add the lemongrass, ginger and garlic to a large pot (about 6 quart).

- Pour the coconut milk and stock on top and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 45 minutes. Then turn off the heat, keep the pot covered, and let the ingredients infuse for another 45 minutes.

- Strain the liquid over a large bowl, discard the lemongrass, ginger and garlic. Pour the broth back into the pot.

- Add the vegetables: Mung bean sprouts, red bell peppers, carrots, and green onions. Cover and simmer until they’re tender, about 15 minutes.

- Add the lime juice, cilantro, basil and curry paste (if desired). Then season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar.

Pro Tip: This is a recipe where seasoning to taste with salt (and just a touch of sugar) is important. It really brightens the lemongrass and ginger flavors. It's on the mild side without it. Click here for my tutorial on how to season to taste.

Recipe Tips

• Working with lemongrass might be daunting if you’re new to it. Here's an introduction to this aromatic ingredient, and how to use it.
• We only use the bottom white/lighter portion of lemongrass stalks. Unfortunately the rest doesn't impart much flavor, so I don't even save it for stocks or other uses.
• The recipe instructs you to infuse the liquid with the ginger and lemongrass for at least 90 minutes (45 minutes simmering and 45 steeping). You can do it for a longer period of time to intensify the flavors.
• Sometimes when cooking with coconut milk, it can appear curdled. Whisking it before adding it to the recipe can help prevent this. And throughout the cooking process, if it appears to be separating at all, just whisk again to bring it back together.
• The recipe calls for cutting the carrots into matchstick-sized pieces, but of course they can be round, or any shape you'd like - as long as they're thinly sliced.
• The final color of the soup, and whether it's darker or lighter, will depend on the stock you're using. Those that are richer in flavor tend to be darker.

Variations

• Additions. You can add all sorts of vegetables to this soup, or substitute some for others. Spinach, bok choy, mushrooms, and potatoes are great with the ginger lemongrass broth.
• Make it heartier. For a heartier meal, add tofu, noodles or rice.
• Non-vegan version. This ginger lemongrass soup recipe is vegan, but if that's not important to you, you can certainly add chicken, meat or seafood if desired. (It’s delicious with shrimp.) You can also swap the vegetable stock for chicken stock.
• Spicy version - This is a mild soup. Oftentimes I add a small amount of Thai curry paste to this recipe for an extra kick - you can add more or less, depending on your taste. You can also add chili paste or red chili flakes for more heat.

Can you make it ahead?

• This soup is equally as delicious the next day - if not more so. If it's refrigerated in a tightly sealed container, it should be good for at least four days.
• It can be frozen for up to a month (in a tightly sealed container).

Serving Suggestions

Really, a generous portion of lemongrass soup alone is a fantastic one pot meal.

If you want to accompany it with other dishes however, below are a few delicious ideas.

Ginger Lemongrass Soup FAQs

Is this the same as Tom Kha?
Not quite. Tom Kha is a Thai coconut soup traditionally made with galangal, lemongrass, and makrut lime leaves, and usually with chicken (Tom Kha Gai). My soup is inspired by those flavors, but it uses fresh ginger and lots of vegetables, and it's vegan.

Do you eat the lemongrass in this soup?
No. Lemongrass is too tough and fibrous to eat in large pieces like these. We use it to infuse the broth with flavor, and it's strained out along with the ginger and garlic.

Is this soup spicy?
It's mild. The optional curry paste adds a gentle kick, and you can add more, or a pinch of red chili flakes, to taste.

How can I make it a heartier meal?
Add cubed tofu, cooked rice noodles, or rice. If it doesn't need to be vegan, shrimp or chicken are delicious in it too.

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I hope you love every last spoonful!

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