Sonata’s Beautiful Thai Coconut Soup

Fragrant Thai coconut soup with prawns, fresh veggies, and zesty lime flavors. This vibrant and creamy dish blends tom yum and red curry pastes with coconut milk for a bold, aromatic base. Loaded with tender prawns, mushrooms, courgette, and carrots, it’s balanced perfectly with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and a squeeze of lime juice. Finished with fresh coriander, this soup makes a warming and satisfying lunch or dinner that’s both easy to make and full of Thai-inspired comfort.

Ingredients:

(Serves 2–4)

4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped (or bruised whole and removed later)
3–4 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces
2 small thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced thin
2 tbsp tom yum paste
1 tbsp red curry paste
3 tbsp fish sauce (adjust to taste)
800 ml (2 can) coconut milk
200 ml vegetable or chicken broth (or water if you prefer lighter)
1 courgette (zucchini), sliced into thin rounds
1 carrot, julienned or thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms (like shiitake or button), sliced
200g prawns, peeled and deveined
1 lime, juice and extra wedges for serving
Fresh coriander, chopped, for garnish
Optional: fresh chili slices for extra heat

Instructions:

Sauté the aromatics:

In a large pot, heat a little oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, lemongrass, ginger, and kaffir lime leaves. Stir gently for about 1–2 minutes until fragrant.

Add pastes and broth:

Stir in the tom yum paste and red curry paste for another minute.

Pour in the broth (or water) and bring it to a simmer. Stir in the fish sauce

Add coconut milk:

Once simmering, pour in the coconut milk. Stir to combine, keeping the heat gentle (don’t boil hard, so the coconut milk stays creamy).

Add vegetables:

Add the carrots, courgette slices, and mushrooms. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until just tender.

Cook the prawns:

Add the prawns to the soup and simmer until they turn pink and are cooked through (about 2–3 minutes).

Season:

squeeze in fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust — add more lime.

Serve: