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This creamy coconut curry soup is a “pantry soup” made of only pantry ingredients! It comes together in under 30 minutes and is a simple plant based meal.
This post was created in partnership with California Olive Ranch. All opinions are our own.
With new years come resolutions, clean closets, and clear minds (for a week or so, at least!). In the spirit of new beginnings, let’s dust out the cobwebs and talk healthy eating and pantry organization. This coconut curry soup recipe is also a pantry soup. What’s a pantry soup? A recipe made only of ingredients found in your pantry. It’s also quick to whip up, healthy, and versatile for multiple diets: vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan. Keep reading for this creamy coconut curry soup recipe and a few notes on stocking a pantry.
Related: Tomato Coconut Cauliflower Curry
Tips to stock a pantry
This coconut curry soup is made with all pantry ingredients, so we thought we’d take a second to share some tips to stock a pantry! What do you stock in your pantry? Our is modest-sized, so we have to choose our ingredients carefully. These are the main items you’ll find in our pantry:
Canned vegetables
- Canned beans: chickpeas, black, kidney, pinto and cannellini beans (our go-to for quick meals)
- Canned tomatoes: combined with above, anything is possible
Oils, vinegars, and sweeteners
- Olive oil: our main cooking oil, which we use for almost every recipe*
- Other oils: grapeseed and toasted sesame oil are our other most-used oils
- Vinegars: balsamic, white wine, apple cider, and sherry vinegar are our favorites for whipping up vinaigrette or adding a tangy kick to soups
- Sweeteners: honey, maple syrup, and agave syrup; we use white and brown sugars occasionally for baking
- Coconut milk: we use it for soups, ice cream, and these recipes to use a can of coconut milk.
*Tip: We created this coconut curry soup for California Olive Ranch olive oil, who shared a tip on olive oil with us! Unlike wine which can improve with age, olive oil is meant to be consumed fresh. It’s recommended to keep the cap on the bottle (instead of using a pour spout that can’t be capped), and try to use the bottle within 1 month.
Grains and legumes
- Dried lentils: lentils are extremely economical and versatile, from stews to curries
- Grains: grains take up a large portion of our pantry, from brown rice to quinoa to bulgur wheat to farro
Spices and flours
- Spices: a good chunk of kitchen space is devoted to spices; see this post on our top 15 spices (several are in this coconut curry soup)
- Flours: white, whole wheat, and rye flours, rolled oats, cornmeal
Onions, garlic, and root vegetables
- Onions and garlic: we stock loads of garlic, onions, and shallots (a small onion with a more delicate flavor – which is also in this coconut curry soup)
- Sweet potatoes and red potatoes: we eat sweet potatoes quite a bit, so they’re always in our pantry!
Take stock of what you’ve got, toss any ancient ingredients, and resolve to make more from scratch this year! This pantry coconut curry soup is a clever use of ingredients that are readily on hand, choosing from several of the categories above. Our favorite part? The artistic potential for drizzling as the garnish. We made this coconut curry soup with my sister and had a great time drizzling the coconut milk and olive oil in various designs on top. The sky’s the limit, so enjoy the creative outlet!
Make it a meal: For a hearty meal, pair this with a green salad and some bread, crackers, or a handful of nuts. The soup also reheats well and is great for weekday lunches.
Listen
Listen to our olive oil tasting with California Olive Ranch on the A Couple Cooks Podcast.
Looking for healthy and easy soup recipes?
Outside of this creamy coconut curry soup, here are a few more of our favorite healthy and easy soup recipes:
- Moroccan Spiced Cauliflower Soup
- Easy Tomato Basil Soup
- Creamy Corn Chowder (or Vegan Corn Chowder)
- Za’atar-Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
- Hearty Sweet Potato and Kale Soup
- Italian Vegetable & Gnocchi Soup
- Quinoa Black Bean Vegan Chili
- Tomato Sage Chickpea Soup
- Red Lentil Soup
- Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup
- Tuscan Soup with White Beans
- Vegan Split Pea Soup
- Tomato Artichoke Lentil Stew
Related: Try using our Homemade Vegetable Broth for this recipe!
This recipe is…
This creamy coconut curry soup is vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, and plant-based.
Creamy Coconut Curry Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This creamy coconut curry soup is a “pantry soup” made of only pantry ingredients! It comes together in under 30 minutes and is a simple plant based meal.
Ingredients
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 large shallots (substitute 1 yellow onion)
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons best quality curry powder*
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried ground coriander
- 1 pinch cayenne (optional)
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- Olive oil, for garnish
- Pumpkin seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and the shallots. Drain the chickpeas.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallots and sauté 2 to 3 minutes, until translucent (alternatively, sauté the onion 4 to 5 minutes).
- Add the garlic, curry powder, cumin, coriander and cayenne, and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the white wine vinegar and stir until it evaporates, about 10 seconds. Add the chickpeas, vegetable broth, and kosher salt. Bring to a boil and boil gently for 5 minutes.
- Reduce to a simmer and stir in the maple syrup and all but about ¼ cup coconut milk; reserve the remaining coconut milk for a garnish. Remove the soup from the heat and use an immersion blender or blender to puree until completely smooth. (If using an immersion blender, the soup will become quite foamy; stir for a minute or so to reincorporate the foam into the soup.) Taste, and add maple syrup or a few pinches salt to taste. Allow to cool slightly before serving, which will allow to soup to thicken slightly and the flavor to develop.
- To serve, garnish each bowl with extra coconut milk, a drizzle of olive oil, and pepitas (and get creative with your designs!).
Notes
*The flavor of the soup will highly depend on the curry powder you use, so use the best brand you can find. If the curry powder you use is spicy, you may want to reduce the amount to taste. Using shallots instead of onion adds a unique, delicate flavor.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Really good!
This soup was amazing!! I didn’t have any maple syrup so I used honey instead, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Served with naan and a side salad….a wonderful meatless Monday meal! Thank you!
Hi! This looks great, looking to try it soon. Just to clarify, is the coriander dried or ground?
Both: dried and ground! We updated the recipe: thank you!