{"id":179370,"title":"Keto mushroom tom kha (vegan version)","modified":"2026-10-02T22:28:14+02:00","plain":"A vegan, low-carb Thai soup with coconut milk, galangal and lemongrass, ready in fifteen minutes.\n\n\n\nThe fragrance rises as soon as the galangal and lemongrass hit the hot oil. The soup is bright and creamy, with deeply browned mushrooms and a splash of lime. It stays vegan and low in carbs without losing any of its umami. You might think it takes ages to make, but it is ready in fifteen minutes. This recipe is part of my collection of keto soups and salads.\n\n\n\nWhat is mushroom tom kha?\n\n\n\nIt is a rich, fragrant coconut soup built on a highly aromatic broth. Galangal brings a peppery, almost resinous freshness, lemongrass a citrus note, chili the heat, and lime brightness, whether as zest or juice. This version replaces fish sauce, a source of umami, with vegetable or mushroom broth, soy sauce, tamari, well-seared mushrooms and a little tomato paste.\n\n\n\nThe texture stays creamy without being thick. Left unblended, the aromatics add texture and the mushrooms a satisfying bite; blended before adding the mushrooms, it becomes smoother and more rounded. For the chicken version, see the classic tom kha gai on the site.\n\n\n\nAlso try: Mushroom Soup with Mascarpone.\n\n\n\nFrom classic tom kha to a vegan version\n\n\n\nThe dish draws on the elements of a classic mushroom tom kha: coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, lime juice, fish sauce, mushrooms and chili. The idea is to create a vegan, ketogenic interpretation in the spirit of Thai cuisine.\n\n\n\nThe makrut lime leaves remain optional, and the fish sauce is omitted to keep the recipe vegan. Nutritional values are calculated with lime juice: using only the zest reduces the carbs and makes a less tangy soup.\n\n\n\nThe main ingredients\n\n\n\nThe mushrooms matter just as much as the coconut milk. Cremini mushrooms, seared until deeply browned, provide a meaty texture and nutty notes; shiitakes add a woodsy depth that boosts umami without fish sauce. Softened red onion brings sweetness, spring onions a fresh note, and garlic gives the broth a lift.\n\n\n\nAlong the same lines: Greek salad.\n\n\n\nFresh galangal gives the dish its distinctive \u201c kha \u201d character: pungent, fresh and slightly resinous. Ginger brings a different kind of warmth; the two roots complement rather than replace each other. Split lemongrass infuses the soup and is then easy to remove. Organic lime provides zest for fragrance without acidity, or juice to cut through the richness of the coconut milk; zest alone is enough for a stricter approach.\n\n\n\nTomato paste adds roundness and plant-based umami, turmeric gives the broth a golden hue, coriander seeds enhance the citrus notes, and paprika mellows the chili. Vegetable or mushroom broth, unsweetened coconut milk, soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos provide salt and umami; for a gluten-free version, check the labels on the tamari and broth.\n\n\n\nAnother recipe in the same spirit: Egg salad.\n\n\n\nCooking tips and serving\n\n\n\nFollow the cooking sequence: soften the onion in coconut oil, add the garlic, chili, galangal, ginger, zest, spices and tomato paste, then pour in the broth, coconut milk and soy sauce. Sear the mushrooms separately over high heat without crowding the pan, and add them only one to two minutes before serving. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer; a rolling boil will cause the coconut milk to split. Allow for 12 g of net carbs per serving with lime juice when planning your daily intake, and serve piping hot with cilantro and sliced chili.\n\n\n\nFor more low-carb ideas, browse all my keto recipes.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tTom Kha Hed - Thai Mushroom Soup with Galangal, Lime and Coconut Milk\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t125 g cremini mushrooms125 g shiitake mushrooms1 petit small red onion2 stalks spring onion4 cloves garlic1 petit morceau small piece fresh galangal1 petit morceau small piece fresh ginger1 stalk fresh lemongrass0.5 red chili1 lime (organic, as the zest is also used)1 \u00e0 2 tablespoons tomato paste0.5 teaspoon ground turmeric (or a small piece of fresh turmeric root)1 teaspoon coriander seeds1 teaspoon paprika1 pinch black pepper300 ml stock (vegetable, mushroom or chicken)200 ml coconut milk1 dash soy sauce or tamari2 tablespoons coconut oilOptional4 makrut lime leaves (djeroek poeroet)1 bunch fresh cilantro3 drops fish sauce (sugar-free) (the soup will then no longer be vegetarian or vegan)For a lower-carb versiononly lime zest (NO lime juice)\t\n\t\n\t\tThinly slice the onion. Saut\u00e9 it in the pot with a generous tablespoon of coconut oil until translucent.Crush the garlic with a garlic press. Slice the red chili into thin rings (or half-rings). Set aside a little red chili for garnish. Cut the spring onions into pieces, reserving the dark green parts.Grate the ginger and galangal. If they are very fibrous, you can slice them instead and remove the slices later.Wash the lime thoroughly and grate the zest. Only grate the green-yellow part, not the white pith.Once the onions are fully translucent, add the garlic, spring onions and red chili. Then add the ginger, galangal and lime zest. Then the dry spices and tomato paste.Deglaze with the stock, coconut milk and soy sauce (or coconut aminos).Squeeze the lime and add the juice.Cut the lemongrass in half lengthwise, but leave the base intact. This will make it easy to remove the stalk later.If using, add the makrut lime leaves and fish sauce now as well.Meanwhile, cut the mushrooms into slices slightly thicker than you want them to be in the finished soup. They will shrink further. I generally get 4 slices from a slightly smaller mushroom and 5 from a slightly larger one.I prefer to saut\u00e9 the mushrooms in a separate frying pan. Over high heat, with a generous spoonful of oil. Let them brown well on all sides. And only add them to the soup at the very end. This gives them a lovely caramelized flavor and helps them release less water. If space is limited, saut\u00e9 the mushrooms with the onion in the pot.Add the mushrooms to the soup a minute or two before serving. Before adding the mushrooms, you can blend the soup if you like. This gives you a smooth, creamy soup. Personally, I like a bit of texture, so I leave it as it is.Remove the makrut lime leaves and lemongrass from the pot. Pour into bowls and garnish with a handful of fresh cilantro and red chili rings.\t\n\t\n\t\tNutritional values calculated with lime juice. Using only the zest reduces the carbohydrate content by up to 5 grams.\nEquipment: cooking pot, large PFAS-free frying pan (optional), (four-sided) box grater, garlic press, immersion blender (optional).\n\t\n\t\n\t\tSoupes et bouillonsTha\u00eflandaise","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179370"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179370\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/178341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}