Brothy Thai Curry With Silken Tofu and Herbs

By Yewande Komolafe

Published January 25, 2022

  • A dark bowl filled with an orange broth sits against a gray background. Pieces of silken tofu, tomatoes and herbs peek through the broth. To the bottom left is a small plate with lime wedges, and to the right is a spoon.
    Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Maeve Sheridan.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(6,964)
Comments
Read comments

A jarred red curry paste is the central flavor of this wonderfully restorative and nourishing broth. Coconut milk lends a subtle creaminess, and the cherry tomatoes become bright little jammy bursts. You can use fresh tomatoes when in season, but canned tomatoes do just as well. Ladle the piping hot broth over seasoned tofu pieces and fresh herbs: The delicate silken tofu used here will absorb big flavors from the surrounding liquid.

Featured in: Three Restorative Recipes to Warm From Within

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 2 (14-ounce) packages silken tofu, drained

  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed

  • 2 shallots, peeled and minced

  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

  • 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, scrubbed and grated

  • 3 tablespoons red curry paste

  • 1 (14-ounce) can cherry tomatoes or fresh cherry tomatoes

  • 1 quart vegetable stock

  • 1 (13 ½-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

  • Salt and black pepper

  • ¼ cup soy sauce

  • 1 ½ cups mixed fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil and dill

  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

  • 1 lime, cut into wedges, for squeezing

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

17 grams carbs; 1 milligram cholesterol; 325 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 25 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 1116 milligrams sodium; 16 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pat the tofu blocks dry with a clean kitchen or paper towel. Cut each block into 3 slices.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high. Add the oil and shallots, and stir until softened, 2 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste, stir, and cook until fragrant and the paste turns deep red, 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the tomato juices thicken slightly, 4 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Pour in the vegetable stock, stir, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer to slightly reduce the liquid, 10 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, season to taste with salt and remove from the heat.

  4. Step 4

    While the broth is simmering, divide the soft tofu into 6 bowls. Break each slice into 4 or 5 pieces. Season each bowl of tofu with 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and a few cracks of black pepper, and top with about ¼ cup of the fresh herb mix.

  5. Step 5

    Ladle the hot broth and tomatoes over the bowls of silken tofu. Top with sliced scallions and serve hot, with lime wedges for squeezing.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
6,964 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

AnneR

Scallions are easy to grow. Save the bottom bit with the roots and stick in water or dirt. I started doing this at the beginning of the pandemic and now have a bumper crop!

Mary Young

This is my basic Thai red curry recipe but I alternate tofu, shrimp or chicken. The curry itself freezes extremely well. Cook longer if you want a thicker sauce to use over stir fried veggies, rice or noodles.

Uhura

Before scallions got outrageous, I started cutting halfway up the white and sticking them in the ground. You harvest them the same way and they grow back over and over. I haven't bought scallions for years now.

Jonathon

This is a great base as a flavorful soup to make when you want to use up a lot of leftover veggies. We added boiled broccoli from the other night. I put extra basil and cilantro into the soup at the end, and then more fresh on top with the scallions. I added extra lime juice and it's quite bright, almost tom-yum in character. Considered immersion blending the silken tofu into the broth and will try that next time.

Kris

I used Mekhala Thai Red Curry Paste and this was very spicy. I loved it but definitely too hot for the kids. I too would have loved the tofu heated before adding the broth, as I kept getting hot bites and cold bites throughout the bowl. Definitely will make this again though!

Ukiedancer

Made it with half chicken broth (had to use it up) and chopped up the fresh tomatoes. The coconut milk had separated but I hadn’t noticed until it was in the pot so I used an immersion blender, making it a smooth broth. My daughter said, « If I was served this in a restaurant, I would not be disappointed. » Very delicious!

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.