Coconut-Ginger Soup With Greens

Updated January 20, 2026

Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Ready In
45 min
Rating
5(808)
Comments
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If you're under the weather and need a hug in food form, fast — or just dinner for a weeknight — this cozy, warming one-pot soup is ideal. Creamy and satisfying from the coconut milk, it is full of bold ingredients like ginger, garlic and turmeric. It happens to be vegan, and flexible: The greens can be swapped with whatever you have on hand; rice noodles can jump in instead of white rice; tofu or red chiles fit right in. This soup thickens as it sits, so be sure to reheat it with a splash of water and stir in fresh greens, if you’ve got any to spare. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings (about 8 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil

  • 4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

  • 4 garlic cloves, grated or minced

  • 2 tablespoons finely grated unpeeled ginger (from a 2-inch piece)

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric

  • ½ cup long-grain white rice

  • 1 quart (4 cups) low-sodium vegetable broth

  • 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat or light coconut milk 

  • 5 packed cups baby spinach or roughly chopped, destemmed chard or kale

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, gently torn

  • 1 lime, halved

  • Crushed red pepper (optional), for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

30 grams carbs; 268 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 15 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1052 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 3 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.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high until melted. Add the scallions, garlic and ginger, and season with salt. Stir occasionally until the scallions soften, about 1 ½ minutes. Stir in the turmeric and a few grinds of pepper. 

  2. Step 2

    Add the rice, stirring to coat for about 1 minute. Pour in the broth, coconut milk and 2 cups of water, and scrape any spices from the bottom of the pot.

  3. Step 3

    Raise the heat to bring the liquid to just under a boil, with bubbles starting to break across the surface, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer with small bubbles actively breaking across the surface. Let cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking on the bottom. 

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the greens and cook until the greens and rice are tender, about 5 minutes more. 

  5. Step 5

    Stir in the soy sauce and most of the cilantro and squeeze in the juice of half the lime. Taste and add more lime or salt as needed. 

  6. Step 6

    Garnish with the remaining cilantro, a few grinds of black pepper and crushed red pepper, if using, and serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
808 user ratings
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Comments

Add a little red lentils or split moong dhal to make it a meal.

@Martha if you’re looking for another grain, Quinoa…if you want protein I’d sub lentils like someone else suggested or some other white bean…

This tastes like Vitality. Health and goodness. Perfect for a cold winter night during flu season to keep One healthy

left off one cup of water... could use more rice... otherwise, very tasty...

Added some left over shredded chicken, caramelized mushrooms, and replaced 1 tbsp soy sauce with fish sauce. Will definitely make again.

If you’re using something besides raw rice, don’t forget - like I did - that you’ll need to cut the water by at least half. I used rice noodles, which were perfect but the soup was just too watery. The addition of potatoes helped, but I didn’t get the desired effect. I’m definitely going to make this again with lesson learned.

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