This Any-Vegetable Cilantro Soup started because I wanted an easy, delicious way to use up cilantro and basil that were about to lose their luster. I call it “any vegetable” soup because after you make the zippy, coconutty cilantro broth, it holds onto any vegetable well! I’ve used Japanese sweet potato and kale here, but any vegetables you have lying around would be a great addition to this soup. The creamy, vibrant broth will happily welcome them into the fold!
Table of contents
The ingredients for this “any-vegetable” cilantro soup
I have a full ingredients list below (because I would never leave you to your own devices!), but the title of this soup is a bit self-explanatory. If you have some vegetables in the fridge that need to be used before they go bad, this is the perfect soup to use them in! So, of course, follow this ingredients list for the basic flavors in the broth, but when it comes to adding vegetables (and protein!), anything will do. Here’s what you’ll need for this cilantro soup:
- 1 (16-ounce) pack of extra-firm tofu, drained
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 cups cilantro leaves
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 3 cups spinach leaves
- 1 (14-ounce) can of coconut milk
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 medium Birdseye chilies, sliced
- 2 lemongrass stalks, optional, but lovely
- 1 lime for peeling and juicing
- 1 large Japanese sweet potato, or any root vegetable or potato of choice
- 2 cups lacinato kale, or any leafy green of choice
How to build flavor for this soup
Like a lot of soups, this soup relies on aromatics and simmer time to build flavor. First of all, the onion, spices, chilies and lemongrass are all cooked in olive oil before the coconut milk broth and water are added. This gives the olive oil a beautiful, rich flavor that helps the broth shine. Once the coconut milk broth and water are added to the pot, it’s important to let the whole thing simmer for at least 15 minutes to not only cook the potatoes but also to let the flavors melt together.
Vegetable substitution ideas
There are plenty of options for substitutes and add-ins for this soup. If you don’t have all of the ingredients listed, I’m sure you’ve got something on hand that will work just as well. Here are some ideas:
- Parsley (instead of cilantro or basil)
- Arugula (instead of spinach)
- Curry powder and cumin (instead of garam masala)
- Jalapeño or serrano peppers (instead of Birdseye chilies)
- Lemon zest (instead of lemongrass)
- Yukon gold potatoes, red potatoes or sweet potatoes (instead of Japanese sweet potatoes)
- Collard greens or swiss chard (instead of kale)
- Butter beans or tempeh (instead of tofu)
Looking for more soup recipes?
It’s soup season and I love getting cozy. Here are some favorites on the blog:
And that’s everything for this Any-Vegetable Cilantro Soup!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Watch the recipe here
The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.
Any-Vegetable Cilantro Soup
Equipment
- 1 large Dutch oven or pot
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) pack of extra-firm tofu drained
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 cups cilantro leaves
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 3 cups spinach leaves
- 1 (14-ounce) can of coconut milk
- 1 medium white onion diced
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 4 garlic cloves grated
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 medium Birdseye chilies sliced
- 2 lemongrass stalks optional, but lovely
- 1 lime for peeling and juicing
- 1 large Japanese sweet potato or any root vegetable or potato of choice
- 2 cups lacinato kale or any leafy green of choice
Instructions
- Use one paper towel to lightly press any moisture out of the tofu. Slice it into 1-inch thick pieces, any shape.
- Set the large Dutch oven over medium heat and add enough extra-virgin olive oil to coat the surface. Let the oil heat up for 1-2 minutes.
- In batches, fry the tofu until golden brown. This takes about 5 minutes on each side. Remove the tofu from the pot and set aside.
- Very carefully let the oil cool, then clean out the pot. Fill the pot with water and set it over high heat to bring it to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water to the side.
- When the water is at a boil, season with a few large pinches of salt. Blanch the cilantro, basil and spinach by submerging them in the boiling water for 30 seconds, then transferring them immediately to the ice bath. Drain the Dutch oven.
- Squeeze out any excess water from the cilantro, basil and spinach and transfer them to a blender. Add the coconut milk and one cup of water. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Place the Dutch oven back over medium heat and add enough olive oil to coat the surface. Let the oil heat up for 1-2 minutes, then add the diced onion. Season with a large pinch of salt and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the onion has softened.
- Add the garam masala, garlic, ginger and chilies and stir until the garlic no longer smells raw, around 2-3 minutes.
- Use the back of your knives to crack into the lemongrass skin. Cut off the bottom inch of the stalk to expose the tender center. Finely chop the tender center and add it to the pot.
- Cut a sliver of the lime peel from the lime and add it to the pot as well.
- Add the Japanese sweet potato and stir to coat in the aromatics. Season with another pinch of salt.
- Pour in the coconut broth and two additional cups of water. Let this come to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Add the kale, stir and let the soup cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the greens have wilted in. Remove the lime peel from the soup and squeeze in the juice from the lime. Taste and season with salt as needed.
- To serve, portion into bowls and top with the fried tofu. Enjoy warm!
I’ll say up front that I made quite a few substitutions, though the recipe encourages this which I think both makes it very flexible and also leaves a lot to a chef’s individual tastes. I used arugula instead of spinach, parsley instead of basil, lemon zest instead of lemongrass, a jalapeno instead of chilies, lemon juice instead of lime juice, great northern beans instead of tofu, and red potatoes instead of Japanese sweet potato.
This recipe was exactly what I was looking for, mainly as something I could dump a bunch of my leftover ingredients into and get something passable. I only had to buy a few things, so the meal altogether was inexpensive and reduced my personal food waste.
The flavors in the soup you end up with are almost entirely dependent on which substitutions you make, but the bones of the this recipe are very sturdy and I can imagine that most combinations would result in something delicious. My soup came out great, and I believe I’ll be using this recipe a lot in the future (maybe I’ll try to get closer to the intended recipe next time!)
Honestly, I loved this review. I’m so glad you enjoyed it and saw the ~vision~ of it being a multipurpose soup! And I’m glad it used up a bunch of ingredients, in a good, no-waste way 🙂
Hi, is two cups of cilantro lightly packed or about two bunches. Thank you so much. I’m a big fan of your recipes and cooking style.
I’d say heavily packed – I pack it into a Pyrex measuring cup for reference!