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    Home » Vegan recipes » Soups and stews

    Red curry Instant Pot tofu soup

    Last Modified: Nov 15, 2020 by Becky Striepe

    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Video Print
    bowl of Instant Pot curry soup on a marble table, text overlay

    This recipe is sponsored by EZ Tofu Press. All opinions are 100% my own.

    Creamy Instant Pot tofu soup gets a lovely little kick from red curry. Serve it over noodles or rice for an easy, vegan, one-bowl meal.

    bowls of instant pot tofu soup on a marble table with blue napkins

    This Instant Pot tofu soup brings the heat and the flavor, and you can adjust the spiciness to suit your taste. It's ready in less time than it takes to wait for a takeout order.

    Jump To:
    • Pressing the tofu
    • Recipe notes
    • How to serve and store
    • Instant Pot tofu soup recipe

    pressing tofu in the EZ Tofu Press

    Pressing the tofu

    Pressing your tofu is so crucial for this recipe. You want to get as much liquid out as you can, so the tofu will be ready to drink in the flavorful red curry broth as it cooks in the Instant Pot.

    I love to press my tofu using the EZ Tofu Press. The EZ Tofu Press is faster than pressing with weights in a colander, because you adjust the pressure manually, rather than relying on gravity. It also maintains the shape of the block, which is so important in a tofu soup like this one.

    The EZ Tofu Press gets out about ½ cup of water in just 10-15 minutes of pressing. And it's incredibly easy to clean. You can hand wash or just stick it into the top rack of your dishwasher.

    Once your tofu is done pressing, dice it up, and get ready to make your soup.

    Instant Pot curry soup ingredients on a marble tabletop

    Recipe notes

    This recipe gives your Instant Pot a nice workout. You start with the saute function to brown the tofu in toasted sesame oil. If you don't do oil, I provide oil-free directions, as well. That little touch of sesame oil brings big flavor to the pot, though, if you can do it!

    diced tofu on a cutting board

    Then, you add almost all of the remaining soup ingredients: vegetable broth, carrots, red curry powder, turmeric, and ground ginger. I'm using dried spices instead of fresh to make this recipe super simple. 

    If you prefer, you can use a tablespoon or two of fresh ginger in place of the dried. You can also substitute two to three tablespoons of red curry paste instead of powder.

    Set the pot to high pressure, then do a quick release. Add the broccoli to the pot, and then cook at high pressure for zero minutes. Yes, this is a thing! Zero minutes just means that it comes to pressure, and you immediately release. That's perfect for a quick-cooking veggie like broccoli.

    image collage showing the the ingredients being added to the Instant Pot  in order

    Getting the lid back onto the pot after it has been at pressure can be tricky, depending on how long you leave it open before adding the broccoli. Make sure that your pressure valve is set to venting. If it's set to sealing, it will be tougher to get the lid back on.

    After the broccoli finishes cooking, stir in a can of coconut milk, and you are ready to eat! You can use light or full fat coconut milk in this recipe.

    Dish this up with sriracha sauce on the side, so everyone can make their soup as spicy or not as they like.

    ladle scooping up coconut curry soup from the Instant Pot

    How to serve and store

    Serve this soup straight up as an appetizer or side dish. If you want to make it a meal, though, add some cooked noodles or rice to your bowls before you dish up the soup.

    If you're serving it as a side or starter, here are some suggestions for things to pair up with it:

    • sesame noodles and ginger-sesame kale
    • peanut noodle salad
    • pineapple fried rice
    • sushi bowls
    • sushi burritos

    Instant Pot tofu soup recipe

    Creamy Instant Pot tofu soup gets a lovely little kick from red curry. Serve it over noodles or rice for an easy, vegan, one-bowl meal.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Keyword: coconut curry soup, instant pot curry soup, instant pot tofu soup
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 250kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil - (optional - see notes for oil-free variation)
    • 1 block extra firm tofu - pressed and diced into ½" cubes
    • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
    • 1 ½ cups carrot coins - ½"-¾" thick
    • 1-2 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 2-3 teaspoons red curry powder
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric
    • 2 ½ cups medium-sized broccoli florets
    • 1 15 ounce can coconut milk
    • sriracha sauce - to taste

    Instructions

    • Set your Instant Pot to saute, and heat the sesame oil. Add the tofu and cook, stirring, until the tofu is browned slightly, about 3 minutes.
    • Add all of the remaining ingredients, except for the broccoli, coconut milk, and sriracha. Cook at high pressure for 4 minutes with a quick release.
    • Carefully remove the Instant Pot's lid, and add the broccoli to the pot. Bring to high pressure for 0 minutes (yes! See note!), and do a quick release. 
    • Add the coconut milk, stir and serve with sriracha sauce on the side.

    Equipment

    • EZ Tofu Press
    • Instant Pot

    Video

    Notes

    For an oil-free option, skip the saute, omit the oil, and add the tofu to the pot with the broth, spices, and carrots in step two.
    You can use 1-2 tablespoons grated ginger in place of the ground ginger, if you prefer. More will yield a spicier soup.
    You can use up to 3 tablespoons of red curry paste instead of the powder. More will yield a spicier soup.
    YES! You can set your Instant Pot for zero minutes. It's perfect for cooking veggies like the smaller broccoli florets in this recipe. All of the cooking happens as the pot comes to pressure, then it immediately beeps, so you can do that quick release. Perfect, tender broccoli, y'all! High five to my pal, Mandy, for hipping me to this amazing technique.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 250kcal
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!
    « Episode 19: Field Roast Miniature Corn Dogs
    Vegan pumpkin spice oatmeal »

    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Judit

      December 15, 2021 at 5:56 pm

      Can I make this if I don’t have tofu? I have rice noodles - would that work maybe?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        December 17, 2021 at 10:46 am

        You may need to adjust the liquid if you do noodles, so I'm not sure. You could use drained, canned chickpeas, though!

        Reply
    2. Nora

      September 22, 2021 at 2:50 pm

      Hello Becky. I want to make this soup this weekend, but I don’t have an instant pot.
      Could you please recomment / estimate how long each step will take in a conventional pot?

      Thanks
      Nora

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        September 25, 2021 at 1:03 pm

        Hey Nora! I would do the sauté for about the same amount of time, simmer for 10 minutes, and then cook the broccoli just until tender - just a few minutes, and definitely keep an eye on it. Enjoy the soup!

        Reply
        • Nora

          September 26, 2021 at 4:25 pm

          5 stars
          Hi Becky.
          Thank you, the soup turned out great with those tips.

          I changed the ingredients a bit: I used a cauliflower and broccoli mix and also added some sweetcorn.

          Thanks for creating and sharing this recipe :)

          Reply
    3. Kelly Smith

      December 28, 2020 at 2:10 pm

      Just made this. I did change it a tad bit but it was off the charts amazing. Unbelievably good. As good as Indian restaurant. I sautéd the tofu in coconut oil. Added one potato. And a little coconut milk light and coconut cream. I know... it what I had. And a tablespoon of miso. One of the best things.... I made. Perfect. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        December 28, 2020 at 4:52 pm

        I am so on board for adding a potato to curry. Thank you for coming back to leave such a thoughtful comment, and high five for making it work using what you had on hand!

        Reply
    4. A.

      January 05, 2020 at 5:20 pm

      Can I use general curry powder or must it be red curry powder?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        January 06, 2020 at 10:30 am

        Yes, you can use yellow curry powder, it will just have a different flavor than the original recipe.

        Reply
    5. Corinne

      February 05, 2019 at 10:18 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious soup, very easy to make. We added in some black pepper, garlic, and some siracha for additional spice and it blended perfectly.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 06, 2019 at 7:01 am

        Ooh great additions! It's nice with a squeeze of lime at the end, too, if you're up for more variations next time.

        Reply
    6. Karen Phillips

      December 29, 2018 at 6:48 am

      Can you sub red curry paste for the powder?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        December 31, 2018 at 11:37 am

        Yes! You may need to fiddle with amounts, but you definitely can.

        Reply
    7. Cadry

      May 07, 2018 at 10:45 am

      Okay, my IP has been in the cupboard for almost a year now... I seriously need to pull it out for this coconut curry soup! It sounds like everything I like.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 16, 2018 at 8:38 pm

        Whaaaat! You so do! We use ours for grains, so ours gets lots of love.

        Reply
    8. Dianne

      April 30, 2018 at 3:04 pm

      I love a good curry, especially when tofu is involved! I need to add this to my list of dinners for the week!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 16, 2018 at 8:41 pm

        I feel the same way about curry. I could eat a curry every day, probably!

        Reply
    9. Sarah De la Cruz

      April 30, 2018 at 1:37 pm

      Totally wowed by your 0 minute IP trick! Can't wait to try it! No more mushy carrots!!!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 16, 2018 at 8:40 pm

        Right?? I was texting with a friend who casually mentioned you could do that, like it was no big deal. It's a gamechanger!

        Reply

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    Glue and Glitter
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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