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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot tofu soup recipe
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.
Judit
Can I make this if I don’t have tofu? I have rice noodles - would that work maybe?
Becky Striepe
You may need to adjust the liquid if you do noodles, so I'm not sure. You could use drained, canned chickpeas, though!
Nora
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
Becky Striepe
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!
Nora
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 :)
Kelly Smith
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!
Becky Striepe
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!
A.
Can I use general curry powder or must it be red curry powder?
Becky Striepe
Yes, you can use yellow curry powder, it will just have a different flavor than the original recipe.
Corinne
Delicious soup, very easy to make. We added in some black pepper, garlic, and some siracha for additional spice and it blended perfectly.
Becky Striepe
Ooh great additions! It's nice with a squeeze of lime at the end, too, if you're up for more variations next time.
Karen Phillips
Can you sub red curry paste for the powder?
Becky Striepe
Yes! You may need to fiddle with amounts, but you definitely can.
Cadry
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.
Becky Striepe
Whaaaat! You so do! We use ours for grains, so ours gets lots of love.
Dianne
I love a good curry, especially when tofu is involved! I need to add this to my list of dinners for the week!
Becky Striepe
I feel the same way about curry. I could eat a curry every day, probably!
Sarah De la Cruz
Totally wowed by your 0 minute IP trick! Can't wait to try it! No more mushy carrots!!!
Becky Striepe
Right?? I was texting with a friend who casually mentioned you could do that, like it was no big deal. It's a gamechanger!