12 Coconut Milk Soup Recipes That Range From Creamy to Fiery
Coconut milk soup recipes work because the full fat milk carries spices, acid, and salt without dulling them, turning a plain pot of vegetables into dinner. A squeeze of lime lifts everything, and a starch or leafy green gives each bowl its own texture. The versions below take that same foundation in twelve genuinely different directions.

Start with Classic Coconut Chicken and Rice Soup for the most familiar bowl, go for Thai-Style Coconut Shrimp and Lemongrass Soup when you want it fragrant, reach for Fire Roasted Coconut Corn and Green Chile Soup for heat, and keep the Chilled Coconut Cucumber and Avocado Soup in mind for hot days.
Which Coconut Milk Soup Should You Make?
| Recipe | Flavor profile | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Coconut Chicken and Rice Soup | Familiar, creamy, savoury | A classic weeknight bowl |
| Thai-Style Coconut Shrimp and Lemongrass Soup | Aromatic, bright, peppery | Fragrant shrimp and broth |
| Slow Cooker Coconut Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup | Sweet, earthy, thick | Set it and forget it dinner |
| Fire Roasted Coconut Corn and Green Chile Soup | Smoky, sweet, gently spicy | Bold flavor and mild heat |
| Vegan Coconut Spinach and Mushroom Soup | Savoury, deep, woodsy | A plant based main |
| Chilled Coconut Cucumber and Avocado Soup | Cool, herbal, creamy | Hot days and no stove |
| Coconut Crab and Sweet Corn Soup | Sweet, briny, buttery | A quiet at home dinner |
| Toasted Coconut Pumpkin Soup | Sweet, spiced, nutty | Fall vegetables and crunch |
| Coconut Tomato Bisque with Crispy Chickpeas | Tomatoey, creamy, crunchy | A cozy Friday night |
| Brothy Coconut Bok Choy and Tofu Soup | Light, savoury, fresh | A light weeknight meal |
| Freezer Coconut Black Bean and Quinoa Soup | Earthy, thick, smoky | Meal planning and freezing |
| Coconut Carrot Soup with Ginger Scallion Drizzle | Sweet, bright, gingery | A bright make ahead lunch |
Classic Coconut Chicken and Rice Soup
This is the version you make when you want the rhythm of a classic chicken and rice soup with the body only coconut milk gives it. The rice cooks right in the pot, soaking up the stock and cream.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)
- Olive oil: 2 tbsp
- Yellow onion, finely diced: 1 medium (about 180 g / 1 cup diced)
- Carrots, peeled and sliced: 2 medium (about 200 g / 1 1/4 cups)
- Garlic and fresh ginger, minced: 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp ginger
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: 450 g (1 lb)
- Long grain white rice: 180 g (1 cup)
- Chicken stock: 1.2 litres (5 cups)
- Full fat coconut milk: 400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
- Fresh lime juice: 2 tbsp
- Salt and black pepper: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Warm the 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sliced carrots with a pinch of salt and cook for 6 minutes, until the onion turns translucent around the edges. You’ll want the vegetables soft but not browned, so stir a few times.
Step 2: Stir in the 4 cloves minced garlic and 1 tbsp grated ginger and let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Add the 450 g (1 lb) chicken thighs and 180 g (1 cup) rice, turning the chicken once so each piece picks up the aromatics. You should smell the ginger more than the garlic.
Step 3: Pour in the 1.2 litres (5 cups) chicken stock, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat so the pot stays at a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. You’ll see the rice swell and the chicken turn white.
Step 4: Remove the chicken to a plate and pull it into large chunks with two forks. Stir the 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk into the pot and return the chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes more, until the rice is tender and the broth coats the back of a spoon. If it looks too thick to you, splash in a little water.
Step 5: Turn off the heat and stir in the 2 tbsp lime juice. Ladle the soup into bowls while it is still billowing, and use your spoon to lift rice from the bottom so each bowl gets a good mix.
Thai-Style Coconut Shrimp and Lemongrass Soup
This one leans on lemongrass and red curry paste for the kind of depth that tastes like it simmered all day, but you’ll have it on the table in about half an hour.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
- Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp
- Fresh lemongrass, lightly smashed: 2 stalks
- Fresh ginger, sliced: 25 g (1 piece)
- Shallots, thinly sliced: 2 medium
- Thai red curry paste: 2 tbsp
- Shrimp, peeled and deveined: 450 g (1 lb)
- Vegetable stock: 750 ml (3 cups)
- Full fat coconut milk: 400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
- Brown sugar and soy sauce: 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Fresh lime juice: 3 tbsp
Instructions
Step 1: Warm the 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the 2 smashed lemongrass stalks, 25 g sliced ginger, and the 2 sliced shallots. You want the shallots to turn glassy and fragrant, about 4 minutes, but not to colour.
Step 2: Stir in the 2 tbsp curry paste and cook for 1 minute so the oils bloom. The paste will darken and smell sweet and peppery, and your kitchen will let you know it is working.
Step 3: Add the 450 g (1 lb) shrimp and turn them for 2 minutes, just until the outsides turn pink. You don’t need to cook them through yet because they will finish in the broth.
Step 4: Pour in the 750 ml (3 cups) vegetable stock and use your spoon to scrape up any paste stuck to the pot. Bring the liquid to a low boil, then slide in the 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk, 1 tsp brown sugar, and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Let it return to a gentle bubble.
Step 5: Lower the heat and simmer for 8 minutes. You’ll see the broth turn a soft orange and the lemongrass float to the top, and the shrimp should be firm and curled.
Step 6: Switch off the heat and stir in the 3 tbsp lime juice. Taste the broth and add a splash more soy sauce if it needs salt, then ladle into wide bowls and spoon the shrimp from the bottom so you don’t leave any behind.
Slow Cooker Coconut Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup
Set this up before work and come home to a soup that has already thickened itself. The red lentils melt into the coconut milk while the sweet potatoes keep their shape enough to give the bowl a soft chew.

Ingredients (makes 8 servings)
- Sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed: 900 g (2 lb)
- Dried red lentils, rinsed: 300 g (1 1/2 cups)
- Yellow onion, chopped: 1 large (about 250 g)
- Garlic and ginger, minced: 5 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp ginger
- Mild curry powder: 1 tbsp
- Vegetable stock: 1.5 litres (6 cups)
- Full fat coconut milk: 400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
- Salt and black pepper: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
- Baby spinach: 100 g (3 cups)
Instructions
Step 1: Put the 900 g (2 lb) sweet potatoes, 300 g (1 1/2 cups) red lentils, 250 g chopped onion, 5 cloves minced garlic, and 2 tbsp minced ginger into your slow cooker. Add the 1 tbsp curry powder, 1.5 litres (6 cups) vegetable stock, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon so no spice sits on top.
Step 2: Set the slow cooker to low and walk away for 6 hours, or use high for 3. You’ll know it is ready when the lentils have broken down and a spoon dragged through the pot leaves a trail for a second before it fills in.
Step 3: Stir in the 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk and 100 g (3 cups) baby spinach. Put the lid back on for 10 minutes so the spinach wilts and the soup comes back up to temperature. You want the coconut milk warm but not boiled.
Step 4: Taste the soup and adjust salt if your stock ran lean. Use an immersion blender just once or twice in the pot if you prefer it thicker, but leave most of the sweet potato pieces whole.
Step 5: Ladle the soup into deep bowls and finish with a few grinds of black pepper. Serve with a slice of toasted bread so you can drag it through the creamy base.
Fire Roasted Coconut Corn and Green Chile Soup
This bowl gets its gentle heat from roasted green chiles and its sweetness from corn you char in the pan first. The coconut milk rounds everything off without burying the fire.

Ingredients (makes 5 servings)
- Fresh corn kernels: 500 g (3 cups)
- Olive oil: 2 tbsp
- Yellow onion, diced: 1 medium (180 g)
- Garlic, minced: 4 cloves
- Canned roasted green chiles, chopped: 130 g (1 cup)
- Ground cumin: 1 tsp
- Vegetable stock: 1 litre (4 cups)
- Full fat coconut milk: 400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
- Salt and black pepper: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
- Fresh lime juice: 2 tbsp
Instructions
Step 1: Set a large skillet over high heat and add the 500 g (3 cups) corn kernels in a single layer. Let them sit for 2 minutes without stirring so the bottoms darken and smell like popcorn, then shake the pan and give them 2 minutes more. You’ll see black flecks on about half the kernels.
Step 2: Move the corn to a bowl and wipe the skillet if it looks too dark to you. Add the 2 tbsp olive oil and lower the heat to medium. Toss in the 180 g diced onion and 4 cloves minced garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion relaxes and turns pale gold.
Step 3: Stir in the 130 g (1 cup) green chiles and 1 tsp cumin and cook for 1 minute. You want the cumin to toast and the chiles to release their brine, which will smell sharp and a little fruity.
Step 4: Return the corn to the skillet and pour in the 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock. Simmer for 10 minutes so the corn softens and the stock takes on a sweet edge. You can add half the coconut milk now if you want a thicker base, but wait if you like a brothy finish.
Step 5: Pour in the 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Bring the soup to a low bubble, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. You should stop before it boils hard, so the coconut milk stays smooth and glossy.
Step 6: Turn off the heat and stir in the 2 tbsp lime juice. Ladle into bowls and top each one with a few more charred corn kernels if you saved them, then serve hot with warm tortillas.
Vegan Coconut Spinach and Mushroom Soup
For a vegan version that still feels rich, you brown the mushrooms hard before any liquid goes in. That browning is what gives the coconut milk its deep, almost meaty backbone.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)
- Olive oil: 2 tbsp
- Cremini mushrooms, sliced: 300 g (4 cups)
- Yellow onion, diced: 1 medium (180 g)
- Garlic, minced: 5 cloves
- Fresh thyme leaves: 1 tbsp
- Vegetable stock: 1 litre (4 cups)
- Full fat coconut milk: 400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
- Dijon mustard: 1 tsp
- Baby spinach: 150 g (5 cups)
- Salt and black pepper: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Warm the 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the 300 g (4 cups) mushrooms in one layer and let them sit for 4 minutes, until the bottoms turn golden and you hear them start to squeak. Stir once and cook 3 minutes more.
Step 2: Drop in the 180 g onion, 5 cloves garlic, and 1 tbsp thyme leaves. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring your onions through the mushrooms, until the onion softens and the garlic no longer smells raw.
Step 3: Pour in the 1 litre (4 cups) stock and the 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk. Add the 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Bring the pot to a low simmer for 10 minutes so the flavours settle, and you’ll see the broth turn a pale mushroom brown.
Step 4: Turn off the heat and fold in the 150 g (5 cups) baby spinach, one handful at a time, so it wilts into the soup without clumping. Ladle into wide bowls and top each with a spoonful of the mushrooms before you serve.
Chilled Coconut Cucumber and Avocado Soup
This one is for the day you want soup but not the stove. You let the blender do all the work, and the result is cold, pale, and shockingly refreshing.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
- English cucumbers, peeled and chopped: 2 (about 700 g / 3 1/2 cups)
- Ripe avocados, pitted: 2
- Full fat coconut milk: 400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
- Cold vegetable stock: 250 ml (1 cup)
- Lime juice: 3 tbsp
- Garlic clove: 1
- Fresh mint leaves: 20 g (1 cup)
- Jalapeño, seeded and chopped: 1 small
- Salt and black pepper: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
- Ice cubes: 60 g (1/2 cup)
Instructions
Step 1: Put the 700 g (3 1/2 cups) cucumbers, flesh from both avocados, 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk, 250 ml (1 cup) stock, 3 tbsp lime juice, the garlic clove, 20 g (1 cup) mint, and 1 small jalapeño into your blender. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
Step 2: Blend on high for 1 minute, then scrape down the sides. You want the soup completely smooth with no flecks of cucumber skin, so keep blending another 30 seconds if you spot any.
Step 3: Check the thickness and pour in 60 g (1/2 cup) ice cubes if the soup sits too heavy on your spoon. Blend again until the ice is gone and the soup feels cold enough to drink.
Step 4: Chill the blender jar for 20 minutes in the fridge, or set it in a bowl of ice water to speed things up. Ladle into chilled bowls and scatter a few torn mint leaves over each one before you bring them to the table.
Coconut Crab and Sweet Corn Soup
Crab is the reason to make soup feel like a quiet luxury, and corn is its natural partner. You keep the crab in large pieces so every spoonful has a sweet, tender lump.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
- Butter: 2 tbsp
- Shallots, finely diced: 2 medium
- Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced: 1 large (200 g)
- Fresh corn kernels: 300 g (2 cups)
- Old Bay seasoning: 1 tsp
- Lump crab meat, picked over: 340 g (12 oz)
- Vegetable stock: 750 ml (3 cups)
- Full fat coconut milk: 400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
- Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
- Salt and black pepper: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Melt the 2 tbsp butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the 2 diced shallots and 200 g diced potato and cook for 6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until you see the shallot turn translucent and the potato edges soften.
Step 2: Stir in the 300 g (2 cups) corn and 1 tsp Old Bay and cook for 2 minutes. You’ll smell the seasoning turn toasty and the corn go from pale to bright yellow.
Step 3: Pour in the 750 ml (3 cups) stock and the 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 12 minutes, until you can slide a paring knife through a potato cube without resistance.
Step 4: Gently fold in the 340 g (12 oz) crab meat, keeping the lumps as whole as you can. Simmer for 3 minutes only, just enough to warm the crab through, because longer will make it shred.
Step 5: Switch off the heat and stir in the 2 tbsp lemon juice. Taste for salt and ladle the soup into shallow bowls, nudging the crab pieces to the top before you finish each one with a crack of black pepper.
Toasted Coconut Pumpkin Soup
This soup is all about the double coconut move: the milk goes into the pot and the shredded coconut gets toasted for the top. You get sweetness from the pumpkin and a crisp little crunch in every spoonful.

Ingredients (makes 7 servings)
- Coconut oil: 2 tbsp
- Pumpkin, peeled and cubed: 1.2 kg (2.6 lb)
- Yellow onion, chopped: 1 large (250 g)
- Garlic and ginger, minced: 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp ginger
- Ground coriander and turmeric: 1 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp turmeric
- Vegetable stock: 1 litre (4 cups)
- Full fat coconut milk: 400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
- Maple syrup: 1 tsp
- Unsweetened shredded coconut: 40 g (1/2 cup)
- Salt and black pepper: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Set the 2 tbsp coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) pumpkin, 250 g onion, 4 cloves garlic, and 1 tbsp ginger, and cook for 8 minutes with the lid on, shaking the pot once so nothing catches. You should see the pumpkin turn glossy around the edges.
Step 2: Add the 1 tsp coriander and 1/2 tsp turmeric and stir for 1 minute, until the spices smell warm and slightly orange to you. Then pour in the 1 litre (4 cups) stock, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat so it bubbles gently.
Step 3: Simmer the soup for 20 minutes, until you can crush a cube of pumpkin against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Stir in the 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk and the 1 tsp maple syrup and let it come back to a low bubble.
Step 4: While the soup simmers, scatter the 40 g (1/2 cup) shredded coconut in a dry skillet over low heat. Stir it for 2 minutes, until it turns light brown and smells nutty, then tip it into a bowl before you forget it.
Step 5: Blend the soup with an immersion blender until it is smooth and thick enough to coat your spoon. Ladle into warmed bowls and shower each one with the toasted coconut just before serving.
Coconut Tomato Bisque with Crispy Chickpeas
This is the soup that eats like a Friday night. You get a velvety tomato base, a swirl of coconut milk, and crunchy chickpeas on top that make the whole bowl feel more substantial.

Ingredients (makes 5 servings)
- Olive oil: 3 tbsp
- Yellow onion, chopped: 1 medium (180 g)
- Garlic, minced: 4 cloves
- Canned whole tomatoes: 800 g (28 oz)
- Tomato paste: 2 tbsp
- Vegetable stock: 500 ml (2 cups)
- Full fat coconut milk: 400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
- Canned chickpeas, drained and dried: 400 g (1 can)
- Smoked paprika: 1 tsp
- Salt and black pepper: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Warm 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the 180 g onion and 4 cloves garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until you can see the onion go soft and pale but not brown.
Step 2: Pour in the 800 g (28 oz) tomatoes with their juices, the 2 tbsp tomato paste, and 500 ml (2 cups) stock. Break the tomatoes apart with your spoon, then bring the pot to a boil and lower the heat to a steady bubble for 15 minutes. The tomatoes will deepen to a brick red.
Step 3: Stir in the 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Blend the soup until it is completely smooth, using an immersion blender right in the pot. You want no tomato skins left in the mix.
Step 4: Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 400 g drained chickpeas and cook them for 4 minutes, shaking the pan until they turn golden and crisp. You’ll hear them pop.
Step 5: Ladle the bisque into bowls and swirl a little extra coconut milk through the middle with your spoon. Pile the crispy chickpeas in the centre and serve before the top softens.
Brothy Coconut Bok Choy and Tofu Soup
This version keeps the coconut milk in a supporting role, so the broth stays light enough for a weeknight. You get tender tofu, crisp bok choy, and just enough richness to coat the spoon.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
- Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp
- Firm tofu, pressed and cubed: 350 g (12 oz)
- Garlic, minced: 3 cloves
- Fresh ginger, julienned: 2 tbsp
- Vegetable stock: 1 litre (4 cups)
- Full fat coconut milk: 200 ml (3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp)
- Soy sauce: 2 tbsp
- Rice vinegar: 1 tsp
- Bok choy, trimmed and halved: 4 heads (about 500 g)
- Salt and white pepper: 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Warm the 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the 350 g (12 oz) tofu cubes and let them sit for 4 minutes, until you see golden crusts on two sides. Turn them gently and brown one more side for 2 minutes.
Step 2: Add the 3 cloves garlic and 2 tbsp ginger and stir for 30 seconds, just until you smell them go sharp and clean. Pour in the 1 litre (4 cups) stock, 200 ml (3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp) coconut milk, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp rice vinegar.
Step 3: Bring the broth to a low boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. You want the garlic and ginger to infuse the liquid without the coconut milk separating, so keep it at a quiet bubble.
Step 4: Add the 500 g bok choy and simmer for 3 minutes, until the stems soften but the leaves stay bright green. Ladle into deep bowls, making sure you distribute the tofu evenly, and finish with 1/4 tsp white pepper across the top before serving.
Freezer Coconut Black Bean and Quinoa Soup
This one makes a full batch you can split and freeze, but it tastes just as good when you eat it the day you make it. The quinoa thickens the broth as it sits, so you get a little more body after thawing.

Ingredients (makes 2 freezer bags, 4 servings each)
- Olive oil: 2 tbsp
- Yellow onion, chopped: 1 large (250 g)
- Red bell pepper, chopped: 1 large (about 200 g)
- Garlic, minced: 5 cloves
- Ground cumin: 1 tbsp
- Dried black beans, rinsed: 450 g (1 lb)
- Quinoa, rinsed: 200 g (1 cup)
- Vegetable stock: 1.5 litres (6 cups)
- Full fat coconut milk: 800 ml (3 1/3 cups)
- Salt and black pepper: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Warm the 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the 250 g onion, 200 g chopped red pepper, 5 cloves garlic, and 1 tbsp cumin, and cook for 6 minutes, until the vegetables soften and you can smell the cumin turning earthy.
Step 2: Pour in the 450 g (1 lb) black beans, 200 g (1 cup) quinoa, 1.5 litres (6 cups) stock, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Bring the pot to a hard boil, then lower the heat so you get a steady simmer. Cook for 40 minutes, or until the beans offer no resistance when you bite one.
Step 3: Stir in the 800 ml (3 1/3 cups) coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes more so the quinoa blooms and the broth thickens. You’ll see the beans sink a little and the liquid turn dark and glossy.
Step 4: Let the soup cool for 20 minutes, then ladle it into two sturdy freezer bags, leaving room at the top. Press out as much air as you can and lay the bags flat in the freezer.
Step 5: To reheat, run a bag under warm water until you can break the block into pieces and slide it into a pot. Heat over medium low for 10 minutes, stirring your spoon through it, until the soup steams and the quinoa separates.
Step 6: Serve the reheated soup in wide bowls with a spoonful of plain yogurt or sliced avocado if you like, and finish with a pinch of cumin on top. It should taste deeper, not just reheated.
Coconut Carrot Soup with Ginger Scallion Drizzle
This bowl leans on the natural sweetness of carrots, but the real reason to make it is the bright ginger scallion oil you spoon over the top. It cuts through the coconut milk and makes each spoonful a little more alive.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)
- Olive oil: 2 tbsp
- Carrots, peeled and chopped: 900 g (2 lb)
- Yellow onion, chopped: 1 medium (180 g)
- Garlic and fresh ginger, minced: 3 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp ginger
- Vegetable stock: 750 ml (3 cups)
- Full fat coconut milk: 400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
- Lime juice: 1 tbsp
- Salt and black pepper: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
- For the ginger scallion drizzle: 60 ml (1/4 cup) canola oil, 2 finely chopped scallions, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tbsp rice vinegar
Instructions
Step 1: Warm the 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the 900 g (2 lb) carrots, 180 g onion, 3 cloves garlic, and 2 tbsp ginger and cook for 6 minutes with the lid ajar. You should see the carrots soften around the edges and the onion turn glassy.
Step 2: Pour in the 750 ml (3 cups) stock, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes, until a carrot piece falls apart when you press it with the back of a spoon.
Step 3: Stir in the 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk and 1 tbsp lime juice. Blend the soup until it is completely smooth, then taste and add a little more salt if your carrots were not very sweet.
Step 4: While the soup simmers, make the drizzle. Warm the 60 ml (1/4 cup) canola oil in a small skillet over medium low, add the 2 chopped scallions, 1 tsp ginger, and 1 tbsp rice vinegar. Cook for 1 minute until the scallions soften and you hear the oil sizzle.
Step 5: Pour the drizzle into a small heatproof bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes so the scallions soak into the oil. You can make this ahead and leave it at room temperature.
Step 6: Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and spoon the ginger scallion oil over the centre of each one. Serve while the ribbon of oil still glistens, and put the rest of the drizzle on the table for your guests.
Whatever version you choose, keep the pot at a low bubble once the coconut milk goes in. A hard boil can split the fat and make the broth look grainy, but a gentle simmer keeps it smooth and glossy.
Pick the one that matches your evening and cook it tonight. You know your kitchen best, and the soup will tell you what it needs as you go.
