Thai red curry tortellini soup is fusion food at its finest, resulting from Thai cuisine meeting the Italian one. The hot and spicy red curry veggie coconut soup contrasts with the salty cheese in the tortellini, creating a unique combination of flavors. It’s a very simple and straightforward recipe, ready in no time and perfect for a cozy weeknight at home.
Thai red curry tortellini soup: fusion cuisine at its finest
How does fusion cuisine work? Close your eyes and picture your favorite Thai takeout red curry dish. Now picture your favorite saucy tortellini pasta. Mix it up, get a little creative, and there you are, with a wonderful Thai red curry tortellini soup, packed with spicy and comforting flavors.
I’ve created this winter dish on a whim, on a cold and snowy winter day. My entire body was craving for a comforting soup that would be both warming and filling, with a little exotic touch to it. Take red curry paste, coconut milk, a handful of veggies, cheese tortellini, and this is it!
The ingredients you need
- Cheese tortellini. I recommend fresh cheese tortellini (three cheese and/or four cheese tortellini work too). Remember to add them last to the soup and let them cook for a few minutes as instructed in the package. When pasta are ready, serve the soup right away.
- Red curry paste. This is a key element in the Thai red curry soup and it will develop all its flavors together with the shallots, chili pepper and ginger. Don’t try to substitute with curry powder, it would result in a completely different result.
- Coconut oil + water. This is the liquid that creates the soup together with the red curry paste mixture.
- Red bell peppers. It brings texture and veggies to the soup.
- Baby spinach. Make sure you use baby spinach (the ones with small leaves, not mature spinach) and use it fresh. When added to the hot soup, they will be wilted in just a few minutes.
- Shallots. You could instead use a quarter of a red onion, minced.
- Chili pepper. You need one small red chili pepper, seeded and minced. If you’re afraid your curry will be too spicy however, you can use less or skip it.
- Ginger. Make sure you use it fresh for deeper flavors. Ginger will enhance the spicy aromas of the Thai red curry soup.
When should I add the tortellini in the soup?
I find this soup better eaten right away because of the tortellini cheese that may collapse if soaked for too long in the soup.
I recommend incorporating the cheese tortellini at the very end, just before serving (taking into consideration the cooking time for fresh tortellini as instructed on the package). If you were to make this soup in advance, proceed until step 3 and store the soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days. When ready to serve, heat up the soup in a heavy pot. Once hot add cheese tortellini (+ spinach!) and cook until pasta is tender (and spinach wilted). Serve immediately.
Variations around the recipe
This Thai red curry tortellini soup makes a wonderful whole meal for a weeknight dinner at home or for a weekend dinner with friends. Once you master the simple technique of this Thai red curry soup, you can easily pimp it up and create different variations around the original recipe. Play with the veggies, adding more red pepper and/or diced tomatoes, replace baby spinach with chopped kale, add some carrots, broccolini or broccoli florets, or maybe use the same red curry soup base and prepare this Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup with Roasted Vegetables.
More Thai inspired recipes:
- Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Butter Dressing
- Spicy Thai Pumpkin Curry Pasta
- Amazing Thai Sweet Potato Soup
- Easy Vegan Pad Thai
- Thai Peanut Sweet Potato Wedges
- Thai Green Curry Vegan Meatballs
And for the pasta lover, try also:
- Lemon Butter Pasta with Burrata Cheese (A readers’ favorite!)
- Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Pasta
Thai Red Curry Tortellini Soup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Savory
- Cuisine: World Cuisine
- Diet: Vegetarian
Thai red curry tortellini soup is fusion food at its finest, resulting from Thai cuisine meeting the Italian one. The hot and spicy red curry veggie coconut soup contrasts with the salty cheese in the tortellini, creating a unique combination of flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 medium shallot (or 2 small), minced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- Olive oil or other vegetable oil, as needed
- 1 small red chili pepper, seeded and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-inch (2,5 cm) fresh ginger, minced
- 1 piece of lemongrass, smashed
- Salt and pepper
- 2 Tablespoons red curry paste
- 2 cans (13.5-ounces/400 ml each) coconut milk
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) water
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2 Tablespoons tamari sauce
- 3.5 ounces (100g) baby spinach
- 9 ounces (250g) fresh cheese tortellini
- Scallions, sliced, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy-bottom pot over medium heat with enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add shallots and red bell peppers and sauté for a few minutes until tender. Add the chili peppers and cook another minute, then add garlic, ginger, and the piece of lemongrass. Cook another 30 seconds.
- Add a splash more oil, then the curry paste. Stir to incorporate the curry paste, and let cook in the oil for a minute or so.
- Pour in the coconut milk and water. Let the liquid come to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in the baby spinach, the fresh cheese tortellini and cook until pasta are tender, according to package instructions (usually about 5-7 minutes). When ready, turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice and tamari sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve immediately, with sliced scallions on top.
Notes
If making the soup in advance, prepare everything until step 3. When ready for serving, heat up the soup and proceed to step 4, adding spinach and tortellini in the very end. This will ensure your pasta hold their shape when serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Thai Red Curry Tortellini Soup, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
