I have been obsessed with Indian food and classic Indian spices since I was a kid. Chicken tikka masala was always one of my favorites! So this Indian-inspired vegan “chicken” tikka masala soup is my new favorite soup. I know this is only Indian-inspired, but it comes from a place of absolute admiration and awe of all Indian flavors! It is so simple, but so comforting. You may want seconds. Sautéed onion and garlic, mixed with a blend of amazing spices. Mixed with veggie broth, crushed tomatoes and coconut milk. The “chicken” portion of this soup is super firm, baked until crispy spiced tofu. Frozen, then thawed and broken into pieces, the tofu takes on the perfect texture and holds up really well in this soup!
What You Need For This Indian Inspired Soup:
- Extra Firm Tofu: Freeze, then thaw and drain the tofu. Then you can break it into chunks to create your “chicken.”
- Garam Masala: This classic spice blend seasons the tofu and the soup. I used McCormick brand.
- Corn Starch: This is tossed with the tofu to give it a little crunch on the outside.
- Onion and Garlic: Sautéed to start off the soup base.
- Cayenne Pepper, Ginger, Cumin, Turmeric, and Cinnamon: These are the other spices added to the soup.
- Vegetable Broth, Crushed Tomatoes and Coconut Milk: These make up the liquid for the soup.
- Agave Syrup: I really think this gives the soup a little something it needs. Just a touch of sweetness.
This vegan “chicken” tikka masala soup is ready in the time it takes to bake the tofu, which is about 30 minutes. It is hearty and filling, but still pretty good for you. This soup is a new feature in my soup rotation and we are definitely getting into the full soup season. Your entire house will smell amazing when you are cooking this one. It makes my mouth water every time!
Why Should You Make This Warm Bowl of Goodness?
- The smell alone will tell you how amazing this soup will be.
- Super simple, great for people who don’t cook much.
- Insanely comforting.
- Hearty and filling.
- It is absolutely incredible!
Vegan "Chicken" Tikka Masala Soup
Ingredients
Tofu "Chicken"
- 1 Block(15oz) Extra firm tofu, frozen and thawed*
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Corn starch
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
Tikka Masala Soup
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil or coconut oil
- 1/2 a Sweet onion, diced
- 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Ginger, dried
- 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 4 Cups Vegetable broth
- 1 Can(28oz.) Crushed tomatoes
- 1 Can(14oz) Coconut cream or full fat coconut milk
- 1 Tablespoon Agave syrup
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- You'll need to freeze and then thaw the tofu ahead of time. Once you have thawed it, drain and press it.
- Once ready to make the soup, preheat the oven to 425 degrees(F).
- Then break the block of tofu into small chunks and put them in a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle the tofu with the garam masala, salt and corn starch. Then drizzle the olive oil on top. Toss to coat the tofu evenly.
- Spread the tofu onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake for 15 minutes, toss then bake for 15-20 more minutes or until the tofu is firm and golden brown.
- While the tofu is baking, start the soup. Heat the oil on medium high in a large soup pot.
- Add the onion and garlic. Then sauté, reducing heat as needed until the onion is translucent. About 3-4 minutes.
- Then add the garam masala, ginger, cumin, turmeric, cayenne and cinnamon. Stir to combine the spices with the garlic and onions. Simmer for another minute to cook the spices.
- Add a pinch of salt.
- Now, pour in the vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and add the coconut milk and the agave.
- Stir to combine and then season with another pinch of salt.
- Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, you may need a few more pinches of salt.
- Once the tofu and soup are done, serve a bowl of the broth with the tofu sprinkled into it.
- It is also delicious served with a little chutney. I like to use mango!
Whats the thought behind freezing and then thawing the tofu? Does it make a firmer texture? TIA! 🙂
Great question! It gives it more of a “chicken” texture.
On my second bowl of this amazing and easy recipe. I did add some red lentils I had, but other than that I followed the directions exactly This is perfectly spiced with just the right amount of heat. Thank you for this great recipe!
Bursting with flavor. I actually used soy curls (Butler’s) instead of tofu. I am sure both would be equally as good. Next time we make I will use tofu. Thanks!
I made this last night and was so happy with the result. Next time I will likely double the tofu. This is the first time I baked my tofu and really liked the crunch and liked how the soup was absorbed. I will absolutely make this again. Great recipe if you’re a beginner in cooking Indian food.
I just made this and WOAH it’s delicious. I admit I was skeptical, as I am Indian and have had tikka masala with the thicker gravy and thought this would be a watered-down version. Very happy with the recipe, great job! I did improvise a little as halfway through the recipe, I realized I didn’t have coconut milk, so I cooked cashews with the onions, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes for 15 minutes, then blended everything together and put it back on the stove with the vegetable stock. It turned out amazing!
I roasted Kabocha squash at the same time as the tofu, and added it. Also blended the soup. Delish! It could use something green. Maybe cilantro?
This was delicious!! I had guests coming over and wanted something cozy and hearty. Everyone absolutely loved it. I made my garam masala from scratch and did plain soy curls instead of the tofu. It’s an absolute win.
SOOOO easy and delicious! This will be a staple in our kitchen! You can add potatoes or lentils too!
Any suggestions on keeping this with he tofu not getting soggy? I.e. if I make it for meal prep for the week?
What a wonderfully tasty and original recipe!
While I forgot to freeze the tofu, it was still awesome.
Thank you.
Such a delicious recipe, and I have NEVER had tofu turn out this perfect before (and I have cooked a lot of tofu in my day ;))!
Wow, this was absolutely delicious! I have tried so many tikka recipes and can never get that takeout flavor quite right. This was absolutely spot-on, and so full of flavor! The chicken was incredible. I was super mad at myself because I intended to keep it in a separate container for my weekly food prep but forgot and ended up putting it in the soup straightaway, but it didn’t even matter because the chicken held up in the soup all week long. I ate it five days straight and wish I had more. It is soooo good and so easy. Thank you for another great recipe.
Delicious! This had so much flavor! Kept thinking this would be great as a spin on the traditional tomato soup you would normally pair with a grill cheese sandwich. First time freezing and using tofu….thought it had great texture. Will be adding this soup to my regular rotation.
This was amazing! I’m definitely doubling the tofu next time because I just loved it and wanted more.
Lauren, I stumbled upon this recipe last night and promptly decided I had to make it today.
I just made the soup, since we didn’t have tofu.
I made it with about half the volume of liquids, keeping the amount of spices stated in the recipe – to rave reviews!
This one’s going straight into our family cookbook 🙂 .
I clicked ‘Send’ before I gave a rating, oops.
I love the base of this recipe!! I’ve made a few changes/additions to make it a more hearty dinner. I omit the cornstarch from the tofu when roasting as I find it dries it out too much. When roasting the tofu in the oven, I also add broccoli & chopped carrots tossed in additional olive oil & Garam masala. I then chop some red bell peppers & kale and sautée with the onion & garlic, and throw in a can of chickpeas into the broth as well. Makes a nice chunky, veggie hearty soup!