Lemon coriander soup is a light and nourishing soup with zesty flavors of ginger, green chilies, and fresh cilantro! This vegan and gluten-free broth soup has bold Indian flavors and is well-balanced with crunchy colorful veggies and tofu for protein.
What is Lemon Coriander Soup
A delicacy from Indo-Chinese restaurants, lemon coriander (cilantro) soup has spicy-tangy flavors. In my homemade version, I love adding tofu to make it a satisfying and hearty meal.
This recipe is the vegetarian version of my popular Chicken Cilantro Soup. Every time I post my chicken soup, I get requests for a vegetarian version. So here it is, so one misses out on the incredible flavors!
This vegetarian version uses the same base of cilantro stems, ginger, and green chilies. In addition to the crunchy cabbage and carrots, this soup has tofu for added proteins.
Fresh Coriander or Cilantro
Unlike the name, this recipe does not use actual coriander seeds but green coriander leaves AKA Cilantro in the US. In India and Europe, Cilantro is commonly called Coriander. The best part of this recipe is that it uses cilantro stems, which many times are discarded. They are not only flavorful but also packed with nutrition. So next time you buy cilantro, remember to save all the stems for this soup!
Ingredients
This recipe needs a few basic ingredients that are easily available and also staple in most Indian households:
- Cilantro – stems & leaves
- Fresh ginger
- Fresh garlic
- Green chilies
- Veggies – cabbage, carrots, enoki mushrooms, etc
- Tofu – optional but a great way to add protein and make a filling meal
How to Make Lemon Coriander Soup
Here are my step-by-step instructions with photos to show you each step. All of the steps and the ingredients are in the printable recipe card just a little further down in this post. I have also included the stovetop recipe in the recipe card notes section.
Step 1: Make the base broth
Heat oil in the Instant Pot. Sauté ginger, garlic, cilantro stems, and green chilies. Add black peppercorns, and vegetable broth, and pressure cook for 8 minutes. You can either do a quick release or natural pressure release (photos 1 – 4).
Step 2: Strain the broth
Strain the broth in a medium-sized pot and press the cooked cilantro stems with a fork to get all the juices out. Discard any remaining cilantro stems from the strainer and reserve the broth.
Step 3: Add the veggies & tofu
Rinse and dry the Instant Pot insert and return it to the Instant Pot casing. Heat oil and add ginger, cabbage & carrots. Cook for 1 to 2 mins. Add the strained broth, tofu, salt & fresh ground black pepper. Stir cornflour mixed in water and bring the soup to a gentle boil.
How to Serve
Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and enjoy it hot.
Storing
Lemon coriander soup tastes best when served fresh. You can also refrigerate it for 1 to 2 days.
To make this soup ahead as meal prep, cook the broth, cut the veggies and refrigerate them separately in airtight containers. If using baked tofu, bake it ahead and store it refrigerated. When ready to eat, simply add the crunchy veggies. You can add diced tofu along with veggies and tofu.
Tips
- Use fresh ginger and garlic in this recipe instead of store-bought ready-made pastes
- Jalapeños can be used in place of Indian green chilies
- Use a good quality broth, we love low sodium Better than Bouillon organic vegetable base that can be simply mixed in water
- Remember to not overcook the veggies to maintain the crunchy textures
- Buy extra firm tofu and dice it into small ½ inch cubes and add along with the veggies. As the soup comes to a boil, the tofu will absorb delicious flavors. You can also bake the tofu to get a more firm bite and texture
- Corn flour mixed in the water adds body to this broth soup. You can add more or less depending on the texture you desire
Recipe Video