Coconut soup facts for kids

Coconut soup is a yummy dish made with coconut milk or the fruit of the coconut tree. There are many different kinds of coconut soups all over the world! Some famous ones include laksa and tom kha kai. These soups can be served hot or cold. While most coconut soups are savory (not sweet), some are sweet dessert soups, like binignit and kolak.

What is Coconut Soup?

Coconut soup is a type of soup that uses coconut fruit or coconut milk as its main ingredient. It can be thin like a broth or thick and creamy. Sometimes, the coconut fruit is sliced, chopped, or shredded. Even green coconuts from young trees can be used! You might also find coconut water or coconut oil in some recipes.

There are so many different coconut soups, each with its own special ingredients. People often add other things like chicken, potatoes, or curry to make them even tastier. Coconut soup can be served either hot or cold, depending on the recipe.

Coconut Soups Around the World

Coconut soups are popular in many countries. Each place has its own unique way of preparing them.

Caribbean Coconut Soups

Soups from Aruba and Curaçao

Sopito is a well-known fish soup found in Aruba and Curaçao. It uses coconut milk and salt-cured meat as its main ingredients. Often, coconut water is also added to sopito. A version called sopita de pisca includes tomatoes. In some parts of the Caribbean, people also enjoy soup made with coconut and chayote.

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  A fish and coconut milk soup from Jamaica.

Chinese Coconut Soups

Sago Dessert Soup

Sago soup is a sweet Chinese dessert soup. It is made with sago starch, which comes from the sago palm tree. This soup also includes coconut milk and other ingredients. Sago is similar to tapioca and is often found in small pearl shapes.

Indonesian Coconut Soups

Savory Soups

Many Indonesian soups use coconut milk. Some types of soto, like soto ayam and soto betawi, are made with it. Other Indonesian soups that feature coconut milk include lontong cap go meh, ketupat sayur, opor, and sayur lodeh. Sayur lodeh is a vegetable soup cooked in coconut milk.

In Palembang, mie celor is a noodle dish with shrimp and coconut soup. Laksan is another dish from Palembang. It features slices of pempek (fish paste) served in a coconut-based laksa soup.

Sweet Dessert Soups

Sweet coconut soup desserts are also very popular in Indonesia. Two well-known ones are kolak and cendol. These are often enjoyed during iftar, which is the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during Ramadan.

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  Sayur lodeh is a vegetable soup with coconut milk.

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  Another view of Sayur lodeh.

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  Opor ayam is a chicken dish cooked in coconut milk.

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  Mie celor is a noodle soup with shrimp and coconut.

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  Kolak is a sweet coconut dessert soup.

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  Laksan Palembang features fish paste in a coconut soup.

Lao Coconut Soups

Tom Kha Kai

Tom kha kai is a very popular dish in Laos. It is a flavorful coconut soup.

Malaysian and Singaporean Coconut Soups

Laksa Varieties

Laksa is a famous noodle dish with many different versions. Many types of laksa are made with coconut milk, noodles, spices, and meats like chicken, fish, or shrimp. Sometimes, tofu and vegetables are also added to laksa.

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  A type of Malaysian-style curry laksa.

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  Kelantanese-style laksa.

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  A typical bowl of Singaporean-style laksa.

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  Katong laksa, a special version from Singapore.

Philippine Coconut Soups

Ginataan Dishes

In the Philippines, many different soups and stews are cooked with coconut milk. These dishes are all called ginataan. This group includes both savory (not sweet) and dessert dishes. Some savory ginataan soups and stews are ginataang kalabasa, sinilihan, and tiyula itum. Sweet dessert examples include binignit, bilo-bilo, and ginataang mais.

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  Ginataang kalabasa with shrimp and vegetables.

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  Binignit is a sweet dessert soup.

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  Pininyahang manok is chicken cooked with pineapple.

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  Ginataang ampalaya with bitter melon.

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  Ginataang kohol is snails in coconut milk.

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  Ginataang langka with jackfruit.

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  Sinilihan is a spicy dish.

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  Gising-gising is a dish with green beans.

Thai Coconut Soups

Popular Thai Dishes

Thai Khao soi is a noodle soup dish. It is made with egg noodles, coconut milk, curry, and meats like beef or chicken. It is often served with pickled mustard greens and raw shallots. Red curry is another Thai soup. It uses coconut milk, meats, and red curry paste as its main ingredients.

Tom kha kai (Thai coconut soup) is a famous Thai soup. It is made with coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms, chili peppers, galangal, lemongrass, and other spices. Tom yam kathi is a Thai coconut soup that is a version of the well-known tom yum soup, but it uses coconut milk.

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  Tom kha kai is a creamy and flavorful Thai soup.

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  Beef khao soi is a popular noodle dish.

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  Thai red curry soup with pork.

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  Tom yam soup with fresh coconut meat.

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  Another view of Tom kha kai.