hailand "lacks a strong indigenous vegetarian tradition" notes Nancie McDermott in Real Vegetarian Thai, and cookbook author Vatcharin concedes, yet there are many modern Thais that practice vegetarianism today and the number is growing. In the last 30 years, vegetarianism in Thailand has become more widespread, because of an increased interest in a sect of Thai Buddhism, which reveres Kwan Yim, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy, according to the cookbook Thai Vegetarian Cooking.
Cooks have struggled with cooking a vegan Thai meal when just about every Thai dish adds the essential Thai ingredient, fish sauce (nam pla). Truly this is the single most important flavoring for authentic Thai. This makes it especially tricky to recreate the flavor balance of the classic Tom Yum Soup, which is usually finished with a good dose of fish sauce to achieve a satisfying umami flavor.
This recipe for Tom Yum Soup solves that problem by employing soy sauce balanced with Thai roasted chili paste, coconut milk, lime and the essential fresh Thai herbs (galangal, chilies and lemongrass) used for cooking Tom Yum. Thus a savory flavor is created without the addition of meat or seafood. Fortified with a mixture of seasonal vegetables, a full palate of flavors and satisfying textures is achieved without sacrificing the goal of remaining a vegetarian dish.