Vegan Thai Red Curry
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This Vegan Thai Curry recipe is spicy, delicious, healthy and versatile! Vary the veggies and add tofu or chickpeas for protein. It’s the perfect, satisfying veggie-packed meal that delivers comfort in every bite.
“Excellent recipe! I have it on rotation for my monthly meals. The hubby loves it and everyone who has tried it is a huge fan. Thank you!“
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
Has this ever happened to you? You buy a bunch of vegetables that look so beautiful and so fresh and then… Gasp! You have to do something with them or else! Vegan Thai Red Curry is what to make when you have an abundance of vegetables!
That’s how this recipe was born but now it’s one of my go-to’s when I want something healthful, light and flavor-packed!
This vegan Thai curry is:
- Healthy! Loaded with so many vegetables, it has to be!
- Versatile! Vary the veggies and add tofu or chickpeas for protein if you like. Swap out the cauliflower for broccoli, sweet potatoes for the Yukons, baby kale for spinach, etc.
- Easy!
- Make-ahead! Perfect for meal prep, Vegan Thai Red Curry reheats easily in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Gluten-free!
How to Make a Vegan Thai Red Curry Recipe:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this vegan Thai red curry recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities. But of course, use whatever vegetables you have that need to be used!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Oil: Use canola, coconut or your favorite.
- “Fish” Sauce: I’m referring to a vegan “fish” sauce. If you’re not vegan, use conventional fish sauce. Either way, conventional fish or vegan “fish” sauce adds depth and umami to the curry.
- Red Curry Paste: This may be controversial because I cook for a living, but I no longer make my own red curry paste. I don’t care for average grocery store red curry pastes because I find them wimpy with no heat. I discovered Maesri at a local international food market and I don’t see a reason to make my own anymore! It’s vegan, spicy, full of authentic flavor and inexpensive! Make your own red curry paste if you like or use Maesri!
- Diced Tomatoes: I like to use fire-roasted diced tomatoes for another level of flavor.
- Vegetable Broth: Kitchen Accomplice is great to have in your refrigerator when small amounts of vegetable broth are needed so you don’t have to open an entire carton or can.
- Coconut Milk: If you’re counting calories, use reduced-fat coconut milk. However, the curry will be thin. Regular full-fat coconut milk helps to thicken it.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or saute pan. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until beginning to soften.
- Add the carrots, red bell pepper and potatoes and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often so the potatoes don’t stick to the pan.
- Add the red curry paste, garlic and ginger and give it a stir.
- Add the coconut milk, tomatoes and vegetable broth.
- Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. (The potatoes should be close to done.)
- Add the cauliflower florets. Cook another 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender and potatoes are easily pierced with a knife.
- Add the baby spinach by the handful and stir after each addition until wilted.
- Add lime juice and salt or vegan “fish” sauce to taste.
- Garnish the red curry with fresh Thai basil leaves.
Vegan Thai Red Curry is a spicy, healthful, delicious vegan dinner you won’t feel guilty about!
Serve with brown or white jasmine rice. Delish!
Chef Tip:
- Save time for a Thai red curry with vegetables by buying the vegetables already prepped or by visiting the store’s salad bar. Keep in mind, however, you’ll be paying extra for the convenience.
Recipe FAQs:
Not all red curry pastes are vegan; some may contain shrimp paste or fish sauce. Maesri brand red curry paste IS vegan so you can use it here or in all your vegan recipes.
The Maesri red curry paste label states the following ingredients: Chili pepper, garlic, shallot, salt, lemongrass, sugar, kaffir lime, galangal and spices (coriander seed, cumin and cardamom).
Yes! But be sure not to cook the vegetables so they’re super soft since you’ll reheat this dish. A vegan red curry can be reheated in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop.
Yes, anything can be frozen, but it’s the frozen-then-thawed result that you have to think about. After thawing, the vegetables will be more watery, which waters down the curry’s flavor. If freezing is your objective, add more curry paste to start or have some on hand to add after thawing. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave, then reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
Storage:
- Refrigerate any leftovers. Can be reheated in the microwave or a saucepan on the stovetop.
- Can be frozen, but expect it to be more watery after thawing. The vegetables will also be much softer.
Be sure to check out my other vegan Thai meals…
- Vegetables in Thai Red Curry with Sweet Potato Noodles
- Butternut Squash in Fresh Green Curry
- Thai Red Curry Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes
More flavor-packed vegan dinners:
- Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos with Chipotle Lime Slaw
- Vegan Indian Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry
- Cauliflower Red Lentil and Potato Curry
- Curried Roast Vegetables
Get all my vegan and vegetarian recipes at Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.
Vegan Thai Red Curry
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons canola oil, or coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/3-inch thick on the diagonal
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, thinly sliced
- 8 small Yukon Gold potatoes, (baby potatoes) sliced
- 1 can (4-ounce) red curry paste, or to taste and tolerance
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 cans (15-ounce) coconut milk
- 1 can (15-ounce) diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
- 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 container (5-ounce) baby spinach
- 1 large lime, juiced
- Salt or vegan “fish” sauce, to taste
- 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves, or regular basil, coarsely chopped plus more for garnish
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice
Instructions
- Heat canola or coconut oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or saute pan. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until beginning to soften.
- Add the carrots, red bell pepper and potatoes and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often so the potatoes don't stick to the pan.
- Add the red curry paste, garlic and ginger and cook briefly, 30 seconds.
- Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8-10 minutes. (The potatoes should be close to done.)
- Add the cauliflower florets. Cook another 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender and potatoes are easily pierced with a knife.
- Add the baby spinach by the handful and stir after each addition until wilted.
- Add lime juice and salt or vegan "fish" sauce to taste.
- Garnish with fresh Thai basil leaves.
- Serve with cooked jasmine rice.
Video
Notes
- Almost any vegetable can be used in this curry.
- Add tofu or chickpeas for protein.
- Substitute sweet potatoes for white potatoes.
- Save time by buying the vegetables already prepped or by visiting the store’s salad bar. Remember, however, you pay extra for the convenience.
- Can be reheated in the microwave or a saucepan on the stovetop.
- After thawing, the vegetables will be more watery, which waters down the curry’s flavor. If freezing is your objective, add more curry paste to start or have some on hand to add after thawing. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave, then reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Are the calories in this dish really that accurate? Unless the serving size is really large, I can’t imagine it being a nearly 700 calorie dish?
Hi, Jillian, Thanks so much for your question. It is a computer-generated figure. I recalculated the calories and this time came up with 441 on six servings. Don’t know why it would have showed almost 700 before but that’s computer programs for you! They may have updated their database since I calculated the calories. Thanks so much and hope you enjoy!
Hi, red curry paste is not vegan or even vegetarian. It contains shrimp paste.
Hi, Elle, No, not every brand of red curry paste has shrimp paste in it. If you read the post, you’ll see that I recommend using Maesri red curry paste as it has the following ingredients: Dried red chilies, garlic, shallot, salt, lemongrass, sugar, kaffir lime, galangal, spices (coriander seeds, cumin, cardamom). Research it. You can also make your own red curry paste and not put shrimp paste in it.
Thank you for a great recipe! Also, Thai Kitchen red curry paste is certified vegan.
Hi, Alicia, Thanks so much and so glad you enjoyed! Yes, Thai Kitchen is also vegan if you can’t get or don’t want to order Maesri. It’s also going to be on the mild side which is great for people who don’t want or don’t like a lot of heat. Thanks again and hope you’ll try some of my other vegan recipes!
This was absolutely fabulous. The only thing I did different was to cook The Thai Red Curry Paste first and then followed your steps from there. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Thank you, Lynley! So glad you enjoyed!
Not sure what I did wrong but this recipe had zero flavor to me. It tasted like steamed veggies over rice. Maybe I’ll try the red curry paste you recommended.
Hi, Brittney, So sorry it didn’t turn out for you but if you used regular supermarket red curry paste, it’s going to be pretty bland. I’ve used supermarket red curry paste and it seems I have to use the whole jar before the dish tastes like a Thai red curry dish. Hope you’ll give it another try.
I think I know what you did!!!! I had made this dish before and it turned amazing! Today mine tasted exactly like yours‼️😩 But in reviewing the recipe where it said “add the Spices..”? I go…what spices…⁉️ I could not see the list because it was blocked by some advertisement… I went ahead and added some ginger, garlic and fish sauce as a way to save the dish and it worked! Didn’t taste as good as before but it wasn’t that bland! 😎
Hi, Madhu, Thanks so much for your feedback. No ad will run over the recipe–ever. The video for how to make the recipe comes up. The reason I need to run ads is so I can provide you with FREE recipes. I have website costs, food costs, time involved, etc. and ads help me recoup some of the cost. Perhaps print the recipe and then you’ll always have it. I have the WORST time trying to execute a recipe off my phone or a tablet. Thanks again and glad you enjoyed!
I loved the vegetables you suggested although I didn’t have any cauliflower and I used the Saffron Road red curry sauce instead of the ginger and curry paste. It was spicy but totally delicious. Thanks for the great recipe which I’ll make again.
Thanks, Gurumeher! So glad you enjoyed! You definitely can use any type of vegetable. I created this recipe from what I had in my refrigerator so you can certainly do the same! While making your own curry paste is generally preferable–if you can find a prepared one you like–I say go for it to save some time. Thanks again!
Could I try any other vegetable than cauliflower. ? I really don’t care for cauliflower. Is there a substitute I could try ?
Hi, Xanthe, Thanks so much for your question! You absolutely can use any vegetables you like in this curry. What about broccoli, asparagus or snow peas? More spinach or carrots? There are so many vegetables in this curry, you might even be able to leave out the cauliflower and not add any of them and it would still be satisfying. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
Interested to try this but with some changes. First, I would probably work in some sauteed tofu (maybe). Second, I would add several chiles, either the small Thai ones or a few serranos. Third, the amount of canned coconut milk seems high; I might try one can rinsed with some water. Given the off flavors in canned coconut milk, I might also jettison both cans in favor of soaking maybe a quarter of a cup of dried copra in with the broth. Fourth and finally, the canned tomatoes seem out of place here. Some dried tamarind soaked and the pulp discarded (strained to make sure no seeds sneak in)–liquid only, kind of like making sambar–makes more sense to me.
Hi, Richard, Thanks for your suggestions. Recipes are roadmaps but how you get to the final destination is up to you. Hope you enjoy!
I’ve made dozens of curry recipes through the years (both Asian and Indian) and this one is THE BEST I’ve ever made. It tastes so much like Thai curry from a restaurant. My husband’s favorite curry style is with coconut milk, so I’ve made more of those versions than anything else. This awesome recipe will definitely be on repeat here as a favorite. So glad I stumbled across it.
Hi, Sarah, Your comment and feedback made my day! Thanks so much and so glad you enjoyed! Hope you’ll stay in touch!
Anyway to use something other than coconut milk? There’s an enormous amount of saturated fat in this dish. Great that it’s vegan but not good for the heart, cholesterol…
Hi, Irene, Thanks so much for your question. I totally hear you on the coconut milk. It IS high in fat and calories but it’s soooo very flavorful! Every so often I indulge, enjoy and don’t look back. You could use light coconut milk or a nut milk, however, the dish is going to be thinner so you may want to use a thickener. Thanks again and hope it works for you!
Sometimes I use the boxed coconut milk that is less fat and add a cornstarch slurry at the end to thicken it up to desired consistency… seems healthier to me.
Hi, Shawna, Great suggestion! Yes, you can always use light coconut milk if you don’t want the fat in regular and thicken it up with some cornstarch. Thanks again!
Hoping to make this! Is it suitable for freezing?
Hi, Rosie, Thanks so much for your question! It can be frozen, but keep in mind any vegetable is not going to be quite the same. Vegetables have a lot of water in them which impacts how they do after freezing. This dish is going to stay quite flavorful for several days so you might even finish it up and not need to freeze it! Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
MMMmmmm just looking at this dish transports me back to a magical, curious land. I love love love the versatility of Thai food. Keep your curry flavor base, get creative with your veggies and proteins. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks so much, Analida! I agree! The versatility and it’s so healthy! Thanks again!