Vegan Thai Green Curry with Tofu & Veggies

This homemade vegan Thai green curry is better than takeout and easy enough for a weeknight! Packed with spicy Thai flavors, crispy pan-fried tofu and tender veggies in a creamy coconut milk base, this easy dinner will become a favorite that you’ll want to make again and again.

A while back I posted a recipe for vegan green curry paste. It wouldn’t be cool of me to share something like that and then not give you anything to do with it. You can’t just eat curry paste for dinner. That would hurt!

Once you’ve got the paste down, curry recipes are almost too simple. For me, the toughest part is deciding what veggies to put into my curry, because you can use almost anything. For this vegan green curry I went with a mix of some favorites including asparagus, baby corn, and bell peppers, along with some pan-fried tofu for protein.

This Thai curry tastes like it came from a restaurant, but it’s really super easy to make at home!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Peanut oil. You can substitute another high-heat oil if you’d like, such as canola, coconut, or corn oil.
• Tofu. I recommend using either super firm or extra firm tofu for this recipe. If you use extra firm you’ll need to press your tofu before cooking it.
• Green curry paste. Make sure the curry paste you’re using is vegan, as many brands contain shrimp paste. Maesri is a good vegan brand if you like your curry with plenty of heat, and Thai kitchen is a good mild vegan brand. Or you can make homemade vegan green curry paste.
• Coconut milk. The recipe calls for one can of full-fat coconut milk and one can of light, but you could use all full-fat for an extra rich curry, or all light to reduce the fat content. Don’t use coconut milk beverage, which is normally sold in cartons with other non-dairy milks.
• Fresh baby corn. Canned baby corn can be used if this isn’t available.
• Asparagus.
• Red bell pepper.
• Brown sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan.
• Lime juice. Freshly squeezed juice will give your curry the best flavor.
• Salt.
• Fresh basil. Use Thai basil if you can get your hands on it. If not, Italian basil is fine.
• Cilantro. Leave this out if you’re a cilantro hater.
• Cooked rice. I like my curry best with jasmine rice, but any variety will do.

Tip: Feel free to switch up the veggies with your favorites, keeping in mind that the cook times may need to be adjusted. Harder veggies generally take longer to cook, while softer veggies cook quicker. Broccoli, zucchini, green beans, cauliflower, sugar snap peas and carrots would all be delicious choices!

How It’s Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

• Cook your tofu first. We’re going to be pan-frying it using this method. Heat some oil in a nonstick skillet and cook tofu cubes for a few minutes until they’re browned and crispy on multiple sides.

• While the tofu cooks, start on the curry. Heat up some oil in a large pot and add your curry paste. Sauté the paste briefly in the oil.

• Add your coconut milk to the pot, stir everything up, and bring the mixture to a boil. This is your green curry sauce.
• Add the baby corn and let it simmer for about 7 minutes. It should be starting to become tender, but not be quite there yet.
• Now stir in asparagus and chopped bell pepper. Let the curry keep simmering until the veggies are tender.

• Stir the brown sugar, lime juice, and cooked tofu into the pot, then remove it from heat.
• Stir in some basil and cilantro. Season your curry with salt to taste, and adjust any other seasonings to your liking.

• Serve the curry with some rice and enjoy!

Leftovers & Storage

Leftover vegan green curry will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Vegan Thai Curries

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Vegan Thai Green Curry with Tofu & Veggies

This homemade vegan Thai green curry is better than takeout and easy enough for a weeknight! Packed with spicy Thai flavors, crispy pan-fried tofu and tender veggies in a creamy coconut milk base, this easy dinner will become a favorite that you’ll want to make again and again.

Ingredients

• 2
  tablespoons
  peanut oil,
  divided
• 1
  (14 ounce) package
  extra firm tofu,
  drained, pressed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼
  cup
  vegan green curry paste,
  or more to taste (I used ½ cup, but I like intense flavor. Note 1)
• 1
  (14 ounce or 400 ml) can
  full-fat coconut milk
• 1
  (14 ounce or 400 ml) can
  light coconut milk
• 2
  cups
  fresh baby corn (Note 2),
  cut into 2-inch pieces
• ½
  pound
  asparagus spears,
  cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1
  small red bell pepper,
  roughly chopped
• 1
  tablespoon
  organic brown sugar
• 1
  tablespoon
  lime juice
• Salt, to taste
  (I used ¾ teaspoon)
• ¼
  cup
  fresh basil leaves,
  chopped
• ¼
  cup
  fresh cilantro,
  chopped
• Cooked rice,
  for serving

Instructions

1. Coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon of the oil and place it over medium heat. 

2. When the oil is hot, arrange the tofu cubes in a single layer in the skillet. 

3. Cook the tofu cubes for about 10 minutes, flipping them once or twice to achieve browning on multiple sides.

4. Transfer the tofu to a plate when it’s done cooking

5. While the tofu cooks, coat the bottom of a large pot with the remaining tablespoon of oil and place it over medium heat.

6. Give the oil a minute to heat up, and then stir in the curry paste.

7. Sauté the curry paste for 1 to 2 minutes, until it becomes very fragrant.

8. Stir in both cans of coconut milk. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.

9. Stir in the baby corn and let it simmer for about 7 minutes. 

10. Stir in the asparagus and bell pepper. Continue simmering for another 3 minutes, until the veggies are tender crisp and the asparagus has become bright green. 

11. Stir in the cooked tofu, brown sugar and lime juice.

12. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the cilantro and basil. Season the curry with salt to taste and adjust any other seasonings to your preference.

13. Divide onto plates or into bowls and serve with rice.

Recipe Notes

1. If you’re new to cooking with curry paste and not sure how much to use, I recommend starting with a smaller amount. Do a taste-test when the curry is finished, and if you find the curry to be a little bland, you can either (1) sauté a bit more paste in some oil then add it to the curry (don’t add it raw), or (2) add more seasonings such as lime juice, cilantro, basil, salt and optionally some hot sauce to increase the flavor.
2. Canned baby corn can be substituted if you can’t find fresh, but you’ll need to add it later during cooking. In step 9 simmer the coconut milk without the baby corn (to reduce the coconut milk a bit), then add the canned baby corn in step 10, along with the asparagus and pepper.
3. Nutrition information does not include rice.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Thai Green Curry with Tofu & Veggies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 459
Calories from Fat 294

% Daily Value*

Fat 32.7g50%

Saturated Fat 18.9g95%

Sodium 1102mg46%

Potassium 544mg16%

Carbohydrates 33.1g11%

Fiber 4.7g19%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 13.5g27%

Calcium 222mg22%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.