Vegan Thai Coconut Vegetable Curry is a scrumptious, easy, Thai curry recipe with a medium heat level and distinct Asian flavors. Loads of everyday vegetables are simmered in a coconut curry red sauce. This plant-based comfort food is ready in 30 minutes and meal-prep friendly!
Vegan Thai Coconut Vegetable Curry
This vegetable curry is one of the first recipes every published to my blog.
I’ve made it for years and the story is always the same…downright delish! It’s easy, healthy, quick-fix Asian comfort food!
It’s loaded with fresh vegetables, a few canned ingredients, and can be on the table in 30 minutes!
I also think of this as a cheater curry because you’re not making the actual curry seasoning from scratch. Instead, we’re using Thai curry paste (and not Indian curry powder).
Let’s talk about that for a sec.
Curry paste vs. Curry Powder
The two curries are not interchangeable.
CURRY PASTE is used in Thai cooking.
Thai chili pepper, lemongrass, galanga, and kaffir lime peel, give it that distinct Thai flavor. It’s usually available at grocery stores in the Asian section.
You’ll likely see it packaged in a glass jar or in a can.
There is a Thai curry powder, which is a powdered version of the seasonings in Thai curry paste.
It’s not available in most grocery stores. You’ll find it at your International grocer, as well as online.
CURRY POWDER is used in Indian cooking.
Common ingredients include golden turmeric, coriander, ginger, fenugreek, and chili peppers, and create distinct Indian flavors.
This curry powder in the spice section at any grocery store (and probably already in your pantry).
Just remember, this is NOT the curry powder we’re using in this Thai Curry recipe.
How to make vegetable curry on the stove
Step 1. Saute vegetables in a soup pot (you can use pre-cut vegetables).
Step 2. Add tomatoes, coconut milk, chickpeas, and curry paste.
Step 3. increase heat to bring everything just to a boil.
Step 4. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer.
Step 5. About 5 minutes before serving, fold in fresh kale and allow it to steam.
Step 6. Stir in lime zest and juice; serve warm over rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
* see full recipe below
How to make vegetable curry in the Instant Pot
Step 1. Chop the fresh veggies and open the canned tomatoes, coconut milk, and curry paste.
Step 2. Set Instant Pot on saute function. Saute the aromatics and veggies in coconut oil until tender.
Step 3. Toss in all other ingredients.
Step 4. Close/lock/seal the lid, set the pressure cooker button to Manual High Pressure for +2 minutes.
Step 5. Step away from the Instant Pot…and go multitask.
Step 6. When cycle is finished, Allow 10-minute natural pressure release. Add kale to the curry…it will wilt from the heat of the curry. Serve warm.
* See full recipe below
What I love about Thai vegetable curry
- takes only 30 minutes to make
- vegan AND gluten-free
- made with everyday veggies available at most grocery stores
- chickpeas give it added nutrition, texture, fiber, and flavor
- uses Asian pantry staples available in most grocery stores (like coconut oil and coconut milk)
Thai vegetable curry recipe tips:
- You can buy pre-cut veggies and shave time off your food prep. You can also substitute frozen vegetables for fresh vegetables.
- Curry paste is canned and comes in red, yellow, and green varieties. You can use any one of them for this recipe. I used red curry paste for this recipe.
- Do not use Indian curry powder for this recipe [discussed earlier in this article].
- This recipe calls for canned diced tomatoes, but you can substitute an equal amount of fresh tomatoes.
- You can substitute ANY vegetables you like for this recipe.
- The kale in this recipe can easily be substituted for other greens, like fresh spinach.
Vegan Thai Coconut Vegetable Curry Ingredients:
- coconut oil
- green onion
- fresh garlic
- fresh ginger
- carrots
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- mushrooms
- canned diced tomatoes
- Thai red curry paste or Thai curry powder
- canned chickpeas
- canned coconut milk (I often use this lite coconut milk)
- Kosher salt
- fresh kale
- lime
- Thai basil (for garnish)
Tools needed to make this recipe:
- chef knife
- cutting board
- 3.5 qt saucepot or 6 qt Instant Pot
- Large spoon
- serving ladle (stainless steel)
More Asian vegan recipes
Vegan Thai Lentil Chickpea Curry [for Instant Pot, Stove, or Crockpot]
Asian Quinoa Slaw Salad with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette
Vegan Thai Coconut Vegetable Curry
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 2 Green Onions sliced; keep white bulb and green stalk separate
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Ginger finely grated
- 1 cup Carrots chopped
- 1 cup Cauliflower chopped
- 1 cup Broccoli chopped
- 1 cup Mushrooms chopped
- 3 Tbsp Curry Paste or 3 Tbsp Thai Curry Powder
- 1 15oz can Low Sodium Chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 14.5 oz can No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes drained; keep juice to adjust consistency later, if needed
- 1 15oz can Coconut Milk
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt optional
- 2 cups Kale or Spinach chopped
- 1 Lime zested and juiced
- 2 sprigs Thai basil chopped
Instructions
Vegetable Curry Stove Instructions
- In a 3-quart soup pot, heat COCONUT OIL over medium heat until shimmering (about 2 minutes).
- Add GREEN ONION bulb (the white part) GARLIC, GINGER, and CARROTS; saute until tender and fragrant, stirring as needed (2-4 minutes).
- Add BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER, and MUSHROOMS; saute until slightly tender, stirring as needed (2-4 minutes).
- Stir in CURRY PASTE, tossing to coat vegetables and allow to saute for a minute.
- Add TOMATOES, COCONUT MILK, and CHICKPEAS; increase heat to HIGH and heat until the liquid starts bubbling. Note: If more liquid is needed, stir in the canned tomato juice you reserved.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes until heated through, stirring as needed.
- Add the KALE (or other greens); cover and simmer a few minutes to wilt the kale.
Vegetable Curry Instant Pot Instructions
- Select "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and heat the COCONUT OIL.
- When the display reads "Hot", add GREEN ONION bulb (the white part) GARLIC, and CARROTS; sauté a few minutes until tender, stirring as needed.
- Stir in BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER, and MUSHROOMS; sauté until slightly tender, stirring as needed (2-4 minutes).
- Stir in CURRY PASTE, tossing to coat vegetables and allow to saute for a minute.
- Add TOMATOES (with their juice), COCONUT MILK, and CHICKPEAS.
- Press the "Cancel" function on the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and turn the pressure release valve to the "Sealing" position.
- Select "Manual" and set the Instant Pot on "High" pressure for +2 minutes.
- When the cycle completes, allow the Instant Pot to sit for 10 minutes, undisturbed, for a natural pressure release (NPR).
- Then, using an oven mitt for protection, release any remaining steam by turning the pressure release valve to the "Venting" position.
- When steam is fully released, unlock and remove the lid. Add KALE to the pot and return the lid to steam the kale for 5 minutes.IMPORTANT: Make sure the pressure release valve is in the "venting" position to prevent the cooker from building up pressure again.
- The cooker automatically goes into "Keep Warm" mode until you shut it off.
Serving and storage instructions
- Serve warm. Garnish options include green onions, lime wedges, and Thai basil. Enjoy over a bed of rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
- To store, refrigerate vegetable curry in an airtight container.
- To freeze, store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
RECIPE NOTES
Nutrition
Traci Antonovich
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Connie says
12/12/2019 at 8:04 pmI loved this recipe, and how much leftovers there are! Thank you!!
Traci Antonovich says
12/12/2019 at 9:12 pmThis makes my day, Connie…thanks so much for letting me know 🙂 It’s one of my favs too!
Marylin says
11/22/2019 at 2:28 pmI just made this with veggies I had on hand (red peppers, shiitake mushrooms and carrots and kale like the recipe says) and I was amazed at how delicious it was with so little effort! I didn’t have lime so I topped the bowls with cilantro. I will be making this again for sure!
Traci Antonovich says
11/23/2019 at 8:21 amPerfect! I’m SO glad you gave this one a try and love it like we do 🙂 Thanks SO much for the feedback! Cheers!
Katie says
09/27/2019 at 11:37 amThe curry paste I bought is a bit too spicy for me, is there anyway to turn down the spice? Also, could I use olive oil instead of coconut oil?
Traci Antonovich says
09/27/2019 at 2:20 pmHi Katie, the best way to turn down the spice in the curry paste is to start with a very small amount and add a little at a time to reach your desired level of heat. Also, if you have an Asian grocery, ask the clerk to recommend the least spicy of the ones they carry.
As for olive oil…yep, I’ve done it and it’s undetectable. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have more questions 🙂
Mike says
07/28/2019 at 8:46 amI made this yesterday and it turned out great! I followed your recipe exactly, definitely a delicious dish and healthy veggie eating! Thanks!
Traci Antonovich says
07/28/2019 at 10:35 pmAwesome, Mike! So glad to hear you enjoyed it and thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
Lorna says
05/04/2019 at 12:47 pmWow, wow, wow! I’m not vegan but I’m not a huge meat eater. I absolutely loved this. Thank you so much for a super easy recipe, with mainly store cupboard ingredients. So tasty. Love it 😀
Traci Antonovich says
05/04/2019 at 7:56 pmAwww, thank you for the kind words, Lorna! Love it that this one worked out for you so well 🙂 Day made!!
Becky says
05/17/2019 at 2:01 pmHey! Does anyone know if the leftover’s freeze well? This made a LOT of food and I don’t know if I can convince my husband to eat vegan like 5 days in a row, haha.
Traci Antonovich says
05/18/2019 at 8:14 amHi Becky! Hopping in here to comment but will love to hear from others too 🙂 I would gladly freeze, thaw, and reheat this just like any soup or stew. The veggie textures may not be identical to the non-frozen version, but it will still be devourable 😉 I would do it in dinner-sized portions so it thaws more quickly…and is more versatile than storing a large container in your freezer. Hope that helps 🙂
Joy says
04/17/2019 at 8:44 amHi! I love this meal but was curious what the nutrition facts are for the serving you have provided?
Thanks!
Traci Antonovich says
04/18/2019 at 10:23 amHi Joy…I just updated this recipe today to include nutrition facts for you 🙂 Please observe the recipe notes (right above the nutrition label), especially if you need more accurate information for diet/health reasons. Thanks so much! Let me know if I can help you further.
Lisa says
02/20/2019 at 9:59 amMade this and it was great, definitely adding this to my favorites!
Traci Antonovich says
02/20/2019 at 12:53 pmAwesome Lisa! I’m so glad you like it…and thanks for the feedback 🙂
Melissa says
11/21/2018 at 3:35 pmI am a fairly new vegan and made this recipe tonight – I LOVED IT! I visited the local Asian grocery store for the first time and selected the yellow Thai curry paste, and the dish tasted like it was from my favorite Thai restaurant. What a delight – I look forward to adding this to my regular meal menu!
Traci Antonovich says
11/21/2018 at 7:31 pmOh Melissa, this makes my day! This is definitely a fav dish of mine and I’m glad you found it! One of these days, I’ll shoot new photos of it, so don’t be surprised when you come back and it looks different 🙂
Olivia Raleigh says
07/30/2018 at 6:07 amHi there, I just tried this recipe and thought it was delicious. One question though, if you substitute the curry powder for the curry paste, how much curry poweer should you use for it to taste similar to this recipe? Many thanks!
Traci Antonovich says
07/31/2018 at 12:59 pmGreat question, Olivia! I don’t know exactly how much powder you would sub, but I’d probably start with a couple teaspoons minimum. I’m going to pick up some Thai Curry Powder at my Asian grocery soon, so I’ll be able to alter this recipe with that info. Stay tuned 🙂 Thanks for commenting, btw…glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Kris says
05/26/2018 at 7:08 pmJust made this & we LOVED it. Added some more spice, as we like things perky. Rather than serving w/rice, I cooked some Thai rice noodles & just stirred them into the curry. This will definitely be a regular meal for us – Fabulous.
Traci Antonovich says
05/27/2018 at 11:17 pmAwesome Kris…sooo glad to hear it! I keep recipes mild here on the site, but I love the spicy at home 🙂 And I love this dish with rice noodles too!
Sara says
03/11/2018 at 10:30 amI love this recipe! Since discovering it I have made it several times. Currently simmering on my stove. I have used red curry paste all the previous times and today I’m trying green (because that’s what my husband brought home from the store). Thank you!
Traci Antonovich says
03/11/2018 at 10:49 amOmgosh you’ve made my day! I love hearing this…it’s a fav of mine too! Any color of curry would work, but it might change the spice/heat level, so be careful if you don’t care for the spicy 🙂 Thanks again!
Kelly says
01/06/2018 at 4:14 pmThis is delicious but needs a bit more spice. Lime juice is nice as it offsets the coconut milk thickness. I will be making this again!
Traci Antonovich says
01/06/2018 at 4:51 pmHaha, yep…I often publish recipes on the less spicy side so people can kick it up a notch. It’s much harder to turn the heat down 🙂 So glad you liked it, Kelly. Appreciate you for stopping by!
Brinn says
12/20/2017 at 1:22 pmI have green or red curry paste, but not yellow. Do you think this recipe would be good with one of those? Thanks!
Traci Antonovich says
12/20/2017 at 2:40 pmAbsolutely yes…although, I’m not sure the exact amounts translate b/c your curry might be stronger, or not as strong, so I’d use 1 Tbsp to start and then add the other if needed. Or add even another Tbsp if necessary. It’s a very forgiving dish 🙂 Hope that helps, let me know. Enjoy 🙂
Shea says
11/29/2017 at 4:14 pmAgree this needed more spicing up (for me) but I loved the veg combo. A lot of variations to be made from this and I love that you put so much detail (tools, ingredients, etc) for those new to cooking. Nice touch!
Traci Antonovich says
12/01/2017 at 10:58 pmShea, thanks for commenting. I do leave it up to the individual to add more curry if they wish. I’m glad you love all the details 🙂 Thanks again for stopping by!
Kirsten says
11/19/2017 at 6:05 pmThis looks great, very similar to my “Hm, what should I cook with this random stuff in my fridge/pantry?” curry. However, if you’re using curry powder, it’s not Thai curry. Curry powder is typically more Indian-esque. Thai red, green, yellow, massaman, etc curry have specific ingredients that aren’t found in Indian curries, e.g. galangal and lemongrass.
Traci Antonovich says
11/20/2017 at 12:40 pmKirsten, you’re so right! I always used curry paste for this dish, then switched to powder, but didn’t use Thai curry powder. I just edited the post and recipe back to the original, and included links to the powder. Thank you so much for pointing this out…I like conveying accurate information. Cheers!
Kelly says
11/18/2017 at 5:29 pmI enjoyed the variety of veg in this. Although the flavour was very basic (awesome for fussy eaters if you’re trying to introduce new flavours). I added ginger, cayenne pepper, paprika and cumin and it was wonderful. A perfect mid week dinner or when you have unexpected guests.
Traci Antonovich says
11/18/2017 at 11:00 pmYep, kept it pretty basic on purpose. Glad you liked it…and thanks for taking the time to follow up here in the comments. Makes my day 🙂
Karen Meyerand says
10/29/2017 at 7:22 amWow! This was fantastic! My entire family loved every bite. I added some leftover steamed cabbage, delicata squash, and tossed in fresh baby spinach instead of kale. It was So, So good. Definitely a keeper at our house. Thank you for such a marvelous recipe. 😋
Traci Antonovich says
10/29/2017 at 2:48 pmYou…just made my day! Thank you for letting me know…I really appreciate the feedback, esp when it’s a love story 🙂 Hope you can find more of those here on my site. Let me know if you ever have any questions…I’m here! Thanks again!
Crissy says
10/26/2017 at 5:32 pmThis curry was great! I added a little turmeric, paprika, cumin and omitted the mushrooms. Great flavor, served with brown rice and can’t wait to make this again.
Traci Antonovich says
10/26/2017 at 7:48 pmSo glad to hear it, Crissy…it’s pretty versatile, huh?! I’m a fan of brown rice too! It’s always that or quinoa. Thanks for stopping by and commenting! 🙂
Samantha says
10/10/2017 at 12:27 pmMy stomach is sensitive to chickpeas. What would you recommend using instead? The recipe looks incredible!
Traci Antonovich says
10/11/2017 at 1:37 amHey Samantha, There’s enough going on in this dish, you could leave them out and substitute them with more veggies. Or, are you able to eat edamame? Those would be a great substitution as long as you can eat them 🙂
Karen says
03/19/2017 at 6:42 pmI made this and it was really yummy! I added some ginger, a dash 9f smily.paprika and some fresh basil.
Karen says
03/19/2017 at 6:46 pmOpps! Dash of smoky paprika
Traci Antonovich says
03/19/2017 at 10:22 pmKaren, all great things in this dish! And I’m with you on the ginger (I need to add that as an ingredient on the recipe). Always love basil too! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Jenny says
03/12/2017 at 5:55 pmThis looks amazing!! Unfortunately I have a tomato allergy. Do you think I could make it without the can of diced tomatoes? Anything else I could add instead?
Traci Antonovich says
03/12/2017 at 8:57 pmHi Jenny, no problem. I would sub either a 1/2 Lb zucchini or 1/2 a large red bell pepper (either would be diced and sautéed with the other veggies). If you need to add any liquid to the curry to adjust consistency, you could use the juice from the can of chickpeas. Hope that helps! Thanks for asking 🙂
Katy says
02/23/2017 at 6:17 amI made this for dinner a few days ago and my husband and I both loved it! I will definitely be making this on a regular basis.
Traci Antonovich says
02/23/2017 at 7:33 amKaty, awesome! Can’t tell you how happy I am that you love it AND that you took the time to let me know. Thank so much! If you’re looking for more vegan and vegetarian recipes, I have plenty 🙂 Cheers!
Allison says
02/21/2017 at 2:03 pmI just made this yesterday and it is DELICIOUS. thank you for sharing!
Traci Antonovich says
02/21/2017 at 2:35 pmAllison, AWESOME…so glad to hear it! I really appreciate your feedback…thanks for taking the time 🙂 Let me know if you ever have any questions!
Girlfriend in Florida says
01/25/2017 at 6:26 amGF, this is one of the BEST curries I ever had! It is hard for me to stop eating it even after I’m full. I had about 6 small red potatoes left over from another recipe, quartered them and added to the curry. Hats off to you Kitchen Girl! I will be making this often. It is soooo good!!
Traci Antonovich says
01/25/2017 at 7:58 amOmgosh GF, wheeeeee! I’m REALLY excited to hear this…because I know you’re serious about healthy, one-pot meals that go the distance all week. So, if my recipe made it into your rotation, mission accomplished! And with red potatoes too?…YUM! xoxoxo
Stephanie Schade - home says
01/19/2017 at 4:50 pmGF, I’m so making this on Sunday. It looks and sounds sooooo good. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Traci Antonovich says
01/19/2017 at 9:48 pmAwww yeayah! Hope you love it like I do. It’s my “cheater” curry, GF…so easy and ready in no time! xoxoxo