Vegan Thai Coconut Vegetable Curry is an easy vegan dinner where everyday vegetables are simmered in a coconut curry sauce. This delectable vegan curry recipe is made for Instant Pot or stove.
Vegan Thai Coconut Vegetable Curry
This vegetable curry is one of the first recipes I published to my blog in 2014. 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!
Thai coconut vegetable curry ingredients
- coconut oil
- green onion
- garlic
- fresh ginger
- carrots
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- mushrooms
- canned diced tomatoes
- Thai curry paste or Thai curry powder
- canned chickpeas
- coconut milk (I often use this lite coconut milk)
- Kosher salt
- fresh kale
- (garnish) lime and Thai basil
I also think of this as a cheater curry because you're not making the actual curry seasoning from scratch.
Curry paste vs. Curry Powder
Packaged CURRY PASTE for Thai cooking is commonly made with Thai chili pepper, lemongrass, galanga, and kaffir lime peel. 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.
Thai curry powder is a powdered version of the seasonings in Thai curry paste and is usually red in color. It's not readily available in most grocery stores. You'll find it at your international grocer, as well as online.
Yellow curry powder for Indian cooking is commonly made with turmeric, coriander, ginger, fenugreek, and chili peppers, and create distinct Indian flavors. It's always available at most grocery stores. If your pantry has curry powder, it's probably this one.
How to make vegetable curry in the Instant Pot
* See full recipe below
Step 1. Saute onion, garlic, and ginger in coconut oil until tender.
Step 2. Add all other ingredients.
Step 3. Close lid, turn pressure release valve to "sealing", set pressure cooker button to HIGH Pressure for 1 minute.
Step 4. When cycle is finished, allow 10-minute natural pressure release. Stir in kale, cover, and let sit for few minutes to soften it.
How to make vegetable curry on the stove
* see full recipe below
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.
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:
- Buy pre-cut veggies and shave time off your food prep. You can also substitute frozen vegetables for fresh vegetables.
- Thai curry paste is canned and comes in red, yellow, and green varieties. Thai curry powder is not the same as Indian curry powder.
- 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.
Equipment needed:
- chef knife
- cutting board
- 3.5 qt saucepot or 6 qt Instant Pot
- Large spoon
- serving ladle (stainless steel)
More vegan Asian dinner recipes
- Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles
- Vegetable Lo Mein
- Stir Fry Vegetables with Black Bean Sauce
- Asian Quinoa Slaw Salad with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette
- Sesame Kale Noodles
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 Broccoli, chopped
- 1 cup Cauliflower, chopped
- 1 cup Mushrooms, chopped
- 3 Tbsp Red Curry Paste (or yellow or green), or 3 Tbsp Thai Curry Powder
- 1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes, with their juice
- 1 15oz can Coconut Milk
- 1 15oz can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt, optional
- 2 cups Kale (or Spinach), chopped
- 1 Lime, zested and juiced
- 2 sprigs Thai basil
RECIPE VIDEO
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 (the stalk), GARLIC, and GINGER; sauté a few minutes. Then add GARLIC, CARROTS; BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER, MUSHROOMS and sauté until slightly tender, stirring as needed.
- Stir in CURRY PASTE, tossing to coat vegetables and sauté a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add TOMATOES (with juice), COCONUT MILK, and CHICKPEAS; increase heat to HIGH and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer about 10 minutes until heated through, stirring as needed.
- Add KALE; 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 (the firm stalk) GARLIC, and CARROTS; sauté a few minutes until tender, stirring as needed.
- Stir in CURRY PASTE, toss to coat vegetables and sauté until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
- Add CAULIFLOWER, BROCCOLI, MUSHROOMS, TOMATOES (with juice), COCONUT MILK, and CHICKPEAS.
- Press the "Cancel" button. Secure lid and set pressure release valve to "Sealing" position. Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" button on HIGH pressure for 1 minute.
- When cycle completes, allow the Instant Pot to sit for 10 minutes, undisturbed, for a natural pressure release (NPR).
- Use an oven mitt for protection to turn the pressure release valve to the "Venting" position and release any remaining steam.
- Once depressurized, remove the lid and stir in KALE. Close the lid, keep the pressure valve in "venting" position, and allow kale to soften a few minutes.
- The cooker will stay in "Keep Warm" mode until you hit the "Cancel" button.
Serving and storage instructions
- Serve warm garnished with LIME zest and juice, and GREEN ONION TOPS.Other garnish options include green onions, Thai basil, or cilantro. 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Jocelyn says
I used a bit more garlic, ginger, and curry paste than recommended and it turned out amazing. This recipe is so quick and simple, but full of flavor!
Awesome! Yes, this one's easy to bump up those flavors. So glad to hear you enjoyed 🙂 Thanks!
Megan says
I love this recipe! Very flexible with what veggies you use and the flavor is delish! I do sometimes add powdered curry which I like!
Awesome! Yes totally flexible and the powdered curry is a nice alternative to the canned curry paste. Glad you enjoyed...thanks!
Courtney says
This was phenomenal!! No one else in my family likes curry very much but everyone ate it. I had to stop myself from having thirds. I skipped the mushrooms (preference) and used spinach instead of kale because I already had spinach on hand. It was sooooo good, and super quick and easy. Used the stove top method.
Yeahhh Courtney! I'm so glad to hear you found this recipe AND that the family signed off. Win-win!! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know Woohooo!
Heather S. says
Excellent recipe. I chopped veggies ahead of time so the dish was simple and fun to make. We like “spicy” so I increased the curry paste just a bit. So good! Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed, Heather. I usually add more curry too lol, but I write the recipes to fit mild spice preferences 😉 Thanks for stopping back by...Cheers!
Connie says
I loved this recipe, and how much leftovers there are! Thank you!!
This makes my day, Connie...thanks so much for letting me know 🙂 It's one of my favs too!
Marylin says
I 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!
Perfect! 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
The 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?
Hi 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
I made this yesterday and it turned out great! I followed your recipe exactly, definitely a delicious dish and healthy veggie eating! Thanks!
Awesome, Mike! So glad to hear you enjoyed it and thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
Lorna says
Wow, 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 😀
Awww, thank you for the kind words, Lorna! Love it that this one worked out for you so well 🙂 Day made!!
Becky says
Hey! 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.
Hi 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
Hi! I love this meal but was curious what the nutrition facts are for the serving you have provided?
Thanks!
Hi 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
Made this and it was great, definitely adding this to my favorites!
Awesome Lisa! I'm so glad you like it...and thanks for the feedback 🙂
Melissa says
I 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!
Oh 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
Hi 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!
Great 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
Just 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.
Awesome 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!