Vegan Thai Green Curry

This Vegan Thai Green Curry consists of a rich, creamy coconut curry with flavorful homemade green curry paste and crispy tofu.

In my opinion, this Vegan Thai Green Curry is better than takeout and is the perfect weeknight dinner. The homemade Thai Green Curry is bursting with flavor and is 100% vegan.

If you ask me what my favorite food is, I will hands down always say a Thai curry. My favorite is Thai Green Curry because it’s always filled with a variety of fresh, tender vegetables.

Thai green curry paste typically contains dried shrimp. To make this recipe vegan, I used a combination of white miso paste and mushroom powder to create that yummy umami flavor. And instead of chicken, I opted for tofu!

How to make Vegan Thai Green Curry:

Baked Tofu

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add cubed tofu and toss with oil and salt. Spread tofu into an even layer. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crispy. Add to a bowl and set aside.

Green Curry Paste

1. Add coriander and cumin seeds to a small skillet. Toast over medium-low heat until fragrant. Pour seeds into a mortar and pestle (you could also use a spice grinder). If your mushroom powder is in granule form, like mine, grind that with the seeds. Grind until an almost powdery texture forms. It’s ok if there are a few small chunks of seeds left (you just don’t want any whole ones).
2. Add ground coriander, cumin, and mushroom powder to a small food processor. Alternatively, you could add ingredients to a sturdy tall wide cup and use an immersion blender.
3. To the food processor, add the oil. This will coat the blades and help with processing. Add the remaining curry paste ingredients. Process on low until a coarse paste forms. It won’t be completely smooth, but no big chunks should remain (see photos above for reference).
4. If using an immersion blender, move the blender up and down to process the ingredients. This will take a few minutes longer than using a food processor.
5. Transfer curry paste to an airtight container. Store in fridge while preparing the rest of the curry.

Thai Green Curry

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tbsp of coconut milk. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the coconut milk starts to separate (liquid water at bottom and solid cream on top). That’s ok if your coconut milk doesn’t separate, not all brands do. Stir in 5-6 tbsp of the green curry paste (amount you use will depend on your desired spice level). Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
2. Pour in the remaining coconut milk and stir in the brown sugar and 4 makrut lime leaves. Bring curry to a simmer. Once at a simmer, add the veggies and baked tofu. Cook for 2-3 minutes more until the veggies are tender but still slightly crisp. Squeeze in juice from ½ lime and season with salt, if desired.
3. Serve curry over rice topped with fresh Thai basil and lime wedge. Enjoy!

Why you’ll love this Vegan Thai Green Curry:

Flavorful and rich. This Vegan Thai Green Curry is layered with complex flavors from the umami mushroom powder and miso paste to the zesty and bright makrut lime leaves, lime zest, and lemongrass. The homemade green curry paste is bold but bright and is absolutely delicious.

Creamy but crisp. This creamy is incredibly curry from the rich coconut milk but still crisp from the tender red bell pepper, zucchini, and eggplant.

Easy & simple. This recipe is a lot easier than you think. All the curry paste ingredients come together in a food processor. And the curry is made in one-pot! The prep work will take the longest, but I assure you it’s all worth it.

Ingredient breakdown:

Galangal. Galangal is a peppery, spicy, and zesty plant stem that is a part of the ginger family. It is often used in Southeast Asian cuisine. Compared to ginger, which is earthy, spicy, with a bit of sweetness, galangal has a more piney, citrus flavor. I highly suggest seeking out galangal as you can’t really substitute ginger and yield for the same flavor. You should be able to find galangal at most Asian grocery stores.

If you must substitute ginger, substitute with a three to four ratio ginger to galangal.

Thai green chilies. I suggest using Thai green chilies, which are very small green chilies found at most Asian grocery stores. They tend to be quite spicy, so if you are very sensitive to heat you can – 1. Use less (about 1-2 chilies) OR 2. substitute with 1-2 jalapeno peppers.

Lemongrass. Lemongrass provides a zesty bright flavor to this dish and is really not the same without it. You can find lemongrass at most grocery stores.

Makrut lime leaves. Lime leaves might be the most important ingredients in this dish. They provide the restaurant-style taste to this curry with a zesty, aromatic flavor. You can find lime leaves at most Asian grocery stores.

Mushroom powder. Thai green curry paste typically contains dried shrimp. To make this recipe vegan, I used a combination of white miso paste and mushroom powder to create that yummy umami flavor. I purchased my mushroom powder from an Asian grocery store, but you can also buy online.

Coriander & cumin seeds. I highly suggest using whole seeds for this dish, as it will add more aromatic flavors to the curry paste. If you must use ground, then substitute 3/4 tsp ground for 1 tsp whole.

Full-fat coconut milk. Good quality coconut milk is important in this recipe. My absolute favorite coconut milk to cook with is from Aroy-D.

If you’re looking for more yummy vegan dinner recipes, you’ll also love this Creamy Harissa Chickpea Curry, this 30-minute Thai Red Curry, and this Thai-Basil Inspired Tofu.

Also, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram don’t forget to tag me @healthienut + #healthienut! I love seeing your mouthwatering recreations!