This restaurant-quality Vegan Thai Green Curry will blow your mind, especially because you can make it in 45 minutes! Use store-bought curry paste to keep it weeknight friendly. Or, take it over the top by making with my homemade Green Curry Paste!
Prep time: PT20M
Cook time: PT25M
Total time: PT45M
Rating
4.95 stars (118 reviews)
Keywords
thai green curry paste, vegan green curry, vegan thai green curry paste, vegetarian thai green curry
Ingredients
1 batch Homemade Thai Green Curry Paste (OR)
4 to 5 tablespoons canned Thai green curry paste, (plus the below "extras" (Note 1))
5 garlic cloves, (minced)
1- inch piece ginger (or galangal, grated or minced)
2 fresh lemongrass stalks, (minced or grated (Note 2))
1 (14-ounce/400g) block of firm or extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon kosher salt ((or ½ tablespoon sea salt))
1.5 OR 2 (13.5-oz/400 mL) cans of full-fat coconut milk ((Note 4) )
8 fresh makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, (bruised or crushed with your hands (Note 5))
1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar, (more to taste)
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce ((tamari for GF))
1 cup (240 mL) vegetable broth, vegan “chicken broth,” or water
1 Chinese or Japanese eggplant,
1 medium or large red bell pepper, (sliced)
1 cup (18g) Thai basil leaves, (kept whole (large leaves torn), plus more for garnish )
Freshly squeezed lime juice ((if not using lime leaves))
1 to 2 mild red chile peppers (sliced thinly for garnish (optional, for color))
Cooked jasmine white rice or brown rice to serve 5
Categories
Dinner
Cuisine
Thai
Steps
Make the homemade Green Curry Paste in advance, if using.
Boil the tofu (Note 2). Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Slice the tofu into 4 vertical slabs, and gently press down with a towel several times to remove excess water. Chop into ½ to ¾-inch (~1.5 cm) cubes. Add 1 TBSP kosher salt to boiling water (or 1 ½ to 2 tsp sea salt), followed by tofu. When water returns to a boil, set a timer for 2 minutes. Gently drain.
Heat a deep 12-inch sauté pan or medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add about 4 tablespoons of the coconut milk. Let it bubble and sizzle, and cook until the oil starts to separate from the milk, 1 ½ to 2 minutes. If it doesn’t really separate, don't worry (depends on the brand).
Add curry paste, plus extras if using store-bought curry paste. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, until it starts to dry out a bit. The curry paste might sputter so stand back. If the paste sticks, deglaze with a splash of water.
Pour in rest of the coconut milk (1.5 cans for jarred curry paste, 2 full cans for homemade curry paste). Add lime leaves, sugar, and soy sauce, and stir. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it just starts to thicken.
Add the boiled tofu (if using) and gently toss. Add vegetables of choice and the vegetable broth. Stir to submerge the veg (it's okay if not totally submerged). Partially cover the pan and bring to a rapid simmer, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the veg is tender but still crisp.
If using baked or fried tofu, add it in. Taste, adding more soy sauce or sugar as needed. If you used lime leaves, remove them; if not, add a squeeze of lime juice. Stir in Thai basil. Flavors will meld and mellow a bit after 15-20 min. Serve over rice and garnish with extra basil and mild red chiles, if using.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 336 kcal
Carbohydrates: 15 g
Protein: 9 g
Fat: 27 g
Saturated Fat: 23 g
Sodium: 1817 mg
Sugar: 6 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
Reviews
Bron on 2026-08-24 (5 stars): This is, hands down, the greatest curry I've ever eaten.
👏 Bravo!!!
Nithya on 2026-08-04 (5 stars): OMG, this is so good! I've tried many green curry recipes, and this is by far the best. Just a heads-up: the curry is a little thin when first cooked, but it thickens to the perfect consistency within a couple of hours. The key is to make it a few hours ahead of time so all the flavors can really meld together
Jessica on 2026-07-18 (5 stars): I have made this at least 10 times, I absolutely love it! If I wanted to swap lentils or split mung beans for the tofu, what would you recommend for cooking times?
Cleo on 2026-07-07 (5 stars): This is my go to green curry recipe. Cannot go wrong!! So yum!!
Jennie on 2026-06-28 (5 stars): What a fabulously tasty green curry! The spices are spot on to create an authentic taste. Thanks for this recipe. Can I freeze leftovers?
Dustin on 2026-06-26 (5 stars): I don’t see in the recipe where to use the veggie broth.
Audrey on 2026-06-24 (5 stars): It's incredible! This is now my favorite green curry recipe ❤️
