Weeknight Vegetarian Coconut Curry

This Weeknight Vegetarian Coconut Curry recipe is an easy, flexible Thai curry recipe that transforms boring weeknight dinner into an exciting, exotic meal!

So I’ve had this love/hate relationship with Thai curries for a while now. Our rocky history goes something like this:

Age 0-18: Hate (due to a faulty assumption that all Thai food contained peanuts)
Age 18-23: Love (discover the perfect Thai restaurant at college, may or may not have contributed to my Freshman 15)
Age 24.2: Love (go to Thailand, learn to cook authentic Thai curry at a little cooking school in Chiang Mai)
Age 24.5: Hate (come home, realize that I, in fact, suck at cooking Thai curry from scratch)
Age 24.6 Love (come to the realization that using store bought curry paste is not cheating, learn to make this Weeknight Vegetarian Coconut Curry, proceed to eat it for dinner at least 2x a week from then on out)

5 from 2 votes

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Weeknight Vegetarian Coconut Curry

This Weeknight Vegetarian Coconut Curry recipe is an easy, flexible Thai curry recipe that transforms boring weeknight dinner into an exciting, exotic meal!

Course Main Dishes, Soups

Diet Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Time 30 minutes or less

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 386 kcal

Author Live Eat Learn

Ingredients

Curry

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil 15 mL, or any high heat oil
• 2 Tbsp chopped shallots
• 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 2 14-oz cans full-fat coconut milk 414 mL each, unshaken and chilled*
• 1 cup vegetable broth 236 mL
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce 30 mL, or tamari for GF option
• 2 Tbsp honey 30 mL, or sugar for vegan option
• 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce 30 mL

Fillings

• 4 oz rice noodles 113 g
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil 15 mL, or regular high heat oil
• 1 block firm tofu 400 g
• 1 cup thinly chopped carrot 50 g
• 1 cup thinly chopped red cabbage 50 g
• 1 cup snap peas 50 g

Instructions

1. Cut tofu into 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick slabs. Set on a few layers of paper towels, top with a few more layers, and set a heavy plate on top to squeeze out water. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium/high heat. Add shallots and ginger, cooking for a few minutes until shallots are translucent. Add curry paste and cook a few minutes more.
3. Without shaking the can of coconut milk, open it and skim off the firm layer of cream at the top. Add the cream to your pan, along with the broth, soy, honey, and chili garlic sauce. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and let slowly cook while you prepare the rest.
4. Prepare rice noodles according to instructions on package, strain, and set aside.
5. Cut your tofu slabs into 1 inch cubes. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large wok or saute pan over medium/high heat, then add in the tofu. Cook until sides are slightly browned, then add in a few spoonfuls of your curry soup. Cook for a minute or two, until curry has evaporated, then remove tofu from pan.
6. Add your carrots, cabbage, and snap peas to the pan the tofu was just in, and stir fry over medium/high heat until colors are vibrant, about 5 minutes.
7. Combine curry soup, tofu, noodles, and vegetables in a bowl, or assemble in individual serving bowls. Optionally top with Thai basil and sesame seeds.

Notes

*You’ll want to use a quality brand of coconut milk that contains only coconut and water if possible. Lower quality brands sometimes add in stabilizers, which prevent the cream (the stuff we want!) from separating. Use the leftover coconut water for smoothies!

Nutrition Facts

Weeknight Vegetarian Coconut Curry

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 386 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 24g 37%

Sodium 1081mg 45%

Total Carbohydrates 32.9g 11%

Dietary Fiber 5.3g 21%

Protein 13.8g 28%

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

Helpful products for this Vegetarian Coconut Curry

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