This vegan Thai green curry recipe, packed with crisp vegetables, sweet potatoes, baked or air-fried tofu, and green curry paste, is creamy, bright, and satisfying.
I paired this curry with my homemade Thai green curry paste, although you can use store-bought.
If you enjoy cooking vegan Thai-inspired curries at home, you might also like my Thai red curry paste and massaman curry paste, which use the same oil-free, whole-food approach. They are delicious in potato massaman curry, classic Thai red veggie curry, and veggie mango curry.
🔎A Quick Look At This Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 6 - Dietary Info: vegan with no added oil
- Method: Stovetop with baked or air-fried tofu
- Technique: Simmer + make sauce + add crispy tofu
- Flavor & texture: Customizable spicy heat with creamy coconut broth, and a variety of textures.
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Table of Contents
❤️Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Oil-free but still rich and satisfying.
- Customizable spice level (mild to spicy).
- Crispy tofu with a firm texture that stands up to the curry sauce.
- Great for meal prep and leftover veggies.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tofu. Use firm or extra-firm tofu. Soy curls are a good meaty substitute. Or try a batch of my vegan tofu chicken.
- Sweet potato. Use cubed butternut squash as a substitute.
- Vegetables. I used a combination of sugar snap peas, mung bean sprouts, and broccolini (tenderstem broccoli). You can swap in baby eggplant, bell peppers, green beans, carrots, or whatever you have on hand.
- Coconut milk. Use full-fat or make it skinnier with lite coconut milk, or substitute with 1 ½ cups of plant milk and a few drops of coconut extract.
- Soy sauce. Use tamari or coconut amino acids as a substitute.
- Coconut sugar. Green curry is traditionally slightly sweet. Use date sugar, maple syrup, or another vegan sweetener as a substitute.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
Recipe Variations
- If you want to skip the tofu, add extra protein by adding edamame or beans such as adzuki or black beans.
- For a thicker curry, reduce the amount of broth or add a cornstarch slurry.
Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Press, cube, and toss the tofu with soy sauce and lime juice.
Step 2: Bake or air fry the tofu. If it’s done early, no worries, it will heat up when added to the curry.
Step 3: Simmer the sweet potatoes in vegetable broth. As soon as they are barely fork-tender, pile the rest of the veggies on top.
Step 4: Stir in the curry paste, soy sauce, and coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the tofu. Add lime juice to taste.
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Denise's Pro Tips
- Keep the curry to a gentle simmer when cooking and reheating. Boiling overcooks the vegetables and can cause the coconut milk to curdle or split.
- The heat level of green curry paste can vary. Start with a little and add more if needed.
- For a thicker curry, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with ¼ cup of water and stir it into the curry.
Want Full Control Over The Veggies?
Steam the sweet potatoes and vegetables separately. Start with the sweet potatoes. Right before they are done, pile on the rest of the veggies. Remove them from the heat promptly.
Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
- Overcooking the vegetables. This usually happens when you simmer at too high a heat – when initially cooking or reheating.
Using too much curry paste too early. If you are unsure of the heat levels, start with a small amount of curry paste and build from there.
Skipping tofu pressing. Pressed tofu browns and firms better and holds its structure in liquid. - Boiling coconut milk. It’s worth mentioning it again. Keep the curry to a slow simmer for the best curry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store curry in an airtight container, separately from rice or noodles. Refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Start with 1-2 tablespoons of green curry paste and increase gradually. If it’s too spicy after adding curry paste, add extra coconut milk, coconut sugar, or lime juice. Serving it with something bland like plain rice or noodles also helps.
Cooking tofu separately keeps it crispy and firm, so it doesn’t absorb too much liquid or fall apart in the curry.
Yes. Use unsweetened plant milk, like soy or cashew, plus a few drops of coconut extract. The curry will be lighter but still flavorful.
To make this recipe gluten-free, use coconut aminos or tamari rather than soy sauce. Check that your green curry paste is also gluten-free.
Yes. Freeze the curry without rice or noodles for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this curry over jasmine rice, brown rice, or with rice noodles.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Vegan Thai Green Curry Recipe
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces tofu - firm or extra firm
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce - use Tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free
- 1 medium sweet potato - peeled and cubed
- 2 cups vegetable broth - or water
- 2 cups sugar snap peas - cut on the diagnol
- 2 cups mung bean sprouts
- 12 ounces broccolini - (bimi/ tenderstem broccoli) or use broccoli crowns)
- 2-4 tablespoons green curry paste - (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar - substitute with date sugar or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce - use Tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free
- 14 ounces coconut milk - (see note 2)
Instructions
- Press the tofu for 15 minutes. Use a tofu press. Or wrap the tofu in a paper towel and put it on a plate with another plate or flat surface on top. Weigh down the top with something heavy (like a bag of rice).
- Cube or tear the tofu into bite-sized pieces and add it to a shallow bowl. Toss it with 2 tablespoons of lime juice and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.
- Add the sweet potato cubes and vegetable broth to a deep-rimmed frying pan or Dutch oven. Cover and simmer the potatoes until they are just slightly fork-tender.
- Timing Note: If you are baking the tofu, I recommend starting this before cooking the sweet potatoes. If air frying, you can start it after starting the sweet potatoes.
- Bake the tofu: Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Add the tofu cubes in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes. Toss the tofu to flip the pieces. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until firm and brown.
- Air Fry the tofu: Preheat the air fryer to 380° F (195° C). Add the tofu to the tofu basket and air fryer basket and cook for 12-14 minutes, shaking halfway through.
- Once the sweet potatoes are slightly fork-tender, lay the sugar snap peas, bean sprouts, and broccoli over them and cover the pot. Continue simmering for 2-3 minutes until the broccoli is tender, yet crisp when pierced with a fork.
- Stir in the curry paste, coconut sugar, and soy sauce, then add the coconut milk. Mix well.
- Bring the curry to a slow simmer to heat it and add the tofu. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime (1-2 tablespoons). Taste, adding more if needed.
- Serve over rice or noodles if desired.
Notes
- I used homemade Thai green curry paste, but you can use store-bought for this recipe. If you are gluten intolerant, check that it is gluten-free.
- Use light coconut milk if you want it skinnier. Another substitute that I’ve used is plant milk with a few drops of coconut extract.
- If you want a thicker curry, reduce the amount of vegetable broth or mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with ¼ cup of water and add that.
- No sweet potato? Use butternut squash.
- The vegetables, sugar snap peas, broccoli, and bean sprouts, are my favorites, but you can also add or substitute as needed. Options include bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, or cauliflower.
- Store leftover curry, separate from rice or noodles, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
- If you’re meal prepping, the tofu can be cooked 2 days ahead.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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