This vegan red curry with tofu is the ultimate Thai comfort food made easy. It’s chock full of flavour and veggies for a delicious dinner or lunch that would please a crowd!
You haven’t had Thai food until you’ve enjoyed some delicious red curry. Once you’ve had some of this, you’ll want to make it part of your weekly dinner menu.
This will get your stomach full and satisfied. This dish is excellent for those colder days as the spices will warm you up in an instant. Best of all, it’s so quick and easy to make.
Vegan Thai red curry can be a quick dinner after a long day’s work, or lunch you can prepare for the rest of the week. No need to visit a Thai restaurant, you can whip up some authentic red curry in less than half an hour.
On my trip to Thailand last year, red curry was of course the one dish I had to try. It has many different flavours to it. It’s rich and savoury with a subtle sweetness from coconut milk.
Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan, or gluten free, this dish can be made delicious for anyone. Serve it with rice, noodles or quinoa.
Vegan Thai Red Curry Ingredients
Tofu
Use firm or extra firm tofu. They will hold their shape much better in the stew.
Thai Red Curry Paste
Many brands of Thai red curry paste contains added shrimp paste so check the ingredients carefully to ensure a brand is vegan. The red curry paste that I used in this recipe and highly recommend is by Maesri.
Maesri red curry paste is naturally gluten free and vegan. It’s also made in Thailand so it gives the most authentic flavour to the dish. This paste is spicy so you might have to use less if you’re sensitive to spicy foods.
The ingredients in Maesri red curry paste include dried red chilies, garlic, shallot, salt, lemongrass, sugar, kaffir lime, galangal, coriander seeds, cumin and cardamom. This paste is so full of flavour that there’s no need for many other added ingredients.
I have previously tried another vegan red curry paste by Thai Kitchen but found it to be more mellow in flavour compared to Maesri. Even after using the entire jar. Maesri red curry paste can be found in Asian grocery stores or on Amazon.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk gives the richness and creaminess every Thai red curry dish deserves. It also helps to balance the spiciness of the dish. Be sure to choose the unsweetened type.
Soy sauce
Soy sauce adds some extra savouriness to the dish. If you need this dish to be gluten-free, try using liquid aminos or tamari.
Vegetables
No Thai red curry is complete without some tasty vegetables. I kept it simple with added broccoli and red bell pepper in this recipe.
But you can also add eggplant, cauliflower, mushrooms or any other quick-cooking vegetables you usually add to soups or stews.
Thai Basil and Kaffir Lime Leaves
Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves complete the dish by giving it that extra burst of authentic Thai flavour. If you can’t find both, try to include at least one. The flavour will be worth it!
Variation of Thai Red Curry
If you’re looking for a soy-free version, try making this red curry with chickpeas. I’ve made it many times as well and it’s really tasty.
Try these other delicious vegan curry recipes:
- Jamaican Tofu Curry (Vegan Curried “Chicken” Recipe)
- Vegan Butter Chicken Recipe with Cauliflower and Tempeh
Vegan Thai Red Curry with Tofu (Gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 14 oz block of firm tofu, diced (394g)
- ½ cup Thai red curry paste, (114g)
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, (236ml)
- 1 tbsp gluten free soy sauce
- 2 cups broccoli florets, (350g)
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tsps oil
- Salt to taste
- A handful of Thai basil leaves
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan and add red curry paste and tofu. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add soy sauce and half the coconut milk. Simmer on low heat for 8 minutes.
- Add broccoli, bell pepper, remaining coconut milk, basil and kaffir lime leaves. Season to taste with salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve with rice or noodles.
Notes
- The red curry paste that I used in this recipe and highly recommend is by Maesri. Maesri red curry paste is naturally gluten free and vegan. It’s also made in Thailand so it gives the most authentic flavour to the dish. This paste is spicy so you might have to use less if you’re sensitive to spicy foods.
- If you can’t find kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil only works just fine.
- This recipe can also be made using 1 can of chickpeas but use half the amount of red curry paste.
- More curry recipes: Jamaican Tofu Curry (Vegan Curried “Chicken” Recipe), Vegan Butter Chicken Recipe with Cauliflower and Tempeh
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