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This easy 30-minute Vegan Green Curry is a must-make weeknight meal! It’s foolproof and comes together in one pot using flavor-rich ingredients, like green curry paste, fresh veggies, coconut milk, and chickpeas.
Easy weeknight dinners do not have to be boring. That’s why this easy Vegan Green Curry recipe was invented! It’s a flavor-bomb of a dish made with simple ingredients, like vegan green curry paste, fresh vegetables, chickpeas, and coconut milk.
Curry is one of my go-to easy weeknight meals because it’s fun to make your own with different flavors and ingredients. My easy tofu curry and chickpea lentil curry are some of my favorites!
This Thai-inspired green curry recipe, however, is on its own level. It’s different from red and yellow curry, in that it’s especially complex with balanced layers of herbaceous, umami, sweet, and fiery flavors. Even picky eaters will be asking for seconds!
Recipe features
- It’s a meal designed to please the senses. With its vibrant green color, spicy and pungent flavor, and irresistible aroma, it’s impossible to resist!
- It only takes 30 minutes to make the best vegan green curry! All you need to do is build the different flavors in one large pot, then let everything simmer.
- Enjoy it as a vibrant weeknight dinner or save the leftovers for healthy and flavorful lunches.
- This recipe is vegan and gluten free, but that won’t stop meat eaters from loving it.
Ingredients
Aromatics – Sauteed onion, garlic, and ginger start this curry on its flavor journey. Without fresh aromatics, your curry won’t have as much depth or complexity.
Vegetables – Red bell peppers, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and snap peas bulk up this curry. You can stick to these veggies or add anything else you want, like broccoli, green bell peppers, celery, zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower, etc.
Green curry paste – The backbone of Thai green curry is, of course, green curry paste! You can find this in jars in most major grocery stores or in Asian grocery stores.
Coconut milk – Canned coconut milk gives the curry a rich and luxurious mouthfeel while tempering the heat from the spicy green curry paste. If you can’t have coconut milk, the best substitute is cashew cream. Non-dairy milk works, too, but it won’t make the broth as creamy or luxurious.
Chickpeas – I like adding chickpeas for protein but you can use another white bean, fried or baked tofu cubes, or plant-based chicken instead.
Instructions
Step 1: Sauté the vegetables. Cook the onion in an oiled pot over medium heat until soft. Next, add the bell pepper, carrots, garlic, ginger, and salt. Cook for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms.
Step 2: Add the rest. Stir the green curry paste into the pot. Deglaze the pot with vegetable broth before adding the chickpeas, snap peas, coconut milk, coconut aminos, sugar, and lime juice.
Step 3: Simmer. Bring the curry up to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and continue simmering until the snap peas are cooked.
Step 4: Serve. Adjust the flavors as needed. Scoop the green curry over cooked jasmine rice and garnish with Thai basil or cilantro. Enjoy!
Tips and FAQs
- The consistency of this curry is a bit thick. If you want it thinner or more liquid-y, add an extra ½ to 1 cup of broth.
- Do you love the brightness and acidity of the lime juice? Good news! You can take this up a notch by simmering fresh makrut lime leaves in the curry.
Tip
Don’t skip the sugar! The subtle sweetness balances the wide range of bold, vibrant flavors.
Is green curry paste vegan?
Authentic Thai green curry paste recipes are made by pounding lemongrass, green chilies, shrimp paste, lime leaves, coriander, cumin seeds, and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle. So, it’s not traditionally vegan.
Luckily, it isn’t hard to find vegan green curry paste! It should be easy to find in most major grocery stores or Asian grocery stores.
Is it spicy?
Traditionally, yes, Thai green curry is the spiciest of all of the curry varieties. This is because Thai chili peppers and cayenne peppers are two of the main ingredients in green curry paste.
The level of spice in your curry will depend on the brand of store-bought curry paste you use. Look for a mild variety if you don’t like spice or simply start with 2 tablespoons of the curry paste, then add more to taste.
How do you serve green curry?
The best way to serve vegan green curry is over a bed of cooked jasmine or basmati rice. It’s pretty filling on its own, so all you really need is fresh cilantro or Thai basil on top to complete this meal.
Storage
Refrigerator: You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days. Enjoy it throughout the week for healthy and flavorful lunches!
Freezer: Vegan green curry also freezes well because there’s no dairy. Transfer the cooled batch to a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag, then freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More easy curry recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below!
Vegan Green Curry
This easy 30-minute Vegan Green Curry is a must-make weeknight meal! It’s foolproof and comes together in one pot using flavor-rich ingredients, like green curry paste, fresh veggies, coconut milk, and chickpeas.
Servings:
Instructions
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Heat coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Then, add the bell pepper, carrots, garlic, ginger, and salt and sauté for 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
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Add the green curry paste and stir for 30 seconds, then continue cooking for 2 minutes.
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Pour in the vegetable broth and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom, then add the chickpeas, snap peas, coconut milk, coconut aminos, sugar, and lime juice. Boil, then reduce to a simmer, partially cover and simmer until the snap peas are cooked, 10-15 minutes.
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Taste, then add more salt/lime juice/coconut aminos as desired. Serve over rice, then garnish with basil or cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
*Some curry pastes are spicier than others; if you don’t love spice, start with 2 tablespoon curry paste, then add more to taste
*If you want this to be more liquid-y, add ½-1 cup more broth
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 501kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 749mg | Potassium: 892mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 7760IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 7mg