Vegan Thai red curry with tofu

Easy vegan red curry recipe

Vegan Thai red curry with tofu is as close as you can get to take-out. Bright, aromatic and absolutely delicious. Takes less than thirty minutes to make. Full of tofu, bamboo shoots, bell peppers and a perfectly balanced salty, sweet red curry sauce.

I tried for years (no joke) to come up with the best homemade red Thai curry. I tried out tons of different recipes. So many of them never turned out how I wanted. Something was always missing.

Sure, they tasted good, but I wanted them to taste like my favorite take-out place.

I then discovered the key to a good Thai curry after watching a few key videos from Pailin’s kitchen and Rin’s cookbook.

I blended these two recipes a bit and adjusted them to be vegan (Pailin’s already was).

Thai food is incredible because they have developed amazing cooking techniques and flavor combinations over generations.

They do an amazing job of balancing acid, salt, sweet and savory.

If you need more help cooking tofu, check out my article called how to cook tofu for beginners

This Thai curry is

• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Full of flavor
• Great for a weeknight dinner
• Can be made gluten free
• Healthy
• Full of protein and vegetables

Ingredients

• Thai red curry paste – Make sure to buy one that doesn’t contain shrimp or fish sauce. The brand I linked here is vegan.
• Full fat canned coconut milk
• Kaffir lime leaves – Very important to have if you want this to taste bright and more authentic.
• Vegan fish sauce – or soy sauce
• Vegetable broth
• Bamboo shoots
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Tofu
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Sugar – This balances out all the saltiness. This was one of the keys to getting my homemade curry to taste like take-out curry.
• Thai basil – This is also essential. If you can’t find Thai basil, use whatever type you can find. This will also help to brighten the dish and round out all of the flavors.

Recipe tips

• Use a full fat, canned coconut milk, not lite coconut milk. It will make this curry a lot more rich, creamy and delicious.

• Kaffir lime leaves are a must, if you want this recipe to taste more authentic.

• It’s important to use a good quality red curry paste. Thai Kitchen. is the most readily available, and vegan, but it’s not the most flavorful. If you want to take your curry to a whole new level, I recommend using the Measri brand. It’s also vegan and doesn’t contain fish sauce.

• Adding a little bit of sugar helps balance out the whole dish

• Baking the tofu before adding it to the curry will give it a better texture, but if you’re in a hurry just throw it in.

• Use vegan fish sauce, or substitute for soy sauce if you can’t find this. It will deepen the flavor of the curry and add a nice saltiness.

Where to find kaffir lime leaves

If you want your curry to taste more authentic, kaffir lime leaves are essential. They brighten up the curry and make it taste exactly like Thai take out.

Bonus as well if you can find lemongrass…but I wasn’t able to find any for this recipe.

Don’t worry, kaffir lime leaves are super easy to get. Just order them online and then have them in your pantry ready to go every time you want to make Thai red curry at home.

Modifications and substitutions

Can I use different vegetables?

Absolutely! Use whatever vegetables are your favorite. Some good ones to use are cauliflower, potatoes, sugar snap peas and carrots.

Can I make this gluten free?

This is very easy to make gluten free. Just make sure the coconut milk, soy or vegan fish sauce, vegetable broth and Thai red curry paste are certified gluten free, if you have a severe allergy.

More delicious recipes to try next

• Vegan chana masala (chickpea curry)
• Sticky maple miso tofu
• Crispy air fried tofu
• Vegan butter chicken
• Vegan tikka masala

And that about does it! Enjoy this vegan red Thai curry with tofu! I know I will!

Vegan red curry