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 Thai curry with tofu
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons red Thai curry paste (check ingredients for one with no fish sauce)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon Vegan fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons cane or white sugar
- 8 kaffir lime leaves (these are essential for a good Thai curry and easy to order online. )
- 8 oz bamboo shoots (drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup frozen fajita blend vegetables (frozen bell peppers and onion mix)
- 1 cup chopped broccoli
- Handful of Thai basil (or whatever basil you can find)
- Jasmine rice
Tofu
- ½ block of firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Bake the tofu
- Pre-heat oven to 420 degrees. Cut your tofu block in half. Then cut into cubes. Drizzle on oil. Sprinkle on corn starch and salt. Shake a few times in a bowl to mix well. Bake for 25 minutes. Take out of the oven and let it sit for five minutes before adding it to the curry.½ block of firm tofu, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon corn starch, ¼ teaspoon salt
Cook the rice
- Rinse your rice and cook it according to directions on the package.Jasmine rice
Prepare the curry
- When the tofu has about 10 minutes left, start cooking the sauce curry. Heat oil in large pan on medium heat for 1 minute. Add the Thai curry paste and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes in the oil, stirring often so it doesn't burn.1 tablespoon coconut oil, 3 tablespoons red Thai curry paste, 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Add the can of coconut milk, vegetable broth and sugar and bring to a low simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes until everything dissolves.1 can coconut milk, 1 cup vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons cane or white sugar
- Gently bruise the kaffir lime leaves by crushing them in your hands a few times. This will bring out the flavor more. Add the kaffir lime leaves vegan fish sauce, frozen pepper & onion blend and bamboo shoots. Simmer for 2 minutes1 tablespoon Vegan fish sauce, 8 kaffir lime leaves, 1 cup frozen fajita blend vegetables, 8 oz bamboo shoots
- Add the broccoli and baked tofu. Simmer for 8 minutes. If the sauce starts to get too thick, add a dash or two more of vegetable broth.1 cup chopped broccoli, ½ block of firm tofu
- Turn off heat. Add basil and let sit for 5 minutes, so it wilts. Food is always better once it cools down a little bitHandful of Thai basil
- Serve over rice and ENJOY!
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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