Thai Green Curry Recipe

This Thai Green Curry is full of so many delicious flavors! It’s a super easy, plant-based meal.

I love super flavorful dishes that are also healthy. This Thai Green Curry is definitely one of those dishes! It’s filled with vegetables, tofu for protein, and the flavors will be hitting all your taste buds.

I just love Thai food. Whenever I go to a Thai restaurant, I always order curry. It’s so flavorful, I just can’t get enough of it. That’s why I decided it was time to make my own. I don’t claim this to be a 100% authentic Thai recipe, but I like it as much as anything I’ve ever ordered in a Thai restaurant so it’s a winner in my book. The first time I made this I was surprised at how easy it was to make at home–definitely a quick, easy, and healthy weeknight dinner idea!

This recipe is actually a vegan Thai Green Curry recipe. I used tofu for the protein, but you could use chicken if you’d prefer. The green curry paste gives this dish that irresistible flavor. This recipe calls for about two tablespoons, but you can always add more to your liking. Different brands have different levels of flavor and heat, so you can start with 1-2 tablespoons and add more if you think it needs it. The brand I use here is Thai Kitchen Green Curry paste. (affiliate link)

In addition to the pretty color and delicious flavors, this Thai curry is also full of nutrients. The garlic and ginger are full of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. I used tamari in place of soy sauce which has much less salt. The full fat coconut milk has lots of healthy fats which can help keep you full. Bell peppers and lime juice contain lots of vitamin c which can help boost your immune system.

I like to serve this curry over Ginger Jasmine Rice or Coconut Rice, but you can also just eat it on it’s own. A complimentary side dish would be this Vibrant Thai Salad. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family!

Ingredients Needed

Tofu– Tofu is a great source of plant-based protein. It’s also filled with iron, calcium, and other minerals. The texture you get when you pan fry the tofu is not too mushy, and it takes on the flavor of the Thai green curry sauce.

Avocado Oil– I love using avocado oil for cooking. It’s a great way to incorporate more healthy fats into your diet. You can also use olive oil if you’d like. I prefer to not use vegetable oil as it is more inflammatory. 

Salt and Pepper– Just a little bit adds great flavor!

Garlic Cloves– Not only does minced fresh garlic add delicious flavor, but it’s great for booting your immune system. It has lots of antioxidants and inflammatory properties.

Ginger– Ginger has lots of medicinal properties. Just like garlic, it has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, not to mention its delicious flavor. Definitely go for fresh ginger here!

Broccoli Florets– Broccoli is full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. This recipe is an excellent way to get more of this powerhouse vegetable into your diet.

Peas– You can use any frozen peas. They are a great source of vitamin c, e, and zinc. If you would prefer pea pods, you could use snow peas instead. My kids are weird and complain when I use snow peas, and that’s the main reason I use frozen peas instead.

Orange Bell Pepper– Bell peppers are full of vitamin c along with other vitamins and antioxidants. You can also use a red pepper instead. I just wouldn’t recommend using a green bell pepper as it has a different flavor that wouldn’t go as well in this curry.

Full-Fat Coconut Milk– Coconut milk is a creamy, delicious, dairy-free milk. It’s great in Thai curries, and is full of nutrition. Coconut and curry are a match made in heaven.

Green Curry Paste– Not only does green curry paste gives this dish a lovely green color, but it also has delicious flavor. You can easily make your own homemade green curry paste if you would like. You may be able to find a more authentic green curry paste in a specialty grocery store, but the Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste is the best green curry paste that is easy to find.

Tamari– Tamari has less salt than soy sauce which is one of the reasons I prefer to use it. It is also naturally gluten free. If you use soy sauce instead of tamari, you may notice the final dish is a bit saltier, but it works as a substitution if soy sauce is all you have on hand.

Lime Juice– I love the flavor fresh lime juice gives this dish and it balances the flavors perfectly.  It also contains lots of vitamin c which is great for boosting your immune system.

How to Make This Thai Green Curry Recipe

1. Press the tofu to remove the water. (Instruction on how to press tofu without a tofu press here.)
2. In a large pot, heat a thin layer of avocado oil over medium heat, and then add the tofu. Pan fry the tofu until it’s browned on all sides (about 10-15 minutes). Remove the tofu from the pot and set aside in a bowl.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, broccoli, peas, and bell peppers to the pot. Sauté for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the remaining ingredients (coconut milk, green curry paste, tamari, and fresh lime juice), and stir until combined. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
5. Serve with coconut rice and top with cilantro or fresh Thai basil, if desired. Enjoy!

FAQs

What is the difference between curry paste and curry sauce?

Traditional Thai curry paste is made from a mixture of various dry spices and herbs which are combined in a food processor until it’s a smooth paste. You can make your own curry paste at home for a more authentic flavor, but the jarred kind works well for quick and easy weeknight dinners. Curry sauce is is just curry paste added to liquid.

Why isn’t there fish sauce in this Thai Green Curry Recipe? 

While authentic Thai Green Curry recipes traditionally have fish sauce, I omitted it because I wanted to create a vegan Thai Green Curry recipe. If it’s not important to you to have a vegetarian or vegan version, go ahead and add 1-3 teaspoons fish sauce at the end for an extra boost of flavor.

Can I use chicken instead of tofu?

Absolutely! Chicken breast would work well if you don’t want a vegetarian Thai Green Curry. The instructions will be similar, just cut your chicken breasts in to chunks and pan fry until it is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the same manner I instruct you to cook the tofu.

Is this curry spicy?

This particular vegan Thai Green Curry recipe is just a little spicy, but that will vary greatly based on the green curry paste you use. The Thai Kitchen Green curry paste is rather mild in my opinion (even though it says HOT on the jar). You can look for a spicier brand, add more of the curry paste, or if you’re really ambitious make your own green curry paste to have total control over the spiciness level.

What should I serve with this Thai green curry?

I like to serve this with my Ginger Jasmine Rice or Coconut Rice.

Can I use different vegetables?

Yes! Many Thai green curry recipes use Japanese eggplant, but eggplant isn’t my favorite so I used vegetables that my family and I prefer. Other ideas are snow peas, green beans, zucchini, and carrots. Just keep the amount the same and use your family’s favorites!

How should I store this curry?

You should store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for no longer than three to four days.

What’s the difference between Thai red curry paste and Thai green curry paste?

Besides the color, the main difference between the two is that red curry paste uses dry red chilies as a base. Green curry paste usually consists of kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil leaves, and lemon grass.

How should I reheat this curry?

You can reheat the curry either in the microwave or the stovetop until it’s warm.

Looking for other Thai-inspired dishes? Try my Broccoli and Chicken with Peanut Sauce, Vegan Spring Rolls with Thai Peanut Sauce, and Thai Marinated Tempeh Nuggets.

If you make this Thai Green Curry recipe or any of my other healthy recipes, please share it on Instagram  and I’ll feature you! Also, if you try it, please leave a comment with a star rating below! Those star ratings are so helpful in helping my recipes get discovered. I appreciate you!P

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