This Thai-inspired butternut squash curry is made with hearty chickpeas, kale, and crunchy peanuts. A delicious vegan dinner that comes together in about 40 minutes!
All summer long I look forward to butternut squash! Yes, you can technically get butternut squash year round, but it's better in the fall. Plus it works so well in cozy fall dishes, like curry!
I especially love butternut squash in Thai curries. It makes a great substitute for the potato that you'll find in lots of Thai curries, and the mild sweetness goes really well with coconut milk.
Choosing Curry Paste
You could really use any flavor of Thai curry paste for this recipe, but I like it best with massaman. Massaman curry includes peanuts and has a slightly sweet flavor. If you can't find massaman, try red curry paste, or yellow for a milder curry.
Keep in mind that many brands of Thai curry paste are not vegan. Check the ingredients! I used Maesri curry paste to develop this recipe. You could also make your own, using my massaman or red curry paste recipe.
What You'll Need
- High-heat oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Thai curry paste (preferably massaman, though red works well too!)
- Light coconut milk (the canned kind)
- Butternut squash
- Canned chickpeas
- Fresh kale
- Salt & pepper
- Chopped peanuts
- Fresh scallions
- Cooked rice
How to Make Butternut Squash Curry
Start by heating up some oil in a large pot. Once the oil is hot, add a diced onion. Cook the onion for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften up and become translucent.
Now add some garlic and Thai curry paste. Continue to cook everything for a minute or so.
Stir in a couple cans of light coconut milk and diced butternut squash. Bring the liquid up to a boil and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Fresh kale and chickpeas go in last. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Tip: You might need to add the kale in batches, letting each batch wilt before adding another handful. Let everything simmer for about 5 minutes more, until the kale and squash are tender.
Remove your curry from heat and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your liking — add some hot sauce, a squeeze of lime, a dash of brown sugar — whatever you like!
Serve your curry over rice with some chopped peanuts and scallions.
Butternut Squash Curry Tips & FAQ
- Is this recipe gluten-free? Yes, as long as your curry paste is gluten-free (many are).
- Leftovers & storage: This curry will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 4 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.
- Can I use full-fat coconut milk? Absolutely! Although I don't think full-fat is necessary for this recipe, it will add to the richness of the dish.
- Can I substitute a different type of non-dairy milk for coconut? Technically yes, but I don't recommend it. Coconut is what gives Thai curry much of its distinctive flavor.
- Is this recipe spicy? A bit! Thai curry paste generally has a bit of a kick to it. I find Thai Kitchen red curry paste to be very mild, so use it if you're concerned about the heat.
- Feel free to switch things up and make this dish your own. Not into kale? Try a different veggie, adjusting for cook time as needed. Don't have chickpeas on hand? Try another type of bean, or some pan-fried tofu.
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📖 Recipe
Cozy Thai Butternut Squash Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or high-heat oil of choice)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup massaman curry paste (or to taste, can substitute red or yellow curry paste)
- 2 (14 ounce or 400 ml) cans light coconut milk
- 3 pounds diced (½-inch) butternut squash (about 1 medium squash)
- ½ pound fresh kale (stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For Serving
- Cooked rice
- ½ cup chopped peanuts
- 2 scallions, chopped
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and curry paste. Continue cooking everything, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute, until very fragrant.
- Stir in the coconut milk and butternut squash. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, until the squash is just starting to become tender, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the chickpeas followed by the kale. Add the kale in batches if needed, stirring in a handful at a time until it wilts.
- Bring the pot back to a simmer and cook everything for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash and kale are tender.
- Remove the pot from heat and season the curry with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
- Serve the curry over rice and topped with peanuts and scallions.
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Hi Alissa, do you happen to know about how many cups of squash cubes you used in this recipe? Thanks in advance, and thanks also for your many SUPER vegan recipes.
Hi Lisa! It should be around 5 to 6 cups of squash. Glad you're enjoying the recipes. I hope you like this one!
I cannot believe how easy and delicious this was! I have made your sweet potato and green bean massaman curry before and was excited when I came upon this one. Also love your curry paste recipe. Thanks!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! This is one of my favorites from the blog. :)
Can you substitute almond milk in this recipe?
I haven't tried almond milk, so I'm not sure how that would work out, but the coconut milk definitely adds a distinct flavor and richness that would be lacking. Almond milk is also much thinner, so you might need to add some cornstarch or another thickener. Sorry I can't give a more definite answer, but I hope that at least helps a bit!
This recipe was so delicious! I had a butternut squash, some kale, and some chick peas I needed to use up, and wanted to try a new recipe, so this recipe came up when I searched. It was so easy and I enjoyed it immensely. Can't wait to try more of your creations! Thank you!
Awesome! I'm so glad you found this recipe (it's one of my favorites) and so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for letting me know - that always makes my day. :)
Hello favorite vegan blog!
I'm wondering why I can not "go back" in history? Tanking about pages and not the more philosophical question I could be asking. Am I missing something?
Thanks,
Josephine.
Hi Josephine! Awww...totally honored to be your favorite vegan food blog :)
I used to have a link at the bottom of the home page to "older posts." Is that what you're looking for? I made a bunch of updates to the site recently and my new theme didn't have that feature built in. It's on my list of things to add, and since you bring it up, I can move it up on my list.