This flavorful Thai vegan green curry is made with a seasoned coconut milk base, tofu, fresh veggies, and topped with fresh basil, cilantro and scallions. It makes a perfect early (or almost) spring warm up meal.
It wouldn’t be cool of me to randomly post a recipe for green curry paste and then not give you anything to do with it. You can’t just eat curry paste for dinner. That would hurt.
Once you’ve got the paste down, curry recipes are almost too simple. For me, the toughest part is deciding what veggies to put into my curry. In the case of green curry, green stuff usually works, and I tend to particularly favor it with early spring veggies like asparagus. The arrival of March and Spring’s approach told me it was time to post a green curry. Oh, and Saint Patrick’s day, because you gotta have green food for that, and nothing says Irish like a big bowl of veggies and tofu in spicy coconut milk.
Now for my usual Thai curry note of caution. If you don’t decide to make your own curry paste, which I totally understand and no hard feelings and all, make sure the brand you buy is vegan, because most of ’em aren’t. Maesri
is my favorite vegan brand, and I used to stockpile the stuff in my pantry. That was before I started cooking for two, as one of the first meals I cooked for my husband involved Maesri’s green curry paste, and I think it nearly burned his face off. It’s spicy. Maybe not spicier than something you’d get at a restaurant, but far spicier than the mild version of my homemade curry paste. So take that as a word of warning, and maybe a suggestion to go the homemade route if you’re not into excessive tongue burning sniffly face kind of deliciousness.
Vegan Green Curry with Tofu and Veggies
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 lb. extra firm tofu drained, pressed at least 15 minutes, and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2-14 oz. cans coconut milk I used light
- 1/4 cup vegan green curry paste (store bought
- or homemade)*
- 1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar or sweetener of choice
- 2 cups fresh baby corn cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 lb. asparagus spears cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
- 2 scallions chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Coat a large skillet with vegetable oil and place over medium heat. Arrange tofu cubes in a single layer. Cook until lightly browned on bottoms, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook another 5 minutes. Transfer tofu to a plate.
- Place coconut milk, curry paste and brown sugar in large saucepan. Stir and bring to a simmer. Add baby corn and simmer for 7 minutes. Add asparagus and simmer another 2 minutes, until bright green and tender-crisp. Add tofu and stir to incorporate. Add lime juice and salt, taste test and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Divide onto plates or into bowls and top with scallions, basil and cilantro. Serve with rice.
Recipe Notes
Adjust the amount of curry paste to your personal flavor/spice preference. If in doubt, start with 2 tablespoons and increase 1 tablespoon at a time.
hands down the best coconut curry ive seen!!!!
This sounds divine!! I have an air fryer so I would toss the tofu cubes in that to crisp them up. Am going to have to try this recipe soon. Thank you for developing such wonderful dishes and sharing them with us. I can not cook with out a recipe so I am very thankful to those of you who develop yummy recipes.
Thanks Cheri! I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes! I’m itching to try out an air fryer and I’d love to hear how it works out with tofu if you try it!
So glad to find your vegan curry paste recipes and so glad to find this visually appealing website with vegan recipes that are easy to print! I’m going to try this recipe this week.
I recently was introduced to cashew cream and have now used it as a substitute for coconut milk in some recipes. I love the additional protein it lends to a dish. Have you ever tried that?
Thanks so much! I love cashew cream and have used in interchangably with coconut milk in some recipes, though not in a curry like this one. I hope you enjoy this!