Vegan Thai Green Curry

Vegan Thai Green Curry Ingredients

Don’t be daunted by the number of ingredients needed to make this. Most of them come from the homemade green curry paste, but it's easy to prep and will make everything so rich and flavorful. Here's what you'll need for the paste and some additional notes:

1. Homemade Green Curry Paste

• Serrano peppers – Traditionally, you would use green Thai chili peppers (prik kee noo suan), but they are not readily available at my local grocery store. They are very spicy, so I go with serrano to replace them. If you want less heat, you can choose jalapeño peppers.
• Garlic – I prefer fresh, but store-bought paste will work here too.
• Ginger – fresh is my first choice, but paste will work nicely too.
• Shallots – you can also use half of a small yellow onion.
• Lemongrass – you can usually find this in most grocery stores in the produce section. I haven't found a replacement for it. I noticed a paste in the grocery store but it contained milk.
• Ground cumin, coriander, and turmeric – I highly recommend the cumin, but you can skip coriander and turmeric if you don't have them.
• Lime – kaffir lime would be ideal, but I haven't found them in my local grocery store, so I use regular lime. If you don't have lime, you can use lemon, but I would zest only half the lemon and use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. You can always add more later on.
• Basil – Use Thai basil if you can find it. Otherwise, regular basil works beautifully.
• Cilantro – I don't have a replacement to recommend, but if you absolutely hate cilantro, you can try adding extra basil and a small amount of fresh parsley. The flavor will be different but still delicious.
• White pepper – adds a sharper bite, but black pepper is just as good. Fresh-cracked is best!
• Miso paste  – yellow or white will work well and will add a mild umami flavor. If you don't have it, you can add a few dashes of tamari when the broth and coconut milk are added. Also, if you can't have soy, you can use chickpea miso paste.

2. The remaining ingredients

This Thai Green Curry is very versatile so feel free to use whatever veggies you have in your fridge. Just remember to keep the ratios as equal as you can. Also, some veggies take longer to cook, so make sure to cut them into smallish pieces and add them first. Here's what you'll need:

• Avocado oil – any cooking oil will do. Coconut oil is my second choice for this recipe.
• Red bell pepper – green or yellow bell pepper will work.
• Broccoli – cauliflower is a great alternative.
• Carrots – parsnips or daikon are just as tasty.
• Baby corn – it adds a nice crunch and subtle sweetness. Water chestnuts would be a nice substitute.
• Vegetable broth – you can use water, but I prefer the extra flavor from the broth.
• Coconut sugar – you can also use agave, maple syrup, or brown sugar.
• Full-fat coconut milk – if you don't have it you can use a non-dairy heavy cream that is unsweetened. You can also use lite coconut milk but the sauce will be much thinner.
• Extra-firm tofu – need a soy-free protein source? Chickpeas work perfectly!

How to prep

This won't take too long and it's really all the work you'll have to do. The cooking process is a breeze and it'll come together quickly. Feel free to buy pre-cut veggies to make it even easier.

Prep for the paste

• Peel the garlic cloves or buy pre-peeled ones.
• Finely chop or thinly slice the lemongrass. It has a few tough outer layers that need to be peeled off before use. You'll notice it'll be much easier to cut once you hit the tender portion. It has a whitish or light green color. Here's a quick tutorial on how to cut lemongrass.
• Peel and slice the ginger
• For the serrano peppers, remove the stems and some seeds to reduce heat.
• Zest and juice the lime. Make sure to zest it first!
• Quarter the shallots

Prep for the rest

• Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets or buy pre-cut florets
• Peel and slice the carrots. You can dice them too
• Deseed and slice the bell pepper
• Cut the tofu into cubes

How to make Vegan Thai Green Curry

Once you have prepped the ingredients, it goes pretty quickly, so have everything right near your cooking station. Here's a step-by-step visual of what you'll need to do:

Tips and Tricks

1. If your blender strains when making the curry paste, add a few splashes of coconut milk, oil, or water to get it going until the lemongrass and ginger break down completely.

2. For a spicier dish, keep the pepper seeds in. If you want just a hint of it, you can remove all the seeds or use jalapeño instead of serrano. Or make it kid-friendly by omitting the chilies altogether.

3. If you have a blender with a wide base, you may have trouble blending the paste. A food processor with a small work bowl will work or you can use a mortar and pestle.

What to serve with Thai Green Curry

For a hearty meal, serve this Vegan Thai Green Curry with freshly cooked white rice and garnish with chopped cilantro, green onions, and a lime wedge. You can also go light and serve it with cauliflower rice, couscous, or quinoa. Whatever you choose to pair it with, it is sure to be delicious!

Make ahead and Storing

If you are planning to add this dish to your regular dinner rotation, you can make a big batch of green paste curry and store it in a tight-lidded jar ready to use any time! It’ll cut down the cooking time even more and you can have this scrumptious dish in a jiffy.

For any leftovers, just place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them. It will keep for 2-4 days.