Tofu Thai Yellow Curry (Vegan!)

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This Tofu Thai Yellow Curry recipe is a vegetarian and vegan-friendly makeover of the classic dish you’ll find on the menu at your favorite Thai restaurant. It’s lighter, healthier, yet still restaurant quality!

Yellow curry is one of my favorite dishes to order at Thai restaurants. It has the perfect balance of spicy, savory, and slightly sweet – thanks to the rich coconut milk curry the vegetables and tofu are cooked in.

This yellow Thai curry recipe, unlike what you usually find in the restaurant, is light on calories and fat. By substituting light coconut milk for regular coconut milk we cut down on saturated fat while preserving the rich and creamy flavor.

Keeping this yellow curry vegan is super simple, too! By using tofu and cashews instead of chicken, beef, or other animal proteins, yellow curry with tofu is healthier but still an authentic recipe packed with delicious curry flavors!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love This Tofu Yellow Curry With Vegetables

• Fresh and Light: If you love a traditional yellow curry dish, but don’t love how full you feel after eating it, this yellow curry recipe with tofu is for you! It’s saucy and creamy while not being as heavy as the version you’d find at your local Thai restaurant, but it tastes just as good!
• Nutritious: With lots of fresh veggies and plant protein, a bowl of this curry boasts healthy ingredients that you can feel good about feeding to your family!
• Simple and Quick: Read on for a delicious recipe that’s ready in less than 30 minutes! No complicated techniques or tools are required to make this Thai curry recipe, either!
• Family Friendly: This is a great recipe for the whole family! My kids love when I serve this vegetarian Thai yellow curry recipe for dinner. If your kiddos don’t like heat, just omit the cayenne pepper from the recipe.

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🥘 Ingredients

This easy recipe calls for simple ingredients that you can find at most local grocery stores! Here’s what you need to make this Thai tofu yellow curry recipe:

• Light Coconut Milk: Canned coconut milk creates a creamy base while keeping the fat and calories in check.
• Curry Powder: This ingredient gives this Thai yellow curry with tofu recipe its distinct yellow color, thanks to the addition of turmeric powder. Use a high-quality curry powder, such as the one from Simply Organic.
• Garlic: For the best flavor, use fresh garlic. Mince it finely or press it through a garlic press.
• Extra Firm Tofu: Drain, and gently press the tofu to extract any excess water. Then cut the tofu into small cubes.
• Plenty Of Vegetables: In particular, red onions, broccoli, asparagus, and yellow peppers. You can also add in 1 russet potato, diced if you’re a fan of potatoes!
• Cashews: Adds crunch, nuttiness, and natural sweetness to tofu yellow curry recipe. Toast and chop the cashews for more depth of flavor.
• Cilantro: A handful of cilantro loosely chopped adds a fresh herbal flavor and a nice pop of green.
• Spices: Warm spices add wonderful flavors to this recipe. We used cumin, a pinch of cayenne (or more, if you like things spicy), cardamom, and ground black pepper.
• Brown Rice (To Serve): Brown jasmine rice is great, though traditional long-grain brown rice also works for this Thai tofu potato curry.

🍲 Substitutions

• Vegetables: Any combination of vegetables can substitute for broccoli, asparagus, and sweet peppers in this vegan Thai yellow curry recipe, or you can add in any extra veggies you like too. Carrots, zucchini, red bell peppers, green beans, yellow squash, red cabbage, snap peas (snow peas), green peas, bamboo shoots, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, spinach, and kale are all great picks for this tofu cashew curry!
• Plant-Protein: Don’t have tofu? No worries. Tempeh, seitan, chickpeas, vegan chicken, soy curls, and jackfruit all work great, too.
• Store-Bought Curry Paste: 2 tablespoons of vegan Thai yellow curry paste can work in place of the yellow curry powder. Keep in mind that different brands will have different flavor profiles and different heat levels, so make sure to taste the Thai curry paste before adding it to your dish.
• Brown Rice: Instead of brown rice, you can also serve this vegan yellow Thai curry recipe over steamed white jasmine rice, regular basmati rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice for a lower carb option.

🔪 How To Make Tofu Yellow Curry With Vegetables

Saute The Onion, Garlic, and Curry Powder: Saute the onion and 2 cloves of chopped garlic in 1/2 teaspoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. (You can also use avocado oil or coconut oil here). Add 2 tablespoons of curry powder and salt and stir until combined.

Add Coconut Milk: Add the creamy coconut milk to the onion mixture and whisk to work out any clumps. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cook for 5 minutes.

Add Tofu And Simmer: Stir in the tofu and cook for a few minutes until the tofu is heated through. Simmer the liquid on low heat until it has cooked down slightly, or for about 5 minutes.

Cook Veggies For Yellow Curry: Meanwhile, in a large pan, saute the broccoli, asparagus, (potatoes if using), and pepper with 2 chopped garlic cloves over medium heat. Add salt, cayenne, the remaining curry powder, cumin, and other spices to taste. Cook until the veggies are crisp.

Combine With Yellow Curry Sauce: Pour the tofu and coconut milk mixture in with the veggies and stir to combine.

Season to Taste, Add Cashews: Add additional spices as needed. Bring the Thai tofu curry to a simmer over medium heat and cook through for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cashews. 

Garnish and Serve! Top with fresh cilantro. Serve this yellow coconut curry with hot steamed rice.

💭 Expert Tips

• Cut the Vegetables into Uniform Sizes. This helps the vegetables cook quickly and evenly.
• Drain and Press the Tofu. Be sure to drain and press your tofu before cubing and adding to the dish. That will help your tofu retain a nice texture. Additionally, it removes any extra water from the tofu – which can make the yellow tofu curry sauce too thin.
• Season to Taste. Adjust spice level to your preferences — all of the spices (the coriander, curry powder, cumin, cayenne, and cilantro) can be increased or decreased to fit your tastes.

📖 Recipe Variations

• Make It Spicy: For an extra kick to this vegetarian yellow curry with potatoes, increase the amount of cayenne pepper, or add some crushed red pepper flakes, Thai chilis,
• Thai Yellow Chicken Curry: Instead of the tofu, you can add in either vegan chicken pieces (to keep this Thai cashew curry vegan), or add pieces of cooked tender chicken breast if you don’t need this recipe to be vegan or vegetarian.
• Make It Sweet: Stir in 1-2 teaspoons of coconut sugar, brown sugar, or agave syrup to give this vegan yellow curry recipe a lightly sweet finish.
• Make It Crispy: Pan-fry the cubed tofu in coconut or olive oil before adding it to the curry sauce to make crispy tofu curry. Pan frying the tofu lightly gives it great texture, but is still healthier than regular fried tofu.
• Make It Extra-Creamy: For an extra decadent yellow vegetable curry, use full fat coconut milk or even light coconut milk with a dollop of coconut cream added in. So delicious!
• Experiment with the Spices: Keep the curry powder in this recipe for that authentic flavor, but experiment with the other spices if you please. Add in fresh minced ginger, adjust the amount of cumin or coriander, stir in a little bit of grated fresh turmeric, or finish the vegetable yellow curry with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, Thai basil leaves, or kaffir lime leaves.

🫙 Storage And Freezing Directions

This veg yellow curry tofu recipe stores really well and tastes even better the next day, which make it great for meal prep too!

• Store In The Fridge: Allow the curry to cool completely. Then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Freeze: Cooled curry can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. Know that the texture of tofu may change after freezing but it will still be safe to eat!
• Reheat: For best results, defrost the frozen potato yellow curry in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours before reheating. When ready to serve, transfer to a saucepan. Heat on low, stirring consistently until warmed through.

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🍛 More Healthy Vegan And Thai Recipes!

• Vegan Panang Curry
• Tofu Broccoli with Sesame Noodles
• Thai Peanut Curry
• Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry
• Eggplant Curry
• Vegan Thai Green Curry

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