Vegan Thai Green Curry

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.

This delicious vegan Thai green curry with chickpeas and fresh vegetables is so simple to make at home! It’s satisfying, comforting and nourishing – great for weeknight dinners, and tastes even better as leftovers the next day.

If you love Thai cuisine, then you’ve likely enjoyed this classic dish when you’ve visited Thai restaurants. There’s a reason it’s so popular! This Vegan Thai green curry recipe combines the flavors of fresh lemongrass and creamy coconut milk in a creamy green sauce that is to die for. It’s not too spicy, making it an appealing dish, even for those that don’t like too much heat! The first time I tried it, I was sold on its mildly spicy flavors and creamy curry sauce!

While I love eating Thai food, when I order it from a restaurant it’s often much too heavy and greasy for my liking. I prefer to make my Thai curries a little lighter. This easy version gets its richness from the coconut milk and warm spices like turmeric, Thai curry paste, coriander and cumin. But, because it’s packed with fresh vegetables and chickpeas, and limits added oil, it doesn’t weigh you down the way Thai takeout would.

Traditional Thai green curry is prepared with kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil leaves, Thai eggplants, snow peas, and a protein such as chicken. While these key ingredients make for a rich depth of flavor, they are not always the easiest ingredients to find if you don’t live close to an Asian market. If you’ve ever wondered how to make Thai green curry vegan, you need this recipe.

This Thai vegetable green curry recipe is made simpler using ingredients that are easily found at your local grocery store. Chickpeas are added for protein, cauliflower and other veggies add fiber and texture, and baby kale is used to add leafy greens. The flavors are spot on, and it’s super simple to make! Light, yet filling, this simple vegan Thai recipe is family friendly too!

If this is your first time making a vegan Thai curry, don’t worry. This green curry with vegetables is a very easy recipe to follow. I recommend following the recipe as written the first time you make it. Trust me, you’ll want to make it again, and next time you should feel more comfortable swapping out the vegetables or making other alterations to the recipe.

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Loaded With Fresh And Wholesome Ingredients: This healthy Thai green curry recipe is loaded with fresh vegetables, spices, and light coconut milk for a fresh and nutritious meal. Served with quinoa (or sub brown rice!), you’ll feel good about eating and serving this Thai green vegan curry to your family.
• Family Friendly: Kids and adults will love this vegetarian green curry. It’s mildly spiced (of course you’re welcome to add more curry paste to make it spicier) and saucy (the best part!).
• Versatile: You can switch it up and use the vegetables of your choice in this hearty meal, making it a great recipe to make year round. Use seasonal vegetables (such as red pepper and zucchini in the summer, etc.) from farmers markets or grocery stores.
• Ready In Under An Hour: This simple and approachable green Thai curry recipe is super easy to make and ready in only 50 minutes. If you’re making this after work, you can cut prep time by chopping your veggies ahead of time, up to 2-3 days beforehand. This could end up being one of your favorite weeknight dinners!

Latest Recipe Video!

🥘 Ingredients

Grab all of these fresh and yummy ingredients from the grocery store and make this fantastic vegan & vegetarian Thai green curry recipe! Here’s what you need:

• Vegan Green Thai Curry Paste: I used Thai Kitchen green curry paste which is vegan (I can find it at my local grocery store too). You can also make your own homemade green curry paste at home (I recommend using a small food processor to make your own green curry paste), but this is an easy shortcut!
• Vegetables: Red onion, tomatoes, garlic, frozen cauliflower, and baby kale are combined to create a nutritious vegetable rich dish. 
• Light Coconut Milk: Gives this vegan green curry recipe its rich creamy curry sauce. I used canned light coconut milk to save on calories with little to no difference in taste or creaminess.
• Spices: Other spices include turmeric, cumin, coriander, soy sauce, coconut sugar or brown sugar (optional), and curry powder. Feel free to add crushed red pepper flakes or green chilies for an additional kick of heat too!
• Chickpeas: Instead of traditional tofu, we used chickpeas! I recommend canned chickpeas to save time. Be sure to drain and rinse before adding to the pot. You can also prepare your own from dried.
• Coconut Oil: For cooking the vegetables.
• Cooked Quinoa: I love serving vegan Thai green curry with quinoa which also happens to add extra protein and fiber.

Scroll to the bottom of this post to the recipe card for the full recipe, ingredient list, complete measurements, instructions and nutritional information. Specific nutrition information is provided with the utmost care, however, correctness of the displayed values cannot be guaranteed. If you need specific information or advice due to a medical condition, please consult with your physician or a registered dietitian.

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

• Vegan Green Thai Curry Paste: If you can’t find Thai Kitchen brand and don’t want to make homemade green curry paste, you can look for other brands at your local Asian grocery store. Keep in mind many Thai curry paste brands have shrimp paste or fish sauce, so read the ingredients label carefully.
• Vegetables: This comforting vegan meal is so versatile, you can add any vegetables of your choice! Try red bell pepper, baby corn, butternut squash or sweet potato, zucchini or yellow squash, carrots, broccoli, snow peas / sugar snap peas, green beans, fresh lemongrass, or bamboo shoots. These veggies give this dish an even more authentic flavor. Or feel free to use whatever’s in season at the time of the year you’re making this hearty dish. Add mushrooms for an umami flavor.
• Coconut Milk: For more decadence, use full fat coconut milk or even coconut cream. Just make sure it’s creamy coconut milk that comes in a can, not in a carton from the refrigerator section (that milk is meant for drinking and is watered down).
• Spices: Other spices include turmeric, cumin, coriander, soy sauce, coconut sugar or brown sugar (optional), and curry powder. Feel free to add crushed red pepper flakes or green chilies for an additional kick of heat too!
• Chickpeas: For a different vegan protein option, try extra firm tofu or even tempeh in this easy vegan Thai green curry recipe!
• Oil: Feel free to use a neutral oil of your choice if you don’t have coconut oil.
• Quinoa: Brown rice or white rice (I prefer jasmine rice which comes in both options) would be great options as well. You could even serve this vegan Thai curry with rice noodles!

🔪 How To Make Vegan Thai Green Curry

This healthy vegan green Thai curry recipe comes together with only a handful of simple steps in one pot! Here’s how to make it with step by step photos:

Cook The Veggies: Heat a large skillet or heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium heat. Add coconut oil, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and stir. Cook until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes).

Simmer The Vegetables: Add the remaining ingredients—turmeric through cauliflower. Turn up the stove to medium-high heat (not high heat) and bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat so that the vegetables come to a gentle simmer.

Cook Until Vegetables Are Soft: Stir occasionally, until ingredients are slightly soft and cooked through (about 20 minutes).

Serve And Enjoy: Serve your Thai curry on top of cooked quinoa and top with lime zest (or a splash of fresh lime juice) and fresh herbs like cilantro or Thai basil.

💭 Expert Tips

• Chop Consistently: Make sure you chop the vegetables roughly the same size, so they all cook evenly.
• Store Bought Shortcuts: Use pre-made green curry paste to save time! I like this one from Thai Kitchen. Frozen (pre-chopped) veggies also save time! I used frozen cauliflower but you could use a stir fry medley, tri color bell peppers, broccoli or whatever you like to save time.
• Substitute Other Leafy Greens: If you don’t have kale, you can use spinach or any other leafy green. If your spinach is not baby spinach or if you use a larger leafy green, give it a rough chop before adding it to your green curry with veggies.
• Adjust Spices To Your Preferences: You can play around with the level of curry powder, for a subtler or bolder flavor. Add more or less curry paste to your tastes as well. The more paste you use, the spicier and bolder the flavor of the finished curry.
• Taste The Dish Before Serving: Does it need salt? Add a little and stir. Do you feel like it needs more vegan Thai green curry paste? Dissolve a little more of the paste in a tablespoon or two of hot water (not cold water) and add to the simmering curry. Give it a few minutes to let the flavors meld.
• Lighten Up The Dish Further: This is already a lighter Thai green curry recipe, but for an even lighter meal, serve it with cauliflower rice instead of quinoa.
• Thai Green Curry For Kids: Both of my kids loved this dish – they ate it for dinner for a couple nights straight! The key to making it kid friendly is reduce the spices slightly (adjust to your kids’ tastes) and to cut up the vegetables a little smaller so they’re easier for kids to eat.

📖 Variations 

• Vegan Green Thai Curry Soup: Add vegetable broth to make this dish more of a soup. Since you’re adding more liquid, you may want to add more curry paste and spices. Feel free to add some rice noodles too!
• Vegan Thai Red Curry: Purchase a red curry paste (or there are plenty of recipes to make your own homemade curry paste) from the store and remember to check to make sure it’s vegan (no fish sauce or shrimp paste). Red curry is the spiciest of Thai curries, but when you make curry yourself, you can control the spice level much more easily than when you order it from a restaurant. Use fresh ingredients like in season vegetables (or whatever you like).
• Vegan Panang Curry: Purchase a panang curry paste (or make your own). Panang curry is usually less spicy than red curry and also features peanuts for a different flavor.
• Vegan Yellow Curry: Purchase a yellow curry paste (or make your own) and use the vegetables you like. Yellow curry generally gets its colors from turmeric and is generally considered a mild curry.
• Vegan Massaman Curry: Massaman curry paste can be purchased or made at home and is rich and flavorful yet very mildly spiced. It also features tamarind, giving it a tangy flavor. As with all curry pastes, make sure the one you are purchasing does not contain shrimp paste (a common ingredient in Thai curry pastes) or fish sauce (often used for its saltiness).
• Vegan Thai Green Curry With Tofu: This recipe already contains a fair amount of protein from the chickpeas and quinoa, but if you’d like to increase the protein per serving, try adding some pan-fried (or baked or air fried) tofu, tempeh, or a store bought vegan chicken alternative.
• More Toppings: There are lots of other toppings you could add to your cauliflower Thai green curry, such as chopped green onion for freshness, chopped peanuts (or toasted sesame seeds) for crunch, slivered chilies or red pepper flakes for spice, or the juice of a lime for acidity.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Serve this quick vegan Thai green curry as a satisfying and cozy dinner. Here are a few of my favorite pairings:

• With A Fun Appetizer: Your appetizer doesn’t have to be Thai but it’s extra special if the flavors complement each other. Try vegan egg rolls, vegetarian wontons (vegan friendly), or even avocado sushi rolls!
• With A Vegetable Side Dish: Can’t get enough vegetables? Make one of these great veggie sides: Thai basil eggplant, miso mushrooms, or really good boiled green beans.

🙌 Dietary Adaptations

Gluten-Free Option: Make sure the curry paste you’re buying is certified gluten-free. Swap the soy sauce for a certified gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos.

🫙 Storage Directions

Here is how to store and keep this Thai green curry with cauliflower and chickpeas:

• Refrigerating: Allow the vegan green Thai curry to cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Freezing: This green cauliflower curry also freezes really well. Store in an airtight freezer-safe container. It’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: To reheat, microwave or cook in a small pot over medium heat until warmed through.
• Make Ahead: You can chop the veggies 2-3 days in advance to cut out the prep time for this vegan Thai curry. You can also meal prep the whole thing and portion it out into containers for 4 days, which gives you an easy lunch for work.

❓Recipe FAQs

🍛 More Curry & Vegan Thai Recipes!

• Thai Yellow Curry
• Vegan Panang Curry
• Thai Peanut Curry
• Sweet Potato And Chickpea Curry
• Aubergine Curry

📋 Recipe Card