Thai Red Vegetable Curry
This one-pan Thai red vegetable curry is so easy to make at home! Packed with colorful vegetables in a creamy, aromatic red curry sauce.Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free!
Rich, aromatic, and endlessly adaptable, this Thai red vegetable curry is one of those magical dishes that is both comforting and vibrant.
I mean, look at those colors! A rainbow of vegetables– cauliflower, peppers, carrots, and plenty of fresh herbs in a velvety coconut milk base. It’s sweet, spicy, and savory and ready in just 40 minutes.
A one-pot meal that’s fantastic over rice, over rice noodles or however you like your Thai curry.
See below for more details and tips for success, or scroll to the full recipe below (or, hit the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button above.)
Everything you Need to Make This Thai Red Vegetable Curry:
Ingredient Notes & Variations
I love that this Thai red curry is packed with vegetables– it’s what makes it such a nourishing recipe and a go-to when I want something healthy and comforting.
That said, the vegetables included here can be varied depending on what you have in your fridge. I like a combo of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers over green, as I think their color pairs better with the red curry sauce.
I also like carrots, as their natural sweetness helps balance the curry sauce’s spiciness. Cauliflower is also my go-to choice over other cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli or kale, mostly for color.
For this recipe, you’ll need about 4 cups of chopped veggies, including the ones listed here or other vegetables like potatoes, snow peas, or green beans. Sweet potatoes can also work, though I find them a little too sweet for my preference in making a Thai red curry.
I’m relying on jarred red curry paste to save time and effort. My go-to brands are Thai Kitchen and Maesri, free of shrimp paste and fish sauce, two fairly common ingredients in other Thai curry brands.
Depending on your flavor preference, you can use more or less of the Thai red curry paste listed here. If you want additional spice, I recommend sauteing finely chopped red chilies along with the onions and garlic.
I’ve tested this recipe with reduced-fat and regular coconut milk, but I recommend the full-fat canned milk. Its mouthfeel and richness are much better, so I call for it here.
Lastly, if you want to add additional protein, you can pan-fry cubed tofu and add it to the finished dish, add canned chickpeas, or even use my air-fryer tofu cubes and add them to the sauce.
Tips for Success
Start with quality curry paste – while you can make your own, a good store-bought Thai red curry paste (like Maesri, Thai Kitchen, or Mae Ploy) will give you an authentic flavor without making your own.
Don’t be shy with it – most home cooks don’t use enough paste to get that deep, rich curry flavor.
If you end up using additional vegetables then listed here, then you may have to layer them baked on cooking time.
For example, if you add potatoes, add those first and then finish with quick-cooking vegetables, like snap peas, baby corn, and fresh greens. This ensures everything is perfectly cooked.
Don’t overcook your vegetables. You want the contrast between the creamy sauce and crisp-tender vegetables. They should be cooked but still maintain some bite – mushy vegetables will ruin the texture of your curry.
Balance the flavors as you go – Thai cuisine is all about the harmony of sweet (brown sugar), salty (soy sauce), sour (lime), and spicy (curry paste). Taste and adjust as desired.
How to Make This Thai Red Vegetable Curry
Prep Your Ingredients
As this Thai red vegetable curry recipe moves fairly quickly, I recommend prepping your vegetables first so you can easily add them to the skillet.
Cook the Onion and Garlic
Saute the onion until tender. Add the garlic and ginger.
Add the Vegetables
Add the vegetables and cook until tender
Add the coconut and curry paste
Add in the red curry paste, coconut milk and water and simmer.
Stir in the greens and lime
Stir in the greens until just wilted, and add in the lime juice and fresh chopped cilantro (or Thai basil!)
Serve
Serve over rice (Jasmine rice is our favorite!) or cooked rice noodles.
If you make this Thai red vegetable curry, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Seeing you make my recipes makes my day, and your feedback helps other readers!
Thai Red Vegetable Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 small white onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 orange, red, yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup chopped cauliflower florets
- 2 1/2-3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups spinach leaves
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce*
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- Fresh cilantro or Thai basil for serving
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook until just softened about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute until it is just fragrant.
- Add the bell peppers, carrots, and cauliflower florets. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often until the vegetables have softened, making sure they don't stick. If they do, add in a little more oil or water.
- Add in the red curry paste, coconut milk and water and stir together until the paste is dissolved. Let simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the vegetables have cooked through.
- Add in the spinach, brown sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice, and cook until the spinach has just wilted. Taste, adjust seasonings as desired, and stir in cilantro or Thai basil. Serve over warm rice.Â