This quick Vegan Curry Recipe is packed with flavor from the red pepper and coconut curry sauce and loaded with veggies. Ready in about 30 minutes and always a hit.

Overhead image of the quick Vegan Curry

An Easy Vegan Curry Recipe

This curry is such a fun recipe to have in this series because instead of relying on curry paste to do the majority of the flavoring, it’s all about the sauce in this recipe!

The “secret” to this curry sauce is the combination of coconut milk with roasted red peppers. With only one ingredient — the red peppers – we’re adding loads of flavor, boosting the nutrition, and adding color to this curry. It’s such a fun and unique recipe that is also easy to prepare.

Plus another bonus — it’s a great make-ahead meal or meal prep option. Curries only get more flavorful as they sit, so if you make a big batch of this at the beginning of the week, you’ll be rewarded all week long! This is the best recipe to have in your fridge ready to go when hunger strikes!

Ingredient shot-- image of all the ingredients used in this recipe

What Can I Put In A Curry Instead Of Meat?

This curry is very satiating and packed with plant-based protein without any meat! Instead of meat, we rely on loads of veggies plus white navy beans to make up the bulk of this curry.

Other ingredients you could add include tofu, seitan, tempeh, lentils, potatoes, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes (try this vegan curry with sweet potato).

Quick Tip

Not sure about navy beans? Try a vegan curry chickpea dish instead. Simply replace navy beans with chickpeas (or try this vegan chickpea curry)

Process shots of the quick Vegan Curry-- images of the onions and carrots being sautéed, then ginger, garlic, and spices being added

Shortcuts

What Is A Vegan Curry Recipe Made Of?

Here’s a quick overview of the ingredients in this curry where we employ some shortcuts.

  • Roasted red peppers: while you can roast your own red peppers, buying them pre-roasted is a major time saver. Here’s what we choose.
  • Pre-diced onions. Most grocery stores sell diced yellow onions in the produce section of the store. Alternatively, frozen diced onions are often found by the other frozen veggies and can be used in this recipe. Or, use a food processor to quickly chop an onion.
  • There are two options for quick garlic and ginger. We love Dorot® cubes which have crushed garlic and crushed ginger that you can keep handy in the freezer and pop into this (and other) recipes when needed. (Check if your local store carries them; they’re typically found with frozen veggies in the grocery store.) Another option is to use refrigerated garlic paste and refrigerated minced garlic.
  • Frozen veggies: Grabbing frozen peas is quick and convenient!
  • Already chopped greens: Whether you’re using kale or spinach, grab greens that are already prepared (washed and cut) so you just add them in!

Process shots-- images of the red peppers, coconut milk, and vegetable stock being blended together and added to the recipe

Can Vegans Eat Curry Paste?

Most store-bought curry pastes contain fish sauce so it can be difficult to find a vegan option. And while making your own curry paste isn’t too much work, it does still take time and requires extra ingredients. So this is why we created this recipe without a curry paste. Instead, we’re combining a few spectacular spices and creating a quick curry sauce using roasted red peppers and coconut milk.

Can Vegans Have Coconut Milk?

Yes! There are no animal products in coconut milk. In fact, this Vegan Curry uses coconut milk!

To make coconut milk, blend coconut flesh with water and then strain the mixture.

Process shots of the quick Vegan Curry-- images of the navy beans being added, followed by the kale and peas

This curry comes together so quickly that we don’t want to be spending loads of time on the sides, right?! Here are some suggestions.

Vegan Curry Recipe Sides

When I make this recipe, I always serve it with rice and naan. To keep things easy during busy days, I keep the sides super simple. Here are my go-to:

  • Toaster naan. I like Stonefire®; it’s typically labeled as mini naan.)
  • Boiled rice. All you’ll need to do is stir some rice into boiling water, boil for 5-7 minutes, and voila — perfect rice! Want to save even more time (and dishes?) grab ready/microwaveable basmati rice instead!

Quick Tip

As written, this Vegan Curry is very mild (all my kids loved it!). It’s more on the sweet side with the peppers and coconut milk. If you’d prefer more spice, add in some red pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper (a little goes a long way)!

More Vegan Favorites:

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Vegan Curry

This Quick Vegan Curry is bursting with flavor and loaded with veggies in a creamy red pepper coconut sauce. Ready in 30 minutes, it’s a crowd-pleaser!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red bell pepper drained
  • 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk full-fat
  • 1 cup vegetable stock or broth, or water in a pinch
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 large red onion diced
  • 2 cups diced carrots 4 to 6 carrots
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons ginger paste
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 (15.5-ounce) cans navy beans rinsed and drained
  • 3 cups kale or baby spinach, optional
  • 1-1/2 cups frozen peas
  • 1 lemon optional, for serving
  • Fresh parsley optional, for serving
  • Cooked rice optional, for serving, see note 1
  • Naan optional, for serving

Instructions 

  • Drain red peppers and add to blender with coconut milk and vegetable stock. Blend until smooth. Add onion and carrots to a food processor and pulse to finely chop.
  • Add coconut oil to a large, cast-iron pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots and sauté, stirring frequently, for 6–8 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, curry powder, paprika, cumin, and coriander. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Mix until fragrant, 2–4 more minutes. Pour in the sauce and mix, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Add drained beans and mix through to warm, 2 minutes.
  • Add peas and kale. Mix to warm through and wilt greens, about 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat and if desired, add some lemon zest and juice (I add 1/2 teaspoon zest and 1–2 tablespoons juice) plus some fresh parsley (2–4 tablespoons). Taste and add additional seasoning as needed. Remove and serve with naan and over rice if desired (see note 1).

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: To keep the sides as simple as possible, use mini naan that you can pop in the toaster to warm through. For rice, use ready/microwaveable basmati rice for quickest prep! Or here’s the quickest/easiest way to get perfect basmati rice. (This only works for basmati rice!)
  • Fill a large pot with water and set it to boil.
  • Once water is at a rolling boil, salt the water and add in rice.
  • Cook without reducing the heat, 6 minutes (taste test to ensure it is tender), then drain and fluff with a fork. Easy!
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.3g | Protein: 16.9g | Fat: 16.7g | Sodium: 203.6mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6.2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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