Vegetarian Thai Green Curry bursts with fresh veggies, green curry paste, and coconut. Butternut squash and snow peas make it comforting and crave-worthy.
author’s note
Fresh and Flavorful Vegetarian Thai Green Curry!
A few weeks ago, my sister insisted I try a local Thai restaurant she had just visited, specifically recommending the vegetarian Thai green curry.
I was hesitant because I usually prefer Thai chicken or meat-based dishes, but I ordered a few items to share with my family, not expecting to love the vegetarian curry so much. To my surprise, it was incredible!
I knew I had to recreate it. After chatting with the server about the ingredients, I got to work making it at home so I could enjoy those amazing flavors anytime. It’s now one of my absolute favorite dinners!
Let’s Chat Green Curry Paste
Green curry paste is the key flavor in this dish and is now easy to find in most grocery stores,
- Where to find: Often in the international aisle of grocery stores or at Asian markets.
- What brand to use: For dietary restrictions, check the ingredients as some pastes contain fish sauce or shrimp. Maesri and Thai Kitchen are great options.
- How much to use: Use about 4 tablespoons of Maesri® or 6 tablespoons of Thai Kitchen® for bold flavor balanced by the coconut milk.
Vegetarian Thai Green Curry Ingredients
There are a few ingredients worth mentioning and offering suggestions or substitutes for:
- Kaffir lime leaves add vibrant citrus flavor but can be hard to find. For a citrusy flavor without them, use lime zest and juice right before serving.
- Fish sauce: For a vegetarian version, sub with soy sauce (regular, not lite) or tamari.
- Thai basil is the preferred topping, but regular basil works if Thai basil is unavailable.
- Lemongrass paste adds great flavor and is typically found at Asian markets or online.
- Coconut milk: I use Imperial Kitchen since it’s at most stores. Avoid lite.
Shortcuts
For a quicker prep time, use a bag of already cut butternut squash in the produce section of the store. If the pieces are too large, cut them down a bit so they’ll cook in time for this Vegetarian Thai Green Curry.
Storage
Vegetarian Thai Green Curry Storage
One of my favorite things about curry recipes is how well they store! Leftovers only get more and more flavorful as they sit. Store any leftover curry in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat over low heat, adding a splash of vegetable broth/stock (chicken stock if you aren’t vegetarian) as needed to thin the sauce.
Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost fully in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop.
More Vegetarian Recipes To Love!
Vegetarian Thai Green Curry
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 cup finely diced red onion 1 large red onion
- 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper 1 bell pepper
- 1 cup finely diced carrots 3 to 4 large carrots
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 4 cloves
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste see note 1
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons green curry paste up to 6 tablespoons, see note 2
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 3 cups butternut squash
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas
- 2 (13.5-ounce) cans coconut milk see note 3
- 8 Kaffir lime leaves optional, see note 4
- 1-1/2 cups snow peas trimmed and halved
- 1-3 tablespoons light brown sugar see note 5
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce see note 6
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice to taste
- Thai basil or regular basil, for garnish
- Cooked rice optional, for serving
- Warmed roti bread optional, for serving
Instructions
- Dice red onion, carrot, and bell pepper (by hand or quickly in the food processor). Mince garlic and ginger. (I peel the ginger with a spoon or vegetable peeler first.) Peel and chop butternut squash into bite-sized pieces (1/2-inch in size) so they’ll cook at the right time. Drain and rinse chickpeas.
- Heat coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and red pepper and sauté 7–9 minutes, or until onions begin to turn golden. Add garlic, ginger, and lemongrass paste. Stir to coat everything with oil. Season to taste with salt (I add 1 teaspoon salt.) Lower heat to medium and add green curry paste and ground coriander. Stir often, 2–3 minutes or until very fragrant. Add chickpeas and butternut squash and stir to coat, 1 minute.
- Pour in coconut milk. Stir. Scrape the bottom of the pot and press all squash below the liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a rapid simmer (it should be bubbling at the edges but not boiling),18–25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The butternut squash should be fork tender and curry sauce reduced; this happens at around 20–22 minutes for me. If the sauce is reducing too quickly and squash isn’t getting tender, add a splash of vegetable stock/broth or water. (You also may need to lower the heat a little.) If squash isn’t getting tender and the sauce isn’t reducing, increase heat slightly. Add snow peas and cook 2–3 more minutes or until tender.
- Add sugar (start with less; you can always add more), soy sauce, and lime juice to the curry (feel free to adjust these ingredients to personal preference — adding more soy sauce for seasoning/umami flavor, more lime for a fresh flavor, and more sugar if it’s too spicy). Taste and add more salt if needed; I typically add another 1/4 up to 1/2 teaspoon—flavors should be vibrant!
- Remove curry from heat. Garnish individual bowls with basil. I like to serve lime wedges on the side! Serve over cooked rice with warmed roti bread. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I loved this recipe’s smooth flavor! Great way to incorporate veggies too! I did sub the soy sauce with fish sauce for a non vegetarian option as she suggests. So yummy!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and review 🙂