Vegetarian Thai Green Curry combines a medley of aromatic veggies with a vibrant green curry paste, tender butternut squash, and crisp snow peas in a creamy, indulgent coconut base. Top your bowl with fresh lime and basil for a meal you won't be able to get enough of!
Course Dinner, Main Course, Vegetarian
Cuisine Healthy, Thai, Vegetarian
Keyword thai green curry, Vegetarian Thai Green Curry
PREP: Start by prepping ingredients: dice the red onion, carrot, and bell pepper (by hand or quickly in the food processor). Mince the garlic and ginger. (I peel the ginger with a spoon or vegetable peeler first.) Peel and then chop the butternut squash into small bite-sized pieces (1/2-inch in size). Keep the squash pieces fairly small so they’ll cook at the right time. Drain and rinse chickpeas.
COOK: Heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and red pepper and sauté for 7-9 minutes, or until onions begin to turn golden. Add the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass paste. Stir to coat everything with the oil. Season to taste with salt (I add 1 teaspoon fine sea salt.) Lower the heat to medium and add in green curry paste and ground coriander. Stir often for 2-3 minutes or until very fragrant. Add in the chickpeas and butternut squash and stir to coat for 1 minute.
COOK CONT: Pour in the 2 cans of coconut milk. Stir. Scrape the bottom of the pot and press all squash below the liquid. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a rapid simmer (it should be bubbling at the edges but not boiling) for 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. Add a splash of vegetable stock/broth or water if the sauce is reducing too quickly and squash isn't getting tender. (This also means you may need to lower your heat a little. Alternatively, increase the heat slightly if squash isn't getting tender and the sauce isn't reducing.) Add in snow peas and cook for 2-3 more minutes or until tender.
FINISHING: Add sugar (start with less; you can always add more), soy sauce, and lime juice to the curry (feel free to adjust these three 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'll typically add another 1/4 up to 1/2 teaspoon -- flavors should be vibrant!
ENJOY: Remove curry from heat. Garnish individual bowls with basil. I also like to serve lime wedges on the side -- the more lime the better, in my book! Serve over cooked rice with warmed roti bread. Enjoy!
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Notes
Note 1: Veggies: This is about 1 large red onion, 3-4 large carrots, and 1 bell pepper. Dice finely -- we want fairly small pieces.Note 2: Lemongrass paste: This ingredient can be tricky to find, but it add loads of flavor. I've had no problem finding it at my local Asian market, but typically purchase it online for ease.Note 3: Green curry paste: The green curry paste in this recipe is the main flavor of this dish. You'll likely find it in the international section or aisle of your grocery store. Otherwise, purchase at an Asian grocery store or online. My favorite brand to use is Maesri and Thai Kitchen is another one we've tested in this recipe. The intensity of the curry paste will vary from brand to brand. We typically use about 4 tablespoons of Maesri curry paste and 5 or 6 tablespoons when using Thai Kitchen -- both of these amounts ensure bold flavors without too much heat since the coconut milk sweetness offsets the heat so much. Add to personal preference and if you aren't sure start with less since you can always add more later.Note 4: Coconut milk: I created this recipe with 2 cans of coconut milk for an ultra-rich, thick, and creamy curry similar to ones I've had at restaurants. If 2 cans are too much for you, use 1 can coconut milk and replace the other can with 1 cup of vegetable (or chicken if you aren't vegetarian) stock. For coconut milk, I use Imperial Kitchen® since I can find it often at my local grocery store and enjoy the richness of this brand. Use full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and thickness. Lite coconut milk won’t thicken and give you the rich, full flavor that regular coconut milk will.Note 5: Kaffir lime leaves: These are key ingredients in green curry. They add a vibrant, citrus flavor, but can be tricky to find -- I've only had success finding them at my local Asian market. If you have access to some, crumple a few up and throw them in when you add in the coconut milk and remove them before serving. To get a citrusy flavor without the leaves, zest and juice a lime and mix through right before serving. When I do find kaffir lime leaves, I seriously stock up -- they actually freeze wonderfully! I'll keep the bag in the freezer and use them as needed.Note 7: Soy sauce: Fish sauce is a common finishing ingredient in Thai curries -- it adds that final seasoning and umami flavor. If you aren't vegetarian, feel free to add some instead of the soy sauce, but since I wanted this to be a vegetarian recipe, the recipe calls for soy sauce instead. Use regular (not lite) soy sauce.Note 8: Sugar: Add sugar to personal preference and to offset potential spiciness. You may not even want any! Add slowly and to taste preference.