Vegan Thai Green Curry for Under $1 a Serving

|Updated Apr 4, 2022

Creamy, spicy, and full of authentic flavors and textures, this Thai vegetable green curry is delicious, healthy, and easy to make. Serve it with a side of jasmine rice, fresh chilies, and lime wedges for the perfect meal.

Flavorsome seasonings like garlic, ginger, Thai basil, and lemongrass infuse a rich coconut milk broth, and fresh, tender vegetables make every bite seem better than the last! Plus, plant-based meals aren’t just delicious, they can even help you live longer!

While not as traditional, this recipe replaces fish sauce with coconut aminos or tamari (whatever you have on hand). You can serve this vegetable-centric curry as-is, or add in your favorite proteins like tempeh and tofu.

The best part about making curry is how good the leftovers taste. Try making a double or triple batch for delicious lunches all week (hello quick and easy meal prep). Do yourself a favor and make this for dinner tonight.

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Want to make this recipe more budget-friendly?

Swap out 1 can of coconut milk for vegetable broth or water.
Add in even more vegetables to bulk it up.
Leave out the tamari or coconut aminos as this curry still tastes great without it.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Cost: $6.62 recipe | $1.66 serving

Vegan Thai Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients

Curry

2 cans (796g) full-fat coconut milk, separate ½ cup ($3.60)
2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.04)
1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated ($0.03)
4 tablespoons green curry paste* ($1.02)
1 cup shiitake, cremini, or brown mushrooms, chopped ($1.03)
1 cup broccoli florets ($0.18)
1 cup snow peas or snap peas ($0.08)
1 ½ tablespoons coconut aminos or tamari* ($0.16)
1 tablespoon coconut sugar ($0.02)
1 lime, squeezed ($0.18)
2 kaffir lime leaves or 2 teaspoons lime zest ($0.02)
1 handful Thai basil leaves, or sub ½ regular basil leaves; ½ mint leaves ($0.25)
Salt to taste ($0.01)

Extras optional

Baked tofu or tempeh
Jasmine rice
Cilantro
Fried shallots
Fresh chilies
Basil leaves

Instructions

First, heat ½ cup of coconut milk in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Reduce it for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until it begins thickening. Reduce heat as necessary to prevent burning.
Next, add in the garlic, ginger, and green curry paste and stir to combine it with the coconut milk. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture turns into a paste-like consistency. Add in the mushrooms and continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes.
Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and stir thoroughly until no lumps remain. Add in the rest of the vegetables, then give everything a good stir. Let the vegetables simmer for 4-5 minutes until just tender (they should still be a vibrant color).
When the vegetables are ready, stir in the coconut aminos, sugar, kaffir lime leaves or lime zest, lime juice, Thai basil leaves, and a pinch of salt.
Stir to combine, then turn the heat off. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference — sugar to tame the heat, salt to enhance the other flavors, etc.
Serve with a side of tempeh, tofu, jasmine rice, and garnish with extra basil leaves, chilies, roasted cashews, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, etc. Enjoy!

Notes

*The brand of green curry paste that we trust to be vegan is Aroy D. Just make sure whatever brand you use doesn’t contain fish sauce.
You can use other vegetables with similar cook times like bell pepper, carrots, zucchini, Japanese eggplant, sweet potatoes, bamboo shoots, green peas, cauliflower, etc.
If you have access to lemongrass, add this in when the vegetables are simmering.
For a more vibrant green color, blend some of the coconut milk broth with the basil leaves.