Thai Vegan Yellow Curry with Vegetables

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Featuring colorful veggies and tofu cooked in a creamy golden curry sauce, this Thai vegan yellow curry will be your next favorite meal! This amazingly delicious dish is quick to put together and is ready in 30 minutes. Even meat eaters will be impressed by this vegetable yellow curry!

A bowl of yellow curry served with rice with a fork and bowl of rice beside.

Curries are just another one of my favorite meals to make, and this is made apparent by the various curry recipes on this blog, from vegan Madras curry to Jamaican chickpea curry. My current obsession is this vibrant vegan yellow curry! It is comforting, fiery, and incredibly bold in flavors.

You could serve this vegetable yellow curry with a side of rice, but I love whipping up some Thai vegetable fried rice or Tom Yum fried rice to go with it.

💚Why you will love this recipe

Creamy, hearty, and seriously addictive
Incredibly versatile and goes well with rice, noodles, or flatbreads
Using store-bought curry paste meant less work and fewer ingredients needed
Fuss-free and easy to make - ready in 30 minutes!

🧄What you will need

Ingredients needed like garlic, onion, coconut milk, turmeric, curry paste, and maple syrup.

Ingredients needed like tofu, carrot, potato, and green beans on a grey background.

📃Ingredient notes and substitutions

Onion - Both red and yellow onions can be used in this recipe. (I am using red onion in the step-by-step collage below)
Yellow curry paste - I am using the Blue Elephant’s curry paste, which happens to be vegan.
- You can use other brands that you can get your hands on but bear in mind that some might contain animal products like shrimp paste. Hence, you must read the ingredients label before purchasing.
- Alternatively, you could make your own at home following this yellow curry paste recipe by Wok and Skillet, but do omit shrimp paste to keep this dish vegan.
Coconut milk - Both the light and full-fat coconut milk will work in this recipe, but the full-fat version will yield a creamier curry.
Tofu - Use extra-firm or firm tofu that has been drained and pressed, either using a tofu press or stacking something heavy on top. Here is a guide on how to press tofu by Food with Feelings that you might find helpful.

🔪How to make

Here is a quick rundown of the steps to make Thai vegetable yellow curry.

Heat a Dutch oven or soup pot. Start by sauteing onion until translucent, then add garlic, curry paste, and turmeric powder. Fry for a minute or so until fragrant.

Cooked onion in a white Dutch oven on a white checkered tablecloth.

Cooked aromatics and curry paste in a white Dutch oven on a white tablecloth.

Pour in coconut milk and stock. Bring mixture to a boil, then toss in potato and carrot cubes, and boil until they have softened slightly.

Stir in green beans and tofu, and cook for a couple more minutes.

Cooking carrot and potato in curry with a wooden ladle beside in a white Dutch oven.

Adding tofu and green beans to the curry with a wooden ladle beside in a Dutch oven.

Turn off the heat, then add baby spinach if using. Stir in maple syrup, and add salt to taste. Serve and enjoy your vegan yellow curry while warm.

Vegetable Thai yellow curry in a white Dutch oven on a white checkered teacloth.

✔Helpful tips

This curry is moderately spicy, but the spice level will vary depending on the brand of yellow curry paste used. Hence, if you are sensitive to heat, I recommend starting with half the amount and adding more if needed.
On the other hand, you can increase the spice level by adding 1-2 chopped bird’s eye chilies. Fry it together with the curry paste until fragrant.
You can use other kinds of vegetables in place of what this recipe calls for. Zucchini, bell peppers, peas, and kale are some great choices.
Leftover vegetable yellow curry can be kept in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3-4 days.
To make this recipe oil-free, use ¼ cup of broth or water to saute the aromatics and curry paste instead of oil.

🍽How to serve

Rice - The pairing of rice and curry is one of the best in my opinion! You can go with plain cooked rice, or go for something more flavorsome like Manchurian fried rice or green curry fried rice.

Noodles - Pour your vegetable yellow curry over a bowl of cooked noodles like rice noodles, ramen, or soba for an easy hearty dinner.

Flatbreads - Indian flatbreads like vegan roti, plain chapati, or naan bread go really well with this dish!

Other main dishes - Cook up a feast, and make other Asian mains like Pad Pak Thai, cabbage Manchurian, or crispy tandoori tofu to go with this vegan yellow curry.

Thai yellow curry in a Dutch oven served with a wooden ladle with a bowl of rice and spoons beside.

❔Commonly asked questions

Is yellow curry spicy?

Generally, yellow curry is considered one of the mildest compared to other Thai curries like green and red curry. However, the spice level will depend on the brand of yellow curry paste used.

Hence, if you have a low tolerance to spice, I recommend starting with ½ the amount of curry paste this recipe calls for, then adding more if needed.

What makes yellow curry yellow?

The base ingredient for yellow curry is turmeric, which contributes to the bright yellow hue of this curry.

Is yellow curry paste vegan?

Some yellow curry paste might not be vegan, as shrimp paste is added. Hence, it is highly recommended that you turn and read the ingredient list to check if that specific brand of curry paste is vegan-friendly.

There is quite a few yellow curry paste that happens to be vegan, like Blue Elephant, Mae Ploy, and Mike’s Organic Curry Love, which are all available on Amazon.

Bowl containing thai yellow curry and rice with fork and bowl of rice in the background.

🍽More Thai-inspired vegan recipes

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