Thai Green Curry with Spring Vegetables
This healthy, vegetarian Thai green curry recipe is full of asparagus, carrots and spinach! It's full of flavor and simple enough for weeknight dinners.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
I’ve been on a vegetable-packed coconut curry kick lately—they’re just the perfect transition food for this time of year. This vegetarian Thai green curry recipe features fresh asparagus, carrots and spinach in a delicious green coconut sauce. It’s full of flavor and simple enough for weeknight dinners.
I used store-bought Thai curry paste instead of raw ingredients, because some (like galangal) are difficult to find and time-consuming to prepare. I’ve watched a chef prepare curry paste in Thailand, and he really worked up a sweat! So while this recipe is not perfectly authentic, it’s a lot easier to make.
This curry is based on an older Thai green curry recipe, which I’ve since deleted. I loved the base recipe for that dish (I learned how to make it at a fun cooking class), but I was never quite satisfied by my choice of mix-ins.
So here we are, three years later, with an improved, extra-green version. This time, I opted for asparagus (snow peas would also work), carrots and wilted spinach. I love it, and I think you will, too!
How to Serve Thai Green Curry
I skipped the tofu altogether and found the dish to be plenty hearty without it. If you want to add tofu, though, I’d suggest baking it first and adding it with the coconut milk.
I served my curry over rice (again), but I bet quinoa would be an interesting alternative.
Please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments! If you want to change it up, don’t miss my Thai red curry recipe.
Watch How to Make Thai Green Curry
Thai Green Curry with Spring Vegetables
This healthy, vegetarian Thai green curry features fresh asparagus, carrots and spinach! It’s full of flavor and simple enough for weeknight dinners. Feel free to substitute sliced snow peas for the asparagus if it’s not in season where you live. Recipe yields two large servings (as shown) or four small servings.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger (about a 1-inch nub of ginger, peeled and chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Pinch of salt
- ½ bunch asparagus, tough ends removed and sliced into 2-inch long pieces (to yield about 2 cups prepared asparagus)
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into ¼-inch wide rounds (to yield about 1 cup sliced carrots)
- 2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste*
- 1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk (I used full-fat coconut milk for a richer curry)
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoons coconut sugar or turbinado (raw) sugar or brown sugar
- 2 cups packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons rice vinegar or fresh lime juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce** (I used reduced-sodium tamari)
- Garnishes: handful of chopped fresh cilantro and red pepper flakes, to taste
Instructions
- To cook the rice, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the rinsed rice and continue boiling for 30 minutes, reducing heat as necessary to prevent overflow. Remove from heat, drain the rice and return the rice to pot. Cover and let the rice rest for 10 minutes or longer, until you’re ready to serve.
- Warm a large skillet with deep sides over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add a couple teaspoons of oil. Cook the onion, ginger and garlic with a sprinkle of salt for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the asparagus and carrots and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the curry paste and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
- Pour the coconut milk into the pan, along with ½ cup water and 1 ½ teaspoons sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the carrots and asparagus are tender and cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Once the vegetables are done cooking, stir the spinach into the mixture and cook until the spinach has wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove the curry from heat and season with rice vinegar and soy sauce. Add salt and red pepper flakes (optional), to taste. Divide rice and curry into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, if you’d like.
Notes
*Green curry paste: Look for it in the Asian section of the grocery store. I like Thai Kitchen brand. Not all Thai curry pastes are vegetarian, but this one is.
**Make it gluten free: Be sure to use gluten-free tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
If you love this recipe: Be sure to check out my other Thai-inspired recipes here!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hi! This recipe is absolutely delicious! Do you think it would freeze well?
Laura
Hi Laura! I haven’t tried freezing this one, sorry.
Wow I am a terrible cook and I managed to make this and it was delicious!!! Am trying to cook and eat more plant-based and recipes like this make it fun and easy :) just bought your cookbook thank you <3
Looking forward to this Tai Curry, with little Tweeg,s just fo moi.
Made a variation of this last night with baby aubergines, straw mushrooms, peppers and carrots. It was delicious, we’ll try the original recipe next.
YUMMY!!!! I made this for dinner yesterday. Super easy and fast. I added an extra clove of garlic and red pepper flakes during the last few minutes of cooking (as well as at the end) for more spice. To quote my partner: “Another winner from Cookie and Kate..!” I wish we had leftovers today but the two of us gobbled it up so fast last night. I will definitely make this again!
I LOVED this recipe. Like others suggested I didn’t add any water and added another half of Thai paste just to give it extra kick. Added broccoli to the veggies suggested, it was great. I’m new to this website so I’m going to look forward to checking out the other recipes! Thanks
Great recipe! Added some sugar snap peas and some broccoli and it blew my socks off.
Love this recipe!! It’s yummy with boneless skinless chicken thighs. Tonight I made it with shrimp. So good!!!
Thank you for your review, Danielle!
Another keeper! I love how versatile this recipe is. I just threw in the veggies I have on hand tonight (carrots, cauliflower, bok choy, baby red potatoes) and it turned out amazing. I also added some shrimp. Will definitely make this one again. Thank you!
Can you please tell me if this recipe is spicy please? It looks and sounds wonderful, but my husband and I don’t like hot foods. Thank you for all your delicious recipes. I use them often. Be well.
Hi! I don’t find it that spicy. There is some heat, but I feel like its mild. It depends on the curry paste you use. I hope this helps!
Made for dinner tonight and it was a big hit! Great way to use my CSA items. My teenage boy needed more protein so I served with your baked tofu recipe and it was a perfect topping.
Thanks for your review, Heather!
looks yummy, fresh food!
Anne
Hi,
I made the Thai green curry with veggies last nite, it was absolutely delicious!! Love your recipes. Please write another cookbook. It would also be great if you did slow cooker recipes.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Sandy! Thank you for your review.
Absolutey delish!!! I served i with Quinoa because I didn’t have any rice on hand – really wonderful – especially on a very cold Canadian winter day. Thanks so much, Kate! I’ll make it again soon and take some photos for Instagram…
This was a big hit in the household, awesome green curry! Also added red bell pepper strips to the saute and made up a batch of your crispy baked tofu to sprinkle on top at the end. The Thai green curry brand I liberally used came with some heat but everyone enjoyed the added kick. Thanks Kate!
Thank you for your review, Darius!
This was easy and delicious. I made it very mild and my 10 year old grandson loved it as well. He even liked the cold leftovers the next day for lunch at school.
This was exquisite! My family loved it and so did my 3 young kids. Will definitely make again. Thank you and always love your blog.
Beth
That’s great! Thank you for your review, Elizabeth.
Why is it the dishes we are most reluctant to try are TO DIE FOR? OMG, this was and IS the best tasting new dish this year! Even my adult son had to go back for thirds.
I will admit, exhaustion set in at the end and I was enjoying eating the dish, I forgot a few items like fresh lime juice, spinach, and then the Tumari/soy sauce. I added all the above once I realized I hadn’t finished the delicious dish, but in being sodium-sensitive, I won’t be using the soy sauce again. I ended up adding more brown sugar to take out the taste of the soy sauce.
I did end up using gluten-free wild rice, but you don’t have to pay the extra price. This dish doesn’t need it. Brown rice will suffice. This is easy, delicious, and I’m making it again tomorrow.
Thank you for sharing all these recipes with us; we are so blessed because of you. Keep being beautiful you!
Delicious! I made this for dinner tonight using courgette, asparagus, mushrooms, and spinach on top of broccoli rice. There is room for endless variation and it’s so, so easy. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
I’ve made this several times now. I found it rather bland the first time and have ratcheted up the flavorings a lot. Twices as much ginger, 4 cloves garlic, a BIG onion, 4 T curry paste, 1 T brown sugar, 2 T rice vinegar, 3 T soy sauce. Yes, those are TABLESPOONS where the recipe above has tsp. No typo. With these changes I just LOVE it. It’s as flavorful as a restaurant dish.. 4 T curry paste might be a lot for some people. I tolerate “heat” up to medium spicy, If you like mild, skip that suggestion. I’ve also made it with green beans when asparagus was out of season. Just as good.
What makes buying a jar of curry paste not authentic? I’m not Thai, but I did spend some time in Thailand and you can go to the outdoor markets and find large bowls heaped with similar prepared curry pastes you can buy in any amount. It’s a great timesaver and the Thai’s know it too.
Hi Kate,
I made the Thai curry as a soup – added farro and garbanzo beans and more stock. It was insane!!! But my stomach can’t handle the green chilies in the Thai Kitchen mix. Can you possibly tell me portions of ingredients I can use instead of that mix?
Thank you,
Hi Pam! I’m happy you enjoyed it. Sorry, I don’t have the proportions for you in the paste to make a homemade one.
Kate, I’m a long term fan of your blog and just wanted to say thank you. I have made many of your recipes over the years, and have honestly not ever had one that has turned out anything other than amazing. I made the green curry for my family tonight and it could not have been more delicious. I did adjust a few things to our families taste (added mushrooms, a little more curry paste, and omitted the salt & soy sauce additions, as well as the water)& we will 100% put this on heavy rotation. Thank you for providing such delicious & easy to execute vegetarian recipes!
You’re so kind, AH! I’m glad you have been cooking for so many years from my blog and enjoyed the recipes. Thank you for taking the time to comment and review!
Oh my heavens!! This did NOT disappoint!! Thank you for another great recipe! I added ur baked tofu recipe you linked above and it was delicious!! Love your blog Kate and ur cookbook!!
That one was amazing. Your balance of flavors is amazing and cookie time was perfect. I stumbled upon your website after getting a link to one of the recipes from a Noom recommendation. They have been amazing and have changed our culinary routine. We really appreciate what you are doing to promote whole food cooking with recipes that taste fantastic. I added a squash at the end of the sautee and half of a chicken breast (already cooked). Thank you!
Thank you, Ken! I’m excited you enjoyed it.
Pretty good. I’d make it again.
However….I should probably note that considering all the changes I made, this may kinda be a different recipe .
I went overboard on the vegetables and thus probably would have benefitted from doubling the liquid ingredients. I used string beans/green beans instead of asparagus because, while i really like asparagus, I don’t think it reheats well. I also added bell peppers and sweet potato to the carrots and spinach that the recipe called for. As previous commenters recommended, I used the entire jar of curry paste. I also added a little more water (between .75 to 1 cup of water opposed to .5 cups) because I could see that I could use more liquid and because I knew the string beans would require the dish to cook a bit longer than the recipe called for.
This recipe was amazing! Completely suited my family’s milder palette using green curry paste. The great thing is there is plenty of room to add other veggies you have on hand. This has now entered regular rotation. Thank you Kate!
Hooray! Thank you for your review, Suzanne.
It was yummy, I usually follow your recipes to the letter but this time, after adding the full fat coconut milk, I decided against adding water as I liked how it tasted already.
I tend to think basmati rice is for Indian dishes and Jasmine is for Thai dishes. Is there anything I am missing in terms of the differences between the two?
Thanks for another fantastic recipe, can’t wait to make it for friends someday.
Amazing recipe as usual, Kate! I only used 1/2 cup water, plus added some broccoli and shrimp. Perfect lunch!
Made this recipe for me and my husband. We loved it and will make this one of our regular meals!
YUM! This was so easy and delicious. Another total win from Kate!
I make this recipe at least once a week! I wasn’t a huge fan of curry until I tried this recipe, and it’s absolutely delicious! Not too savory or sweet, and the vegetables cook perfectly. I never leave reviews- but I highly recommend!
I like the basic recipe very much but it wasn’t nearly spicy enough and I’m not sure a whole bottle of the Thai paste would matter. I’ll be looking for ways to enhance the curry flavor. The red pepper flakes were fine but I wanted more curry flavor.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it. What brand of curry paste did you use? They can vary so much.
Any recommendations on a good protein to add to this? (Chicken, salmon, etc.) Thanks!
Hi Michelle, I’m a vegetarian so I would suggest chickpeas or How to Make Crispy Baked Tofu.
Even most Thais don’t make homemade curry paste. The shelves are stocked with sachets. So, yours is as authentic as theirs, believe me. We loved your red curry recipe and this one.
Excellent!!
Substituted peas for asparagus and coconut aminos for soy sauce.
Yum
This looks amazing. Just wondering how this and your red curry freeze?
Hi Katie! I’m not sure how this would freeze. I will likely separate some. If you try it, let me know!
Loved this tonight!! It was perfect. Randomly googled and came upon this recipe. I googled because I had a pack of firm tofu, some green Thai paste and it was an absolutely perfect addition!
Wonderful, Lynnie! I appreciate your review.
so good!!! I used green beans, red peppers, and spinach and loved it. Easy recipe to follow for a beginner like me!
I made this today, I put the whole jar of paste in but it was very bland and watery. Such a shame because I use this site often for cooking
Hi Sarah, I’m sorry to hear that! What brand of curry paste did you use?
I used Tesco’s own
We live in Las Vegas and a few nights prior to making this dish we ate at one of the best Thai places in Vegas. I already had this on our weekly menus and told my spouse, it won’t be as good as what we had at Secret of Siam, I was wrong it was delicious and here I am a week later making it again. I also subscribed today!
Yum! I added some frozen peas with the asparagus and carrots. It turned out great. I used Mae Ploy green curry paste (which is on the spicy side) and I will definitely be making this one again.
Keep these curry recipes coming!
Thank you for sharing, Patty!
This was delicious! I didn’t have these specific veggies so I substituted with the veggies I had at home: carrots, brussel sprouts, spring mix, and green peppers. So so yummy.
I made this yesterday for dinner for my meat loving husband and I..trying to cook more healthy vegetarian meals..we loved it a lot! I didn’t add the optional soy sauce and put in a slightly heaping two tablespoons of green curry paste, and lime juice instead of the vinegar. Fresh and delicious.
I’m happy you enjoyed this curry, Stephanie! I appreciate your review.
Made it today for family day and it was a hit! The recipe is perfect the way it is.
That’s great, Leena!
I’ll try this soon! I just mad Pak Aloo a spinach potato curry that was also divine. Love our warming and comforting foods! Thank you!
could you use Thai red curry paste? I love your cookbook, by the way! It’s the first cookbook that I want to make most of everything!
Hi Kathy! I would suggest my Thai Red Curry with Vegetables. I hope you try it!
Hello. This looks delicious. Could I substitute Thai Red Curry Paste?
Hi Carol, I would recommend my Thai Red Curry with Vegetables.
This recipe sounds delicious! Due to cholesterol issues, we attempt to steer clear of saturated fat as much as possible. Is there something I can substitute for the coconut milk?
Hi Gina, Coconut milk is the best option here. Or you could try another creamy milk like dairy if you like.
Love this recipe! Kate you are thoughtful in your creations and trust your recipes to deliver good quality nutritionally and in flavor. thank you.
Thank you, Louise! I appreciate your review.