Thai Red Curry with Vegetables
This Thai red curry recipe is so easy to make at home! It's much tastier than takeout and healthier, too. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
You know dinner was good when you want to eat it for breakfast. Speaking of, it’s 10 am and I’m writing with a happy belly.
This Thai red curry made a fantastic meal last night and perhaps an even better breakfast this morning. It’s warm, comforting, and perfect for cool days. It’s a little rich, too, but so full of vegetables that it doesn’t feel too indulgent.
I’ve been meaning to try a red Thai curry based on my green curry for a while now, and I’m so glad I finally did. It’s the best curry I’ve ever had, restaurant versions included! Yeah, I said it.
Bonus? You should be able to find everything you need for this simple curry at a well-stocked grocery store.
Watch How to Make Thai Red Curry
Thai Red Curry Tips
- The secret to making amazing Thai curries is to use plenty of aromatics, like onion, ginger and garlic.
- Choose full-fat coconut milk for its richness (you won’t regret it!).
- Stirring in just a little bit of rice vinegar and sugar adds tons of complexity.
- Readily available store-bought Thai red curry paste adds characteristic Thai flavor and, bonus, the Thai Kitchen brand is vegetarian. You can make your own if you’re so inclined, though.
- Feel free to change up the vegetables, as long as you slice them so they’re all pretty small and about the same size. You could try broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, diced butternut or sweet potato (which will probably require a longer cooking time), sliced zucchini and/or yellow squash.
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments. I love to hear from you.
If you enjoy this hearty dinner recipe, be sure to check out my cookbook for more!
Thai Red Curry with Vegetables
This Thai red curry recipe is so easy to make at home! It’s much tastier than takeout and healthier, too. Feel free to change up the vegetables (you’ll need about 3 cups total) and skip the kale if you want a more traditional Thai curry. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free for all to enjoy. Recipe yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups brown jasmine rice or long-grain brown rice, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 small white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- Pinch of salt, more to taste
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (about a 1-inch nub of ginger)
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
- 1 yellow, orange or green bell pepper, sliced into thin 2-inch long strips
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into ¼-inch thick rounds (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste*
- 1 can (14 ounces) regular coconut milk**
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ cups packed thinly sliced kale (tough ribs removed first), preferably the Tuscan/lacinato/dinosaur variety
- 1 ½ teaspoons coconut sugar or turbinado (raw) sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce***
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar or fresh lime juice
- Garnishes/sides: handful of chopped fresh basil or cilantro, optional red pepper flakes, optional sriracha or chili garlic sauce
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. Just before serving, season the rice to taste with salt and fluff it with a fork.
- To make the curry, warm a large skillet with deep sides over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the oil. Add the onion and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, while stirring continuously.
- Add the bell peppers and carrots. Cook until the bell peppers are fork-tender, 3 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the curry paste and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk, water, kale and sugar, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the peppers, carrots and kale have softened to your liking, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pot from the heat and season with tamari and rice vinegar. Add salt (I added ¼ teaspoon for optimal flavor), to taste. If the curry needs a little more punch, add ½ teaspoon more tamari, or for more acidity, add ½ teaspoon more rice vinegar. Divide rice and curry into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, if you’d like. If you love spicy curries, serve with sriracha or chili garlic sauce on the side.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Thai green curry recipe.
*Red Thai curry paste: Look for it in the Asian section of the grocery store. I like Thai Kitchen brand, which is vegetarian. Not all brands are (they can contain fish sauce and/or shrimp paste).
**Coconut milk: For rich and creamy curry, you need to use regular (not light/reduced fat) coconut milk that contains guar gum. My favorite is Native Forest Classic. The varieties without guar gum (which are becoming more widely available) aren’t nearly as creamy, even though their fat content is the same.
***Make it gluten free: Be sure to use gluten-free tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
If you want to add tofu: I’d suggest baking it first and adding it with the coconut milk in step 4. If you add raw tofu, it will soak up too much of the liquid, and baking it greatly improves the texture, anyway.
Update 8/10/2016: I tweaked this recipe a tiny bit to make it richer and more flavorful (decreased water from ¾ cup to ½ cup, and increased tamari to 1 tablespoon and vinegar to 2 teaspoons). I also updated the post with better photos!
If you love this recipe: Be sure to check out my other Thai-inspired recipes here! Don’t miss the Thai pineapple fried rice.
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.
I had just about given up trying to make a passable Thai red curry at home, but this one had me cheering after every bite. I used Blue Dragon curry paste, swapped the orange pepper for small broccoli florets and the kale for spinach, and tossed in some fresh basil too. Next time I make it to an Asian grocery, I’m picking up bamboo shoots for the final piece of the puzzle. Between this and your sushi bowls, you’re singlehandedly helping me satisfy my pregnancy takeout cravings at home, and I thank you!
This recipe is soooooo good!! Can’t wait to make it again. I never thought I could make Thai food that restaurant quality! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Mary!
Oh my gosh! I’ve been planning to make this and even after my friend and I shared a bottle and a half of wine, I made this and it turned out PERFECT! My veggies were different but everything else was according to the recipe. I felt like I wanted to drink the curry sauce! Haha, but at this point, I want to drink everything! Can’t wait for “hangover” leftovers!!
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you finally made it, Rachel.
I make this regularly and it’s always delicious, however it does take a good bit longer to cook than the recipe says if you want the vegetables nice and tender. I have it with organic brown sushi rice (Clearspring), which is a lovely sticky grain. Yum!
The 1st time I made this it was delicious, but the 2nd time I made it, it wasn’t as good. I can’t think of anything that I did differently except maybe added more lime. Also, if making with chicken, when should I add it?
Thanks.
Hi Karen, was the curry paste you used fresh? Sometimes that can vary. As for chicken, I’m a vegetarian so not an expert there. I would say maybe cook and then add to your portions.
I made it with chicken and cooked my chicken separately with some of the same ingredients (garlic, low sodium soy, ginger, red curry paste and rice vinegar) then I added it after and let simmer for an additional few minutes.
i think you should add the chicken(cooked) after everything has been added (besides tamari and rice vinegar) and let it simmer along with the rest so it can warm uo and be the same temp. i did that and it worked out well for me. i also tasted the soho before i was done and tweaked it and added whatever felt like it was missing. maybe more rice vinegar or more curry paste.
I just made this tonight and it’s currylicious! I add the chicken after the onion and it turned out great! Also try to put the Thai paste after the onion to get the aroma from it.
Delicious!!! I only had one pepper so I made up the volume for the second pepper with mushrooms. I love a spicy curry, so garnished liberally with sriracha…and also some raw cashews for added crunch!
That’s great to hear, Erica!
Thank you very much for having shared such an outstanding recipe. It just works as is. I have already made it twice. And I will undoubtedly make it again
Since the demise of Cooking Light, Cookie and Kate are my go-to for great food. I’ve made this several times, and everyone loves it. It’s even better the next day.
Hi Cookie and Kate…I have made many Thai red curry dishes but this one was by far the best! I followed the recipe exactly as you wrote it! Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Stacie!
Made this today, had to improvise with frozen Thai veggies as there was no produce at the store. Everything else as recipe called for, adding veggies before tweaking tastes and wow, tasty, quick and oh so satisfying! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Julianne!
I forgot the five-star rating.
Hi Kate,
Can you tell me if I can freeze this recipe? I know my son would love it and sometimes I make dishes and send them home with him so he has it for leftovers.
Hi! You could try freezing the rice and curry separately. I haven’t tried it and the coconut milk will likely separate some.
I freeze the curry separately from the rice. The sauce does separate some. I usually try to let it defrost in the fridge or defrost slowly in the microwave and then finish reheating it on the stove and the coconut milk usually comes back together.
Thanks Kelly, I made it and my son took it home and froze it in portions and absolutely loves it!
That’s great, Karen! Thank you for your review.
This has become a staple. I use shrimp and add mushrooms,bamboo shoots. snow peas and water chestnuts depending on water I have. It’s so delicious.
Hey Kate,
Love your recipes! What’s your opinion on making this a yellow curry using yellow paste instead of red but keeping everything else the same ( planning on sweet potatoes , bell pepper, and onion as veg)
Thanks!
Hi, you can try it, but I can’t say for sure without trying it. Let me know!
Hey Kate,
Tried the recipe with Yellow curry paste and sweet potatoes and it came out amazing! Will definitely make again !
That’s great! Thank you for sharing.
I know someone asked earlier on in the thread but I am just wondering if you or anyone else tried freezing this recipe and how it turned out. I am hoping to freeze it and bring it on a camping trip.
Just as delicious after freezing!
This is a great, easy, versatile veggie Thai red curry recipe! I used what I had available, which meant no peppers or kale, but yes to Japanese eggplant, butternut squash, asparagus, tofu and a type of green I just can’t remember the name of right now! I didn’t even bother making rice! I used half rice vinegar and half lime and garnished with basil and cherry tomatoes. Delicious!
Great, Kim! Thank you for sharing.
Good recipe. I carmelized palm sugar and sauteed the ginger and garlic with minced dried shrimp before adding the coconut milk. Also I added vegetable stock instead of water and added some lemongrass, Bok Choi and red pepper flakes to get a little more heat. I’m new at Thai cooking and am still working controlling my temps but this was a good starter recipe for an American like me.
This is my favorite recipe to impress people! I was thinking of doing it in a slow cooker over a few hours and adding chicken, will this effect the richness and flavors?
HI Pagie, I recommend this recipe as is.
when do you add the tamari and vinegar ? that’s nowhere in the recipe instructions.
Hi Gila, see the last step. I hope you love it!
I love this recipe so much! Fun to try mixing in different vegetables–I added mushrooms and they worked great.
Turned out delicious. I added chicken.
i made this a few weeks ago and the flavors sang with every bite! It tasted incredible, like a good thai restaurant’s. I am going to make it again soon. this was the first curry i have made and it was super easy. I put sweet potato and omitted the sugar just because of the extra sweetness. sending this to my mom!
Wonderful! I’m delighted you enjoyed it, Hannah.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made this for probably the fifth time tonight, and it I always adjust it to what I have on hand. Last time I added tofu, tonight I swapped the carrots and kale for summer squash and green beans, this recipe is amazing! Thank you Kate! Tonight I had to feed five artsy types with seriously sophisticated palates, and this recipe saved me. Thanks for always being an amazing resource!
This is such a great recipe! I’ve never seen my husband gobble down so many vegetables. I added organic edamame beans for protein.
This is the first recipe review I’ve ever left. I needed to let you know that this is the best red curry recipe ever, and I have cooked it at least 10 times in the past 6 months. An absolute staple – highly recommend to anyone wanting an easy but delicious curry option!!
Thank you, Sheri! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
Wonderful looking recipe. I plan to make it soon. For those who are vegan or vegetarian, Thai Kitchen Red Curry contains shrimp paste.
Hi Lori, I will need to check that again as the last time I checked it didn’t. Thanks for sharing!
I posted that Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste had shrimp paste in it. I was mistaken. Please forgive my comment. It was made with good intentions.
Another big kitchen win! You’re making me feel like an actual cook, ha ha! Thanks for this recipe. Delicious and super healthy.
Loved it! As a fellow vegetarian cook I was pleased with the dish, I had one question- does it thicken up for you naturally? I noticed mine was pretty thin. I did add zucchini to it which may have diluted the curry texture. So good though and I can’t wait to try the green curry as well.
Ps…I used the tofu which was browned around the edges, makes up for a better firm texture instead of fried or baked.
Hi, it’s not a thick consistency. Serving it with rice and the rice gets to absorb some of the liquid for a thicker consistency. I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kyra!
This was really good. I followed it exactly. There was a slight bitterness to it, very slight. I was wondering if the Thai curry brand you use makes a difference? What exact brand do you use? Or could it have been something else?
Also Any suggestion on how to make it spicy!? I really love spicy everything.
And for doubling the recipe would I just double the ingredients?
Hi, the curry you use can make a difference. I used Thai Kitchen brand. You can increase the amount of curry you use to make it more spicy, or add a hot sauce at the end.
Right above the ingredients list is a scale for double and triple portions.
This is the best vegan Thai curry I’ve ever had. I love all the yummy veggies in the curry too!
Ive been using this recipe for the past 6years. I love it. Thankyou Kate♥️
I love that, Mandy! Thank you for your review.
So nice to see your reply! I was so relieved hearing the good news about Cookie’s health just in time for Christmas last year. I was so glad. ♥️ Please give Cookie a big hug from me!!
Thank you, Mandy!
FYI: LaChoy is gluten free. Much tastier that gluten free kikoman. Whenever I see La Choy, I pick one up because it’s becoming harder to find. Yikes!
I doubled this recipe last Christmas Eve to serve our adult children and their families. It was a huge hit and may well become a family tradition! We have made many of your recipes and have never been disappointed! Thank you for your inspiration!
My husband and I love this recipe, as does our vegetarian daughter. We are making it tonite as we have this at least 3 times a month.
That’s great, Christina! I appreciate your review.
After trying different recipes, I have settled down on yours as it’s the best. I mix and match veggies, add pineapple, chicken, shrimp or tofu. My family likes the raw tofu better than the baked version as the raw tofu absorbs more flavor. Thank you for another flavorful recipe.
GB
You’re welcome, GB! Thank you for your review.
Delicious but definitely took me way longer than ten minutes to prep!! I have two small kids but still.
I’m glad you were able to enjoy it, Sara! Thank you for your review.
I made this recipe but swapped spinach for the kale, only because my daughter doesn’t like kale. Oh my gosh, it is delicious! A definite must-try! We will be making this recipe again for sure.
Wonderful, Holly! Thank you for your review.
I just wanted to say the Thai Kitchen brand is NOT vegetarian, it has shrimp paste in it.
Hi Jess, I will revisit it again. But last time I checked, it was vegetarian.
This recipe sounds/looks amazing! I found it doing a search for a vegan yellow curry recipe. I had one at a restaurant this past weekend and it was so delicious-I could literally eat it every day. Unfortunately I was out of town, so I can’t just pick it up. I’d love to try and recreate it at home. It had carrots, potatoes, broccoli, onions and carrots in it with a thick and creamy sauce. I’d I used your recipe here and swapped out the red curry paste for yellow do you think that would be good or would you recommend something else? Thanks so much! I’ll definitely be making this red curry as well!
You, Kate, are my discerning palate’s savior. Every recipe of yours, including this curry, is perfection. I blindly follow all your instructions because everything I make tastes better than what I expect it to.
You’re kind, Neena! Thank you for your review.
Perfect! Incredibly tasty recipe…thank you so much. :)
You’re welcome, Doris! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
I’ve made a lot of curry over the years and this is by far the best recipe I’ve ever made. The rice vinegar and soy sauce at the end really makes the dish. I’ve made as is, with sweet potato and now tonight, with 1 gold potato in place of the a bell pepper. If using potato, I recommend adding the kale after everything has simmered for a few minutes. The potatoes need more time to cook. It always turns out beautifully.
Thank you, Amanda! I’m happy to hear it.
This is the only red Thai curry recipe that works for me.
I’m glad you love it, Abi!
this recipes is one of the only one, i use more than ones.
Oh my goodness this is amazing! Even my three old loves this recipe! Sadly we never have any leftover because of how amazing it is. I have made this a few times now and it definitely has been added to the meal rotation. I also love how colorful this dish is and how interchangeable the vegetables are! But absolutely love the recipe as is!
I’m delighted you love it, Cait! Thank you for your review.
I made this with chicken and replaced bell peppers with a zucchini and a poblano pepper. Incredible – Exactly what I was looking for!
Thanks for your review! I’m glad it was just what you were looking for.
I’ve made this four times, and keep forgetting to add kale! It is fantastic and delicious and all my meat-loving friends enjoy it a lot and don’t miss the meat at all. And it is delicious the next day too.
Yes, it makes great leftovers! I appreciate your review.
I was wondering if you have any ideas for a substitute for the coconut milk. I’d like to try something like soy with a lower fat content but not sure if it will ruin the flavor of the Thai dish since coconut milk is ubiquitous in most recipes. Any suggestions?
The flavor will be different and texture. You could try cashew milk perhaps? Although, I haven’t tried it.
Can I substitute kale with fresh spinach?
Sure! That would work well too.
We made this curry for 40 people yesterday. Incredible. This is my favorite Thai dish, and the only one I ever order when I go to a Thai restaurant. And this one was right up there. After eating it my mouth was glowing.
I was looking for a vegetarian dinner dish and what a find!! Very delicious recipe! My husband love it too (he loves his lamb chops but he was very surprised how delicious this was). I followed the recipe step by step, added broccoli as an extra vegetable. This now is on my favourite recipe list! Thank you.
Thanks for this recipe. I love this curry!! I did add my own touches with the addition of a teaspoon of fish sauce, pineapple tidbits and a dash of sweet thai chili. .
This is one of my absolutely favorite recipes. It’s like a hug in a bowl. Thank you so much for delivering such healthy and delicious recipes!!!
You’re welcome, Taylor! I’m glad you love this recipe.