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    Oh My Veggies » Vegan Recipes » Vegan Main Dishes

    Thai Red Curry with Asparagus and Tofu

    Published: Apr 5, 2019 · by Nicole · Updated: Aug 31, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    This Thai Red Curry is packed with delicious veggies like asparagus and tofu, and simmered in a sweet and savory red curry broth. Totally delicious - plus it's vegetarian and vegan friendly too.

    Thai Red Curry in Skillet

    This recipe for Thai Red Curry with Asparagus and Tofu is simply amazing and is so easy to make. It's quickly become one of my favorite easy weeknight dinners.

    Tips & Tricks

    Press the tofu. To get that nice crispy tofu, make sure you take the time to press the tofu before cooking! Use a tofu press and press for at least 30 minutes.

    Serving Ideas. Serve this red curry over rice noodles or steamed rice. It's terrific with both white rice (we recommend a nice jasmine rice for this dish) or brown rice. You really can't go wrong.

    Red Curry Paste. The red curry paste is the secret ingredient in this recipe! So be sure to use a high quality brand. I personally use this one!

    More Tasty Ideas

    If you love this red curry recipe, be sure to check out these other delicious ideas:

    • Red Curry Lentils
    • Thai Red Curry Soup
    • Best Vegetarian Thai Recipes
    Thai Red Curry on Plate

    Thai Red Curry with Asparagus and Tofu

    A vegetarian red curry adapted from Everyday Food's Beef-and-Asparagus Curry.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Email Recipe
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Asian
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Thai Red Curry with Asparagus and Tofu, vegetarian red curry
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 150kcal
    Author: Oh My Veggies

    Ingredients

    • 1 tbsp peanut oil canola or vegetable oil works too
    • 14 oz extra-firm tofu pressed for 30 minutes (you can use a tofu press), cut into triangles
    • 13.5 oz canned light coconut milk unsweetened
    • ¼ cup Thai red curry paste
    • ¾ cup vegetable broth
    • 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari
    • 1 tbsp light brown sugar
    • 1 red bell pepper medium, thinly sliced
    • 1 lb asparagus tough ends removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
    • cooked rice or rice noodles for serving
    • lime wedges for garnish
    • cilantro leaves for garnish
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Heat peanut oil in large wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add tofu triangles and cook for 5 minutes; flip tofu over and cook 5 minutes more on other side. Place tofu on a plate lined with paper towels (to soak up excess oil) and wipe out skillet (carefully!).
    • Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add ½ cup of coconut milk and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens (about 2 minutes). Stir in red curry paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
    • Add remaining coconut milk, broth, soy sauce, and sugar. Once sauce comes to a simmer, add red pepper; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in asparagus and cook 3 minutes more.
    • Return tofu to skillet and stir until coated with curry sauce.
    • Remove from heat and serve over noodles or rice; garnish with lime wedges and cilantro.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 150kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 11gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 411mgPotassium: 455mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 4212IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 4mg
    Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
    « Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes (Gluten-free)
    Plant-Powered Protein Pancakes »

    Vegan Main Dishes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Main Dishes, Vegetarian Recipes asparagus, curry, fall, gluten-free, main dishes, red peppers, spring, thai, tofu

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Adrienne @ How to Ice a Cake says

      April 09, 2012 at 8:06 am

      Man I love good Thai food. I've never bought red curry paste before. Any recommendations on brand?

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 09, 2012 at 11:10 am

        The only brand my grocery store sells is Thai Kitchen, so that's always the brand I use! 🙂 (And it's good too.)

        Reply
    2. Lori Popkewitz Alper says

      April 09, 2012 at 10:55 am

      Can't wait to try this. I love anything with curry. Do you think the recipe would work without the brown sugar? Any replacements you would suggest?

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 09, 2012 at 11:09 am

        I think it would be fine without brown sugar. It gives it a subtle sweet flavor, but if you don't mind omitting that, I don't think it would be a problem. Otherwise, I think agave nectar would work...

        Reply
    3. The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh says

      April 09, 2012 at 11:32 am

      We're not Thai food people but I like everything in this so I'm gonna make it! 🙂

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 10, 2012 at 8:15 am

        Really?! Oh man, Thai food is one of my favorite things ever. 😀

        Reply
    4. Genevieve says

      April 09, 2012 at 5:31 pm

      I love red curry, and I think asparagus would work really well in it, even if its not particularly authentic. It's the taste that matters, so if you managed to create a good Thai recipe that you love, then I think that's impressive!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 10, 2012 at 8:14 am

        Asparagus is good in just about anything, I think. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Julie says

      April 09, 2012 at 5:45 pm

      I love Thai food! We were so spoiled in NYC with amazing Thai restaurants on every corner, but now I'm left to making it on my own. I'm looking forward to trying this one and agree rice with curry is a home run. 🙂

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 10, 2012 at 8:12 am

        Let me know if you ever find a good, authentic tasting pad Thai recipe. Because I would LOVE to be able to make that, but every recipe I've tried tastes nothing like pad Thai at all. And yes, curry is made for rice! The noodles were okay, but they don't soak up the sauce very well.

        Reply
    6. Connie says

      April 09, 2012 at 6:04 pm

      Yum! I love Thai food but have only tried to make it at home once. I need to try again.

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 10, 2012 at 8:09 am

        This is a good recipe to make if you try again--it tastes pretty authentic and, even better, it's really easy. 🙂

        Reply
    7. gem says

      April 09, 2012 at 6:13 pm

      Love tofu - this would be a great recipe to try!

      Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 10, 2012 at 8:08 am

        I'm not crazy about tofu in general, but I LOVE tofu when it's cooked in a little bit of oil like in this recipe. 😀

        Reply
    8. Natalie says

      April 09, 2012 at 6:32 pm

      I need to find a cheaper version of curry paste so I can try Thai recipes at home! Those little tiny jars are so expensive, but I think I've seen bigger tubs at Asian markets for half the price .. I'm definitely searching for them next time I go, I can't wait to make my own curries!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 10, 2012 at 8:07 am

        We just went to the Asian market over the weekend--I should have looked for curry paste! I buy those tiny jars, but one of them tends to last a while for us, so I don't mind too much. 🙂

        Reply
      • Rachel R. says

        April 10, 2012 at 2:35 pm

        I find that prices at Asian markets are substantially cheaper than shopping in the 'ethnic aisle' of a major grocery store, and there's more selection.

        Reply
    9. Matt @ FaveHealthyRecipes says

      April 09, 2012 at 6:51 pm

      This looks so good! I've never made Thai food at home before, so I will definitely have to save this recipe for later.

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 10, 2012 at 8:03 am

        I'm always scared to cook Thai (and Indian) at home, but this recipe is totally doable and it tastes just like takeout--but healthier, I'm sure. 🙂

        Reply
    10. BusyWorkingMama says

      April 09, 2012 at 9:29 pm

      I so much prefer rice to rice noodles. It looks colorful and delicious!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 10, 2012 at 8:02 am

        I should have gone with my gut and used rice in the first place! But at least this gave me the chance to try out those new brown rice noodles...

        Reply
    11. CulinarilyCourtney says

      April 09, 2012 at 10:33 pm

      Ooooh, this also looks like a great way to make tofu. I have never tried making my own curry, but I definitely love eating it when I go out. Such a colorful and tasty looking recipe!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 10, 2012 at 8:01 am

        I tried making Thai curry a few times in the past and they were overwhelmingly spicy--so much so that the spiciness drowned out all the other flavors. This one is so much better and super, super easy!

        Reply
    12. Stephanie @ henry happened says

      April 09, 2012 at 10:36 pm

      I've never tried making Thai but this looks totally doable! I'm obsessed with spring rolls tho - I craved those big time in my 1st trimester.

      P.S. Your blog looks lovely!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 10, 2012 at 7:59 am

        Now that I've had success with curry, I need to give pad Thai another try. I've made so many different recipes and they always turn out so bland and NOT like pad Thai at all. I bet spring rolls would be easy to make!

        You're the first person to mention my redesign, which worries me. I hope it's not a case of "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!" 😉

        Reply
    13. Shirley says

      April 09, 2012 at 10:52 pm

      They serve pizza at Chinese buffets?? lol I hear of fried chicken and french fries, but that's one I haven't heard. I know how you feel though, I feel like my Indian dishes never taste like the restaurants'. And I love rice noodles, but rice is always the best gravy-soaker. 🙂 I am a big tofu fan, and I'm definitely trying this one!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 10, 2012 at 7:56 am

        Yes, they do! I think I've been to a Chinese buffet about twice in the past 10 years and both times, I ended up getting pizza to round out my plate because there weren't many vegetarian options. And both times, I realized that was a bad decision.

        I hope you like the recipe if you try it--definitely serve it with rice! I'm not a big tofu fan, but I love it when it's fried in a little bit of oil to make it chewy. 🙂

        Reply
    14. Lolo says

      April 10, 2012 at 2:16 am

      Wow. This looks absolutely amazing!! I am not much of a tofu person, but I would love to try it with chicken!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 10, 2012 at 7:52 am

        I think this would be good with just about anything! 🙂 I love red curry!

        Reply
    15. Rachel R. says

      April 10, 2012 at 2:36 pm

      Pinning this 🙂 Now I know what veggies to buy at the farmer's market this week, so I can make this soon. I love Thai food.

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 10, 2012 at 5:15 pm

        The best thing about this recipe is that it's so versatile--you could totally use any vegetables that look good at the market!

        Reply
    16. April H says

      April 10, 2012 at 9:57 pm

      I love red curry! So delicious!

      Reply
    17. Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says

      April 11, 2012 at 1:01 pm

      I love the way you incorporated seasonal veggies into the mix! My Thai food is always a little off too - I don't know what the deal is. I've never tried red curry though or any curry paste - does it end up tasting/smelling differently than curry powder?

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 11, 2012 at 7:55 pm

        I think curry powder is Indian food and paste is Thai food. The flavor is totally different because I think the curry powder is just ground up curry leaves, but the curry paste has lots of different spices added in. And the curry paste doesn't have that curry powder smell at all. You like spicy food, so I bet you'd like it!

        Reply
    18. Elina (Healthy and Sane) says

      April 12, 2012 at 9:29 am

      What a gorgeous and colorful dish! I'm pinning it right away - I love trying to make ethnic food at home (although just like you, most of the time it's delicious but not quite like the restaurant).

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 12, 2012 at 7:37 pm

        Thank you! I'm a big believer in home cooking, but when it comes to ethnic foods, not so much. 🙂 But this curry is the best I've made by far!

        Reply
    19. [email protected] says

      April 12, 2012 at 9:46 pm

      Thai Kitchen red curry paste is what we have, too. I do need to start putting the Asian market into my rounds-- I know I can get young coconuts, curry paste, and lots of other things there for less. Pad Thai is never going to be on my menu because I can't have peanuts, but I have been making Asian-style sauces using almond butter instead (along with the usual Asian type ingredients like sesame, ginger, tamari, and rice vinegar).

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 13, 2012 at 8:59 pm

        I need to start taking advantage of our local Asian market too. Whenever I go there, I usually go for a few specific things (and the mango smoothies) and forget to look to see what else they have.

        Reply
    20. Brenda Williams says

      April 15, 2012 at 4:19 pm

      I love this recipe. Photos are beautiful.

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 15, 2012 at 5:01 pm

        Thanks! I dropped my old lens, so this is the first set of photos I took with the new one--I was really happy with how they turned out! 🙂

        Reply
    21. hobbit says

      December 11, 2012 at 2:55 pm

      my first attempt at Thai and what a success! Thank you for the easy and flavor packed recipe.

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        December 11, 2012 at 7:37 pm

        I'm glad it turned out well! This is one of the few Thai recipes I can make myself too. 😀

        Reply
    22. Karen says

      January 08, 2014 at 11:30 pm

      Our local Thai restaurant has a black bean curry dish specialty that features asparagus and cashews. I keep trying to duplicate it with no success. I've come up with some good dishes but they don't taste the same. I'm going to try this with chicken and black bean sauce to see.....

      Reply
      • Kiersten Frase says

        January 09, 2014 at 8:09 pm

        I'm always trying to duplicate restaurant recipes too! Maybe this one will give you a good starting point. 🙂

        Reply
    23. Lynn @ oh-soyummy says

      March 20, 2014 at 3:33 am

      Delicious! Made this tonight with about 90% of the red curry paste listed (for my spice tolerance). I would also cook the red bell pepper for one extra minute since hubby likes veggies a little more cooked! Coconut plus curry = GOOD! Thanks for this recipe!

      Reply
      • Kiersten Frase says

        March 20, 2014 at 7:58 pm

        I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe! I was just thinking about this one the other day since asparagus is in season again. 🙂

        Reply
    24. Alex says

      December 08, 2014 at 4:41 pm

      Any idea how the sauce (without the tofu) would hold up in the freezer? I'd love to freeze a portion and then just add tofu back in when I reheat.

      Reply
    25. Rachel says

      March 04, 2015 at 4:22 pm

      This was lovely! Would increasing the amount of red curry paste increase the spice level? I could do with a little more kick.

      Reply
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    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
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