This vegan red curry tofu bowl is a vibrant, nutrient-packed bowl filled with a colorful mix of greens, vegetables, grains, tofu, and a delicious red coconut curry sauce.
Oh, the struggle to name this bowl was real!
With a mix of rice, tofu, curry, edamame, and veggies, I juggled calling it a Buddha bowl, power bowl, Thai-inspired bowl, grain bowl, or salad bowl. Finally, I landed on Red Curry Tofu Bowl.
Why? It's all about that luscious vegan red curry and coconut milk sauce that coats the tofu, making it an irresistibly vegan, Thai-inspired, silky, and flavorful dish.
Looking for more vegan curry recipes? Try Split Mung Bean Curry Recipe or Chickpea Coconut Curry Soup.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This bowl has lots of fresh ingredients.
- With the right tips, you can whip this up in just 20 minutes. Check out the ingredients and tips below to make this meal quick and easy to prepare.
- Keep the ingredients in separate containers to assemble your bowl fresh daily.
- This sauce is creamy, delicious, and super simple to make.
Ingredients
Here is everything you need to make this vegan coconut red curry with tofu recipe. See the recipe card for details.
Red Curry Sauce Ingredients
Bowl Ingredients
- Coconut Oil: Use refined coconut oil. It is processed to have a neutral taste and a higher smoke point, making it ideal for cooking. You can substitute it with another oil if that's all you have.
- Red Curry Paste: For your reference, I use the Thai Kitchen brand. You can find it in the international section of grocery stores.
- Coconut Milk: Full-fat coconut milk works best in this dish. The light coconut milk will be too thin, but coconut cream will add a nice thickness to the sauce.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce substitutes for fish sauce in traditional red curry recipes. Use vegan fish sauce, coconut aminos, or tamari for a gluten-free alternative.
- Carrots and Cabbage: When meal prepping, I'm okay with using a food processor to shred a head of cabbage and some carrots to keep in the fridge. However, I opt for pre-shredded bags for a quicker lunch or dinner without the hassle.
- Edamame: I find them in the grocery store's frozen section and quickly defrost them on the stove in some salted boiling water for a few minutes.
- Ginger: I store my ginger in the freezer and whip it out for a 'grate' time whenever I cook. If you’re a fan of shortcuts like me, though, snag some of Trader Joe’s frozen ginger cubes. They’re a gem for lazy chefs and are found with the veggies in the freezer aisle. Oddly, they’re not listed on their website so I can't link it for you, but that’s where you’ll find them!
- Grains: I use white rice as my preferred grain for this bowl but feel free to use any grain you prefer.
Variations
- Just like the in Thai Basil Pesto and Vegan Tom Yum Noodle Soup, Thai basil makes everything better. Add it to this bowl for a delicious addition.
- Substitute the edamame for chickpeas for variation.
- Add quinoa or cauliflower rice as a low-carb alternative to rice.
- Substitute the rice with rice noodles for variation.
- Add different veggies such as red bell peppers, snap peas, baby corn, green bell peppers, or zucchini for varied textures and flavors.
How To Make Vegan Red Curry Tofu Bowls
Here are some pictures for you to see what you'll be doing. See the printable recipe card below for details.
Step 1: Cook the rice and set aside.
Step 2: While the grains do their thing, get your veggies ready—wash and chop.
Step 3: In a large skillet, warm up some coconut oil. Add the garlic and fresh ginger. Then, toss in the red curry paste and saute for another minute.
Step 4: Pour in coconut milk. Let it simmer for a bit.
Step 5: The soy sauce and brown sugar go in next. Stir and let it bubble for a bit.
Step 6: Tofu’s turn. Slide in the tofu cubes. Stir it around till it's all warmed up, then off the heat and hit it with a zing of lime and some cilantro.
Step 7: Add a heap of the rice in a bowl, then artfully place your veggies around like you’re painting a picture.
Step 8: Sauce it up. Lavishly pour sauce and tofu mix over your bowls. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt if desired if you have not salted your edamame.
Optional: Serve with lime wedges and garnish with salted peanuts, green onions, chili flakes, or chopped fresh chives.
Top Tips
- To drain and dry tofu, wrap it in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel, place it on a plate, then set a heavy object on top for about 20 minutes to press out excess moisture.
- Salt is added during boiling or sprinkled directly on fresh edamame before serving.
- To make this an even quicker dish, buy pre-shredded carrots, cabbage, and prewashed greens.
Storage and Reheating
Store the leftovers in individual air-tight containers and use within 3-4 days.
The shredded cabbage tends to oxidize and darken quickly, so keep it dry and store it in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag with a paper towel inside to absorb excess moisture. This can help maintain freshness and extend its shelf life in the refrigerator slightly longer.
If you want to create individual meals for a grab-and-go lunch, lunch, or dinner, pack the fresh ingredients like greens, avocado, and cucumber separately and add them after you've heated the other ingredients.
Reheat in the microwave at 50 percent for about 5 minutes. You can also mix everything but the fresh ingredients in a pan to heat on the stove.
Store the rice, edamame, red curry sauce, and tofu in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. The other ingredients are best served when ready to eat.
Tofu Bowl FAQS
While I like the silkiness of adding undoctored tofu to the sauce, you can certainly air fry, bake, or pan fry the tofu, too.
Drain, yes. Press, no. However, pressing the tofu helps eliminate excess moisture leading to a better absorption of the sauce's flavors for your tofu red curry bowl.
No, many red curry sauces include fish sauce or shrimp paste. Although you can replace fish sauce with vegan fish sauce, it can be tough to find locally. Soy sauce works well as a substitute, providing a rich, umami flavor that makes you forget all about the fish sauce.
More Vegan Salads and Bowls You'll Love
Got a minute? Dive into the comments and rate this Vegan Red Curry Tofu Bowl to let me know how it turned out for you. Was it a hit? Any twists you added? I want to know if my directions were any good. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for inspiration.
Vegan Red Curry Tofu Bowl
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 14 ounce can of coconut milk full fat for creaminess
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for a gluten-free option
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice ~ 1 lemon
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 14 ounce box of firm or extra tofu drained, pressed, and cubed
For the Bowls
- 1 ½ cups uncooked grains jasmine rice, basmati, brown rice, or millet are great choices
- 2-3 cups leafy greens spinach, kale, or mixed greens work well
- 1 ½ - 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 English cucumber sliced
- 1 ½- 2 cups red cabbage shredded
- 1 Hass avocado sliced (each bowl uses ¼ of the avocado)
- 16 ounce bag of frozen edamame or use about 2 cups of fresh
Instructions
- Heat Pan: Heat the coconut oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, sautéing until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the Curry Paste: Stir in the red curry paste, mixing with the oil and sautéed aromatics, cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the paste becomes fragrant. This step helps to release the flavors of the spices in the curry paste.
- Mix in Coconut Milk: Shake the can well before opening then pour in the can of coconut milk. Stir well to integrate the curry paste thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a soft simmer.
- Season: Add the soy sauce and brown sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Add Tofu: Add the tofu and incorporate well into the sauce. Let it simmer and heat through for about 5-7 minutes.
- Finish the Sauce: Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the fresh lime juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce or lime juice if needed.
- Assemble: To assemble the red curry tofu bowls, layer your ingredients side by side, then top with tofu and a generous helping of the spicy red curry sauce.
- Top With Garnishes: Optional - top with salted peanuts, green onions, chili flakes, or chopped fresh chives.
Cameron says
This was delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Regi Pearce says
Thanks for commenting! Glad you enjoyed it.