Vegan Peanut Curry with Smoked Tofu Recipe

Name: Vegan Peanut Curry with Smoked Tofu Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: neutral oil or vegetable broth to sauté; 1 large shallot (finely diced); 1 " piece of ginger (grated); 5 cloves garlic (grated); 1-2 thai chili peppers (finely minced); 1 cup carrots (julienned or thinly sliced); 3 tbsp red or yellow curry paste; 2-3 tbsp creamy unsalted peanut butter; 1 can of full fat coconut milk; juice of 1/2 lime; 1 tbsp coconut aminos or gluten free soy sauce; 2 cups broccoli or cauliflower florets; 1 cup cooked chickpeas; 8 oz extra firm smoked tofu (diced); to garnish; fresh cilantro or herbs of choice; crushed roasted peanuts; chili flakes (to taste)

By Remy

Mar 12, 2021 • Updated Sep 11, 2023

5 Comments

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An easy weeknight meal that doubles as a fridge cleanout, this Vegan Thai Peanut Curry Recipe is full of nutrition, absolutely delicious, and easy to whip up in under 30 minutes. Plus, it makes for easy meal prep lunches too!

peanut curry over white rice in a bowl and topped with garnish

What Makes This Recipe Great

This Peanut Curry with Smoked Tofu is an easy, quick, and nourishing meal that’s perfect for weeknight dinners! It’s naturally vegan and gluten-free, customizable, high in protein, and full of flavour and spice. You can make this vegan curry with added chickpeas, as I did, leftover veggies (great to clean out the fridge), and even frozen veggies.

It has a rich and creamy peanut curry sauce made with coconut milk, creamy peanut butter, and Thai curry paste, plus fresh lime juice for balance and a hint of acid. If you like it spicy, use a heavy hand with your chili peppers/pepper flakes, or make it mild and leave them out.

You can’t go wrong with this amazing vegan curry!

What is Smoked Tofu?

I like to use smoked tofu when making this recipe as it adds extra flavor to the dish without any additional prep work needed. You can purchase smoked tofu at the store, and it’s typically extra firm tofu that has been seasoned and smoked.

Essentially, buying tofu pre-seasoned and smoked helps you save time in the kitchen! Since this recipe is one of my personal favourite go-to’s when I’m in a rush, I find that this is a great convenience addition.

If you prefer, you can use unseasoned tofu and bake it with your favourite seasonings of choice as well.

a close up of a bowl of vegan curry topped with cilantro and crushed peanuts.

How to Make Vegan Peanut Curry

To make this vegan curry recipe, you only need one pan! In total, it should take only 20-30 minutes, less if you’re using leftovers, and you can skip some prep time. All of your ingredients can be sourced easily from your local grocery store or Asian market.

Ingredient Notes

neutral oil or vegetable broth to sauté:
ginger
garlic
Thai chili peppers
curry paste: Feel free to use yellow or red curry paste, depending on your taste preferences.
creamy unsalted peanut butter
can of full-fat coconut milk: I don’t recommend using the refrigerated version, as it’s not thick enough for the coconut curry sauce.
lime juice
coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce (Tamari)
veggies: broccoli or cauliflower florets, carrots, and large shallot.
cooked chickpeas
extra firm smoked tofu: You can buy this from the store already smoked, which makes it more convenient to prepare.

Garnish

fresh cilantro or herbs of choice
crushed roasted peanuts
chili flakes: Use more or less depending on spice preferences.

Step-by-Step Instructions

In a large pan, sauté your shallot with a touch of neutral oil or veggie broth (if excluding oil) for a few minutes over medium heat until fragrant. Add ginger, garlic, chili, and sliced carrots and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Next, add curry paste and peanut butter, sautéing again for a few minutes before adding coconut milk to the pan. Stir to dissolve curry paste and bring to a simmer. Add vegetable broth if needed to thin.
Add broccoli florets to cook for 2-3 minutes, then add coconut aminos, lime juice, chickpeas, and tofu. Stir well and season with salt and pepper if needed.
When ready to serve, enjoy your vegan curry over white rice with crushed peanuts, fresh cilantro, or herbs of choice, and a sprinkle of additional chili flakes.

a bowl of peanut curry served over rice and topped with cilantro and crushed peanuts.

Secrets to Success

Feel free to use this as an opportunity to clean out the produce in your fridge and use whatever veggies you have on hand. Besides the ones I already listed, the following would work really well: yellow or red bell pepper, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, spinach, snap peas, onion, gold potatoes, and more!
I don’t recommend using refrigerated coconut milk, as it’s not thick enough for the coconut curry sauce. Use the canned, unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk.

Serving Tips

I generally like to serve this peanut curry with a fresh pot of basmati rice or jasmine rice and some fresh sprouts or greens. It’s delicious with noodles, however, and also really lovely with additional vegetable broth as more of a curried tofu stew or hearty soup. If desired, you can swap the white rice for brown rice or cauliflower rice.
Some highly recommended but optional garnish ingredients include fresh lime, crushed roasted peanuts, fresh herbs, extra chili flakes, and/or pickled veg.

Storage Tips & Meal Prep

Store leftover peanut curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
This vegan curry recipe is an amazing meal prep dish as you can prepare the curry in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
I would recommend doubling the recipe, then storing the sauce without rice.
To serve, you can prepare rice or defrost rice and add the sauce on top to avoid the rice becoming soggy.

Recipe FAQs

What is vegan curry made of?

Vegan curry recipes are made without any animal products like dairy or chicken broth. This is relatively easy because, generally, curry is made with coconut milk, which is vegan and non-dairy. Most vegan curry recipes include a large selection of veggies and sometimes include tofu as a source of protein instead of meat like chicken breast or beef.

What can I use in curry instead of meat?

If you’re looking for additional protein, lentils or tofu are a great option in vegan curry.

More Easy Vegan Lunch Recipes

15 Minute Spicy Almond Butter Noodles

Everything Bagel Crusted Tofu Sandwich

Sweet + Spicy Stir-Fried Noodles

Garden Poké Bowl

Healthy Mushroom Miso Ramen

If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!