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Thai Sweet Potato Coconut Red Curry

Published: / Updated: / 24 Comments

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This vegan Thai sweet potato curry is a hearty plant-based meal that's healthy, flavorful, comforting, and filling. Easy to cook & it makes great leftovers!

thai vegan coconut sweet potato curry in a bowl garnished with lime over rice
Photos updated 5/18

I love making Thai-inspired recipes. Where has this Thai vegetable curry been all my life?! It's really easy to make, and a pot of it is easily 5-6 meals for me. It reheats like a dream (great for work lunches!), I get some veggies, and the coconut milk makes it luxuriously creamy. 

This is definitely one of the best vegan recipes I've ever made. The sweet potatoes just melt in your mouth... and they release starch to make the creamy coconut sauce extra delicious. 

bowl of raw chopped sweet potatoes

This vegan coconut curry is simple to prepare. You just chop things as you go along and add them to the pot. It doesn't take much effort, any particularly fancy ingredients, or too much time.

Tips for making the best vegan Thai curry

  • The juice from half a lime goes into the pot while cooking this meal, but I suggest serving it with extra lime on the side so everyone can adjust this recipe to their individual taste preferences. It's a little sweet and a little sour and a whole lot of delicious.
  • You can also adjust the amount of curry paste to suit your preferences. I kept it at a heaping tablespoon. The finished result offers plenty of flavor and a little heat, but not more than I, the spice wuss, can handle. The fresh ginger also adds a bit of heat and zing, so keep that in mind.
  • You'll notice that I served this with rice. That's optional. I typically measure out 1/4 cup uncooked jasmine rice, cook it, and add it to the pot when everything else is done.
  • In the recipe I recommend adding fresh basil and cilantro in at the end. If you're tempted to skip that step, I do suggest using at least one of the two herbs - it really does add another dimension of flavor and freshness to this bowl of comfort.
  • I've made this easy coconut curry with more veggies than indicated (e.g. a large sweet potato and more than one large carrot), so I simply add more vegetable broth to the pot so the veggies are covered when you're simmering them.
  • I recommend using full fat coconut milk as suggested for this sweet potato curry recipe. I've also found out the hard way that the brand very much matters. Some are thin and watery, so I always use Thai Kitchen brand. 

close-up of thai vegan coconut curry in a bowl garnished with lime

More Thai-inspired recipes to try:

vegan thai coconut sweet potato curry in a bowl with a spoon

I really hope you enjoy this vegan Thai coconut curry recipe! Do you enjoy Thai-inspired recipes?

Let me know in the comments below if you've made it or if you have any questions.

This Thai vegan coconut curry is a full of delicious vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, and red peppers. This simple red curry is one of the best recipes out there!

Thai Sweet Potato Coconut Red Curry

This vegan sweet potato curry is a hearty plant-based meal that's healthy, flavorful, comforting, and filling. It makes great leftovers!
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4
Calories 319 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 medium sweet potato peeled and cut into 1/2" thick pieces
  • 1 large carrot sliced
  • 1 (13.5 ounce) can full fat coconut milk
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger finely chopped
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1-2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
  • 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • Juice of 1/2 lime + extra lime wedges for serving
  • 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
  • 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Small handful fresh basil chopped
  • Small handful fresh cilantro chopped
  • Cooked rice (optional see note below)

Instructions
 

  • Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a fairly large soup pot. Add the onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. It's ok if it goes a little brown - that adds more flavor.
  • Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for about a minute, stirring, until fragrant.
  • Add the veg broth, curry paste, sweet potato, and carrot. Stir. Increase heat so it comes to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, red pepper, lime juice, and sugar. Increase heat to medium-high and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes (if it's bubbling furiously, reduce the heat). The sauce will thicken up a bit and the veggies will fully soften.
  • Before serving, add the chopped herbs and cooked rice to the pot or to each bowl depending on how you want to serve it. Serve with extra lime wedges on the side.

Notes

  • Serves 4-6.
  • I recommend playing with the curry paste, lime, and soy sauce quantities to suit your individual tastes. I'd stick to one tablespoon of curry paste if you're not a big spice fan. The ginger also adds a bit of heat, so keep that in mind. I sometimes add a bit of extra soy sauce (I like it salty) and some extra lime to my bowl.
  • I measure 1/4 cup uncooked rice, cook it, and then add it to the pot at the end. This isn't a lot of rice for such a large quantity of curry, so keep that in mind if you want a full serving of rice for each person. I think this curry is hearty enough without a lot of rice, so that's why I don't add much.
  • I use Thai Kitchen red curry paste in this recipe. It's vegan. Some others contain fish ingredients so just make sure to read the label if that's an issue.
  • The brand of coconut milk matters! I use Thai Kitchen brand because it's less watery/richer than other brands I've tried.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 4gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 19gSodium: 653mgPotassium: 562mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 12402IUVitamin C: 47mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Thai sweet potato curry
Author Natasha Bull
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  1. PB says

    5 stars
    I couldn't decide between this recipe and another one I found so I combined them, mainly using this recipe for the spices, sauce, and instructions.
    Makes a lot. My vegetarian son loved it. Even my meat-eating huz liked it. It was a bit spicy, but only seemed so at first, but I did add Thai Garlic Chile Paste (a little) because I like spicy. I used a VERY big sweet potato and no carrot, and added a can of chickpeas, and a cup of red lentils, and some canned diced tomatoes. But I give kudos to this recipe for its flavor, and ingredients.

    Reply

  4. Lars Humlebaek says

    This recipe sounds very delicious. Do you know if it could be prepared in a slow cooker?
    Any advise on how to adjust the preparations would be greatly appreciated.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Lars!! Hmm... I think it could work. The simplest thing to do would be to add everything to the slow cooker except for the coconut milk and lime juice and cook for 3 hours or so on high or 6-8 hours on low (I am just guessing here since I haven't tested), then adding those 2 ingredients in at the end and letting it warm through. However... the sautéing step really helps add flavor, so you could always do that and then transfer it to a slow cooker, but that does mean more dishes. Let me know if you give it a try!

      Reply

  5. Duggan says

    5 stars
    Kicked mine up a heat level by adding a halved serrano in with the carrots and potatoes, then added a little more meatiness to it with sliced mushrooms with the red bell peppers, great recipe and fun to customize! Thanks!

    Reply

  6. Mimi Woodham says

    This looks very tasty. I will have to try soon. My favorite Thai places is miles and miles away. This will ease the pain.

    Reply

  7. Denise Browning says

    A hearty and mouthwatering vegetarian stew to feast the eyes and palate. Love your creations, Natasha!!!

    Reply

  8. Jennifer says

    Your ingredients list says tsps of curry paste, but your notes refer to tbsps of curry paste. I assume you mean tbsps, but not everyone reads the note. Sounds good--I'm trying to cut back on meat and I love Thai.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Oh geez, sorry, yes, it should be 1-2 tablespoons of curry paste. I proofread that recipe like 5x and still missed it. 🙁 Good catch! Hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply

  9. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    I absolutely love any, and everything, curry so this dish is definitely screaming my name! Plus I'm rather obsessed with sweet potatoes as well, so I love they they are the star of this dish! I can totally see why you have been eating this on repeat - it looks FABULOUS! Cheers, girlfriend!

    Reply