Does a meal that’s super simple, incredibly flavorful, and also nutritious actually exist? Yes, yes it does, and this is it. This Thai Green Curry is so good and seriously quick to whip up any night of the week. It’s packed with vegetables and is versatile enough that you can use whatever vegetables or protein you have on hand. Plus, you can easily adjust the amount of spice in this recipe to your liking, and doubling it is a cinch if you need to feed a crowd.
THE SECRET TO FAST THAI GREEN CURRY
Do you want to know the secret to making curry really quickly (dare I say curry in a hurry?)? Using roasted frozen vegetables! While freshly chopped vegetables are also delicious (see the FAQS for how to use fresh veggies), this recipe is made in a flash because you throw these pre-chopped frozen veggies into the oven and roast them for a few minutes while you’re starting to cook the curry. You’ve probably had the experience of eating sad, soggy frozen vegetables, but roasting them helps to keep them crisp. They taste great and are still so nutritious!
INGREDIENTS FOR THAI GREEN CURRY
- OLIVE OIL
- MINCED GARLIC: feel free to use pre-minced garlic or to mince your own
- FROZEN VEGETABLES: I use what’s sometimes called a “California Blend” that consists of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. It’s easy to find and works well in this recipe, but a bag of just broccoli or cauliflower would work great too.
- CURRY PASTE: I use Thai Kitchen brand because it’s easy to find in stores. See the FAQ below for information on using different brands.
- BROWN SUGAR: while I prefer brown sugar in this recipe, white granulated sugar also works
- COCONUT MILK: use full-fat for a creamy, dreamy sauce, but low-fat will be delicious too
- SOY SAUCE
- VINEGAR
- CHOPPED SPINACH OR KALE
- CHOPPED CILANTRO FOR SERVING
- RICE FOR SERVING: this green curry tastes great over any type of rice! Traditionally, it would be served over jasmine rice (which is especially delicious!) but not a requirement.
- OPTIONAL: protein, such as lentils, great northern/cannellini beans, chicken, beef. See the FAQ section below for more ideas.
HOW TO MAKE THAI GREEN CURRY
Step 1
Turn your oven on to 400 degrees. While it’s preheating, cover a baking pan in parchment paper or a silicone baking mat or foil. Spread frozen vegetables on the baking, spreading them out so that they’re not touching each other much. Bake at 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until they’re tender but not mushy. Do NOT add any sort of oil or seasonings to them before you bake them (trust me).
Step 2
While the vegetables are roasting, dice your onion. In a medium frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes and then add garlic and onion to the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the onion begins to soften, stirring every minute or so. While the garlic and onion are cooking, chop your greens. Nothing fancy here – you’re just roughly chopping them a bit. Set aside.
Step 3
When the vegetables are done roasting, add them into the garlic and onion mixture, along with the ginger and curry paste. Stir well to combine and cook for two more minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 4
Add in the coconut milk and sugar, stirring thoroughly. This is the time to add in any protein, such as canned lentils or beans or cooked chicken or beef. Allow the curry to begin to almost boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low so that it simmers. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes to create a rich, fragrant sauce.
Step 5
Toss in the chopped greens and mix until the greens have wilted (about one minute). Then add in the soy sauce and vinegar until thoroughly combined.
Step 6
Remove from the heat and serve over rice, adding chopped cilantro and salt to taste. Enjoy yumminess!
ALLERGY GUIDE
Gluten Free: use gluten free soy sauce (tamari). Double check that your curry paste is gluten free (most are).
Dairy free: this recipe is dairy free!
FAQS & TIPS
What does Thai Green Curry taste like?
Thai green curry has a creamy texture (thank you coconut milk!) and a warming flavor. You can adjust how “hot” it is by adding more or less curry paste, since that’s the source of any spiciness in this recipe.
Do I have to use frozen vegetables?
Nope! To use fresh vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, etc), simply add the raw vegetables to the curry in Step 3. Then in Step 4, instead of letting the curry simmer at medium-low, bring it all the way down to low. Set it to simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, to taste.
Are frozen vegetables as nutritious as fresh vegetables?
According to Eating Well, while frozen vegetables do lose some of their nutrients in the freezing process, the nutritional difference between fresh and frozen vegetables is not huge. Additionally, frozen vegetables are typically picked at peak ripeness, when they are the most nutrient-dense, as opposed to vegetables you'll find in the grocery store that have been picked before ripening and then transported for days or weeks.
Can I use any brand of curry paste?
We prefer the Thai Kitchen curry paste simply because it’s easy to find at most grocery stores, and we want to keep things casual and easy. Feel free to use another curry paste, but keep in mind that this recipe is written with Thai Kitchen paste in mind, which is generally milder. If you’re using a different paste and not looking for a lot of heat in your curry, you may consider reducing the amount of curry paste by a teaspoon or more.
How could I add protein to this meal?
If you want to keep this a vegetarian Thai green curry, then add in cooked lentils (either a drained can or freshly cooked) or canned beans (something mild like cannellini beans or great northern beans would work well). You could also add diced or shredded cooked chicken or cooked ground beef or steak.
SERVING TIPS
This curry is best enjoyed with rice (of any type). For side dishes, consider an Asian-inspired salad or grilled meat, if you’re not putting meat in it already.
This recipe was inspired by a yummy curry made over at Cookie + Kate
The Absolute Easiest Thai Green Curry
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tsp oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic (or 1 tsp pre minced)
- ¾ c diced onion (about ⅓ of an onion)
- 1 12 oz bag frozen veggies ("California blend" or broccoli or cauliflower)
- 2 ½ Tbsp Thai Kitchen curry paste (see FAQs)
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 can (15 oz) full fat coconut milk
- 1 ½ tsp brown sugar
- 2 c gently chopped greens (spinach or kale)
- 1 ½ tsp soy sauce
- 1 ½ tsp white vinegar
- chopped cilantro for serving
- cooked rice
- OPTIONAL protein (such as lentils, beans, chicken, or beef)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread out frozen vegetables on a baking pan covered with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Roast vegetables at 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until tender.
- Dice onion. In a medium frying pan, heat oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and onion to the pan, sautéing for 4-5 minutes until the onion begins to soften, stirring often. While onion and garlic cook, gently chop greens and set aside.
- When vegetables are done roasting, add to garlic and onion mixture, along with the ginger and curry paste. Stir well to combine and cook for two more minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in coconut milk, sugar, and optional protein, stirring thoroughly. Allow curry to almost boil and then reduce heat to medium-low, to simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes.
- Toss in chopped greens and mix until greens have wilted, about a minute. Pour in soy sauce and vinegar and mix completely.
- Remove from heat and serve over rice, adding chopped cilantro and salt to taste.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Leave us a comment below or tag @casual.greens on Instagram!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Leave us a comment below or tag @casual.greens on Instagram!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Leave us a comment below or tag @casual.greens on Instagram!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Leave us a comment below or tag @casual.greens on Instagram!
