Have you been craving an authentic vegan curry that’s easy to make and it rivals your favorite Indian restaurant? Vegan cauliflower curry is ready in one hour, it’s loaded with protein-rich red lentils, tender cauliflower florets, spinach, and the most flavorful yellow thai curry sauce thanks to a delicious store-bought shortcut!
Red curry, green curry, yellow curry…I love them all! I don’t think I have a favorite, do you? It all depends on if I’m in the mood for something spicy like red thai curry cauliflower soup or something a little milder like green thai curry lentils and rice.
However, if you want a vegetable curry that’s flavored with lemongrass, turmeric, and just a touch of sweetness, you should give this vegan thai yellow curry recipe a try!
This delicious vegan cauliflower curry features an entire head of cauliflower, protein-rich red lentils, creamy coconut milk, and a complex tasting sauce that’s incredibly easy to make thanks to a healthy store-bought shortcut!
Easy Yellow Thai Curry Shortcut
If you want to enjoy an authentic thai yellow curry sauce that takes zero effort to make, you’re going to love this healthy shortcut! To make this curry extremely quick and simple, I use this delicious store-bought organic vegan yellow curry paste. This post is not sponsored, I just really like the product and I want to share my favorite vegan products with you!
This yellow thai curry paste rivals any curry dish that I’ve had at my favorite Indian restaurant! I love that all of the ingredients are organic and there’s no preservatives or weird ingredients that I can’t pronounce.
Having the curry paste ready to go is so convenient and makes cooking a genuine curry dinner a snap! I mean, I don’t have lemongrass just hanging out in my pantry, do you?
The same brand also makes a red curry paste (that you can use to make the best vegan chickpea curry), green curry paste, and curry sauces. I love them all!
What Does Thai Yellow Curry Taste Like?
Of all the curries, I think that yellow curry is the mildest. It doesn’t taste spicy at all and it has a delightful mixture of zesty flavors like citrusy lemongrass and earthy turmeric. Yellow curry is perfect for people who don’t like spicy food but they still want to enjoy Indian flavors.
How Hot is Yellow Thai Curry?
This yellow thai curry isn’t hot at all. In fact, it’s very mild with hints of citrus and a touch of sweetness. If you’d like to add heat, you can add a 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper for a spicy kick.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Although I used a store-bought yellow thai curry paste as the base of this recipe, I added a few more ingredients to punch up the flavor!
To make this recipe you’ll need:
- Red Onion
- Garlic
- Thai Yellow Curry Paste
- Turmeric Powder
- Coconut Milk
- Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
- Vegan Soy-Free Fish Sauce (Optional but it adds a delicious umami flavor!)
- Cauliflower
- Red Lentils
- Lime
How to Make Vegan Thai Yellow Curry – Step by Step
In a large pan, saute the diced onion in water or vegetable broth for 10 minutes or until translucent. Add the minced garlic, turmeric powder, and thai yellow paste to the pan. Stir and saute for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant (Photos 1 & 2).
Add the rinsed and drained red lentils, cauliflower florets (plus the chopped up green leaves and stem) coconut milk, and vegetable broth (Photos 3 & 4).
Bring it to a low simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally (Photos 5 & 6).
Add the vegan fish sauce (optional), lime juice, and frozen spinach to the pan (Photos 7 & 8).
Stir to combine and let it cook for 5 more minutes or until the spinach has fully defrosted. Serve over brown rice and garnish with a slice of lime or cilantro.
Should You Discard The Cauliflower Stem & Leaves?
The cauliflower leaves and stem are 100% edible, don’t discard them! They are a little bit tougher than the cauliflower florets, but if you dice the leaves and stem small enough they will cook up perfectly soft with the rest of the cauliflower florets.
Doing this is an easy way to reduce food waste, add more vitamins to your dinner, and bulk up your meal to make it stretch a little further!
What Goes Well With Curry?
This Indian cauliflower curry recipe makes quite a big batch so we usually have leftovers for a few days. I normally serve the vegan cauliflower curry over brown rice (I get the big bag from Costco) on the first and second night, but after that, I like to switch it up and serve leftovers over baked sweet potatoes. It’s a delicious combination!
You could also serve it over:
- Quinoa
- Jasmine Rice
- Cauliflower Rice (low-carb option)
- Baked Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
If also like to make a tray of roasted veggies or a salad to enjoy on the side. Here are some of my favorites:
- Roasted Lemon Garlic Asparagus
- Roasted Garlic Dijon Brussels Sprouts
- Avocado Arugula Cherry Tomato Salad
Can You Freeze Leftovers?
Yes, you can freeze the leftover vegan cauliflower curry. It holds up perfectly! However, don’t freeze the leftover lentil curry and rice together in the same container. You can freeze leftovers for up to 3-4 months.
When you’re ready to reheat the curry, remove the container from the freezer and put it in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours. Then you can warm it up in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop. You may need to add extra vegetable broth or water if it’s too thick.
Notes & Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: This cauliflower and lentil curry recipe is naturally gluten-free, you don’t need to make any substitutions.
- Yellow Thai Curry Paste Substitution: If you don’t want to use this pre-made yellow curry paste, you can make homemade curry paste with this recipe.
- Vegetable Options: If you don’t want to use cauliflower, you can substitute mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, broccoli, eggplant, or cabbage.
- Can You Roast the Cauliflower First? If you prefer the flavor of roasted cauliflower, you can roast the cauliflower florets at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes before adding it to the curry. I prefer to cook the cauliflower in the same pan with everything else only because it’s easier and one less tray to clean.
- Do You Have to Use Red Lentils? You can use any lentils you like, just make sure to add enough water for them to absorb while they cook. I like to use red lentils because they breakdown and get very soft, they practically melt into the sauce! If you don’t want to use lentils at all, you can substitute tofu, crumbled tempeh, chickpeas, or even a potato and cauliflower curry would be delish!
- Canned Lentils: You can use (2) 14 oz canned lentils (rinsed and drained) instead of dried if that’s what you have on hand. However, you will only need to use 1 cup of vegetable broth instead of the 4 cups that the recipe calls for.
- Cooking Liquid Options: I used flavorful vegetable broth as the cooking liquid for the lentils to absorb while they cooked in the curry. You can substitute water for the broth but you may need to add a little bit more salt to season the lentils.
Success Tips
- I highly recommend that you try this vegan yellow curry paste, not only for convenience but because the flavor is amazing!
- The yellow curry paste contains turmeric but adding the extra 1/2 tsp really boosts the flavor and vibrant yellow color of the dish.
- Use canned full fat coconut milk because it makes the sauce incredibly creamy. My favorite coconut milk is this one from Whole Foods.
- The vegan fish sauce is an optional ingredient but I have found that it adds a delicious umami flavor to the vegan cauliflower curry. I highly recommend that you give it a try! If you don’t use it, you might need to add a little bit of salt to taste.
- Don’t throw out the cauliflower leaves or stem, you can dice them and add it to your curry! It’s delicious, totally edible, and a great way to reduce food waste.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze it for a future meal.
More Vegan Lentil Recipes You’ll Love!
Lentil Mushroom Meatballs & Spaghetti
Creamy Coconut Lentil Chickpea Soup
Vegan Thai Yellow Cauliflower Lentil Curry
Equipment
- Large Pan
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2.8 oz yellow curry paste (I used the whole package)
- 1 medium cauliflower roughly chopped (Plus, the leaves and stem!)
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked red lentils
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- (1) 14 oz can coconut milk
- 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce (optional)
- 5 oz frozen spinach or fresh spinach
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
- In a large pan, saute the diced onion in water or vegetable broth for 10 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the minced garlic, turmeric powder, and thai yellow paste to the pan. Stir and saute for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the rinsed and drained red lentils, cauliflower florets (plus the chopped up green leaves and stem) coconut milk, and vegetable broth. Bring it to a low simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the vegan fish sauce (optional), lime juice, and frozen spinach to the pan. Stir to combine and let it cook for 5 more minutes or until the spinach has fully defrosted.
- Serve over brown rice and garnish with a slice of lime.
Notes
- I highly recommend that you try this vegan yellow curry paste, not only for convenience but because the flavor is amazing!
- The yellow curry paste contains turmeric but adding the extra 1/2 tsp really boosts the flavor and vibrant yellow color of the dish.
- Use canned full fat coconut milk because it makes the sauce incredibly creamy. My favorite coconut milk is this one from Whole Foods.
- The vegan fish sauce is an optional ingredient but I have found that it adds a delicious umami flavor to the vegan cauliflower curry. I highly recommend that you give it a try!
- Don't throw out the cauliflower leaves or stem, you can dice them and add it to your curry! It's delicious, totally edible, and a great way to reduce food waste.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze it for a future meal.
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