Celebrate pumpkin season with this easy Vegan Thai Pumpkin Curry! Tender fresh pumpkin and tofu simmered along with vegetables in a spicy red curry coconut broth! The perfect vegan fall dinner! Gluten-free + Nutfree, soy-free option.
In the middle of pumpkin season, I am cooking ALL the pumpkin recipes right now, like my Pumpkin Bread or these Pumpkin Pancakes. But why stop at dessert and breakfast? I found an amazing way to put pumpkin to good use come dinner time! Enter this delicious Thai Pumpkin Curry!
This easy vegan curry recipe is truly simple and totally doable for beginners! Trust me, nothing can go wrong here. This Thai red pumpkin curry comes together in less than 30 minutes, and is a total breeze to prepare.
You can serve it with rice, flatbread or as it is, as a stew.
Hearty, deliciously filling, and serves 2 for a fantastic plant-based meal – even 4 depending on what you serve as sides.
If you want to really save time on this, then buy your pumpkin already peeled and chopped. If you do this, then you cut down prep time to a mere 5 minutes, and can have dinner ready in under 30 minutes!
This pumpkin dinner is perfect for those first cold fall nights and will make you warm up from the inside! A total mood changer, especially if you finish your dinner with a homemade pumpkin coffee cake !
Usually, Thai curries are seasoned with fish sauce. In this vegan curry recipe, we use a mix of miso, soy sauce and powdered mushroom act as a substitute for fish sauce.
More curry recipes:
- Red lentil sweet potato Curry
- Chickpea coconut curry
- Cauliflower pea Curry
- Potato Eggplant Curry
- Chickpea Sweet Potato Spinach Curry
- Massaman Curry Veggies
Recipe Card
Save This Recipe in Your Inbox
Share your email and we will send this recipe! Plus, enjoy all the new recipes as they post!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Vegan Richa.
Thai Pumpkin Curry
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- ½ teaspoon miso
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon dried mushroom powdered
- 15 ounce (425.24 ml) can of coconut milk
- 2 cups (232 g) peeled and cubed pumpkin or you can also use kabocha squash, acorn, or butternut squash
- 2 teaspoons lime juice or 3 or 4 Markut lime leaves
- 1 cup (149 g) sliced bell pepper I used a mix of green and red
- ¼ cup (6 g) Thai basil and more for garnish
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup (250 g) cubed firm or medium-firm tofu
- lime juice , pepper flakes and Thai basil for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is golden.
- Then add in your red curry paste, miso, soy sauce, and mushroom powder and mix well. The mix of miso soy sauce and powdered mushroom act as a substitute for fish sauce.
- Cook for a minute then add in your coconut milk. Mix the red curry paste in the coconut milk so that there are no lumps remaining.
- Then add in the salt, pepper, pumpkin, lime juice, and mix well.
- Cover and cook until the pumpkin is al dente. It will take 8-10 minutes depending on the squash used and your stove, etc.
- Open the lid and then add in your peppers, Thai basil, sugar, tofu, and mix in. Bring to a good boil.
- Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add more salt if needed. Some lime juice if needed. Then take off heat and serve with some Thai basil on top and more lime juice if needed. Serve with rice or noodles.
Video
Notes
- Feel free to add any other veggies such as zucchini, peas, baby corn, sweet potato, green beans, etc.
- Instead of pumpkin, you can also use kabocha squash, acorn, or butternut squash
- This dish can be made ahead of time and is freezer-friendly.
- Not a fan of tofu? Add some canned, drained chickpeas instead. White beans or lentils are another great addition to get that plant-based protein.
Nutrition
Ingredients:
- sauteed garlic is the base of this Thai curry. Use as much or as little as you want
- red curry paste brings on the flavor – you can use yellow curry paste instead of red
- a mix of miso, soy sauce, and dried mushroom powdered acts as a stand-in for fish sauce and makes this curry savory
- coconut milk adds creaminess to this curry
- for this recipe, I use peeled and cubed pumpkin or you can also use kabocha squash, acorn, or butternut squash
- lime juice or 3 or 4 lime leaves are needed to add some freshness
- sliced bell pepper are my second veggie of choice as they add sweetness and texture. For nice color contrast, I used a mix of green and red
- Thai basil adds amazing flavor and more for garnish
- some sugar is essential for all curry recipes to balance out spiciness and acidity
- cubed firm or medium-firm tofu
Tips & Substitutions:
- Feel free to add any other veggies such as zucchini, peas, baby corn, sweet potato, green beans, etc.
- Instead of pumpkin, you can also use kabocha squash, acorn, or butternut squash
- This dish can be made ahead of time and is freezer-friendly.
- Not a fan of tofu? Add some canned, drained chickpeas instead. White beans or lentils are another great addition to get that plant-based protein.
Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is golden.
Then add in red curry paste, miso, soy sauce, and mushroom powder and mix well.
Cook for a minute then add in your coconut milk. Mix the red curry paste in the coconut milk so that there are no lumps remaining.
Then add in the salt, pepper, pumpkin, lime juice, and mix well.
Cover and cook until the pumpkin is al dente. It will take 7-10 minutes depending on the squash used and your stove, etc.
Open the lid and then add in your peppers, Thai basil, sugar, tofu, and mix in. Bring to a good boil.
Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add more salt if needed. Some more lime juice if needed. Then take off the heat and serve with more Thai basil on top, lime juice and pepper flakes if needed. Serve with rice or noodles.
Storage:
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this for up to 3 months.
Astrid
Absolutely love this curry.
Thank you so much for all your delicious recipes.
Vegan Richa Support
thank you!
Megan
Food is a love language, and this dish is a giant hug – we made ours with butternut squash and chickpeas and doubled the recipe in gleeful anticipation of leftovers. We used Genovese basil too. Delicious!
Vegan Richa Support
so glad you enjoyed! <3
Jaime
My husband made this with sliced shiitakes and added bean thread noodles at the end. It was delicious and perfect for a cold snowy night.
Vegan Richa Support
Yum! I’m glad you enjoy.
Nomia
Delicious and flavorful. Made with butternut squash, lots of basil in the dish and for topping, serrano pepper for a some heat, and lots of fresh squeezed lime juice on top as well. Served with brown rice. So good! Thanks!
Vegan Richa Support
thank you Nomia!!
Lucy
I’ll definitely try this one! Looks absolutely delicious. Going to make it soy free with white beans, coconut aminos and I’ve just discovered a chickpea miso paste online. Thanks so much for these wonderful recipes – makes living with multiple allergies much more tolerable xoxox
Richa
Awesome
Maneesha
What an amazing umami-filled recipe!! You nailed it, Richa!
Richa
Thanks!
MD
I instant potted this and added sliced mushrooms, SO TASTY.
Richa
Awesome
Sally
I love your site because you don’t ramble or waffle on in order to place more ads ☺️ Everything you say is concise and instructive, always has been and I have never had a fail following your many and varied delicious recipes. Thanks and keep it up 🙏🏽❤️
Richa
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Georgina
You have too many advertisements in your content, it spoils the joy of reading your blog and recipes, accept one add but every click has an ad.
Richa
I have much fewer than many blogs. What do you mean by accept one and then more ads show up
Andrea P
This looks delicious. I have dried basil leaves – could you tell me what would be the equivalent for this recipe? Also could I substitute a dried umami blend for the mushroom powder?
Vegan Richa Support
you could use cilantro or parsley – or dried basil: (approx 1 & 1/3 T), and for the umami blend – perfect idea!! go for it
Andrea P
Thank you
Alyssa
Can this be made using yellow curry powder instead of red curry paste?
Vegan Richa Support
it’s not adviseable bc they have very diff flavour profiles and moisture contents. but you could try