One Pot Thai Red Curry Noodles

Do you love quick and easy meals? This Thai red curry noodles recipe is easy, flavorful, and full of vegetables, rice noodles, and a delicious red curry sauce. Add some curry tofu for added yum!

You all know I'm all about delicious vegan food in as little time as possible. That being said, I also prefer a recipe that doesn't require a lot of prep time. Let's be honest: No one wants to spend hours in the kitchen, especially if they're hungry. And this is a vegan one pot meal! That's why this Thai red curry noodles recipe checks all the boxes.

What is Red Curry?

This type of curry is moderately spiced and one of the most versatile. Red curry is made with several red chilies, which gives it a bold and spicy flavor. Ingredients for the curry base include coriander, cumin, red bell pepper, red chile, lemongrass, and ginger.

Although you can make homemade red curry paste, I like Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste, which is vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free. And a little goes a long way.

Is Red Curry Spicy?

Depending on the chef, red curry can range from mild to spicy. While red curry is often made with red chilies, giving it a bold and spicy flavor, you may tone down the heat by using a smaller amount of paste. 

Or if you like it spicier, add more!

In general, red curry is considered to be hotter than green curry but not as hot as yellow curry.

Red Thai Curry Noodles Ingredients

• Rice Noodles: I chose stir-fried rice noodles, which are a little thinner than standard rice noodles. Thai Kitchen brand noodles are naturally gluten-free and vegan.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is preferred for optimal flavor.
• Yellow Onion: Yellow onions have a strong but mild flavor with a balance of sweetness and astringency. They can be slightly pungent when raw, but their flavor mellows and becomes sweeter when cooked, especially when caramelized or roasted. 
• Mushrooms: I used cremini mushrooms, but any mushrooms work well.
• Red Bell Peppers: Red bell peppers are known for their sweet and fruity flavor, which comes from the natural sugars that develop as they ripen fully on the vine.
• Ginger: While somewhat hard to describe, ginger's flavor is often labeled as spicy, peppery, and either warm or hot. I also find it a bit sweet. Young ginger is very juicy and has a much mellower flavor.
• Snap Peas: Sugar snap peas are a cross between snow and garden peas. The snow peas pods are flatter with small, premature peas, whereas sugar snap peas are more rounded. Both have an identical nutritional profile and very similar flavors. Still, sugar snap peas tend to be sweeter and more flavorful.
• Limes: Fresh lime juice really brings out the flavor of the other ingredients.
• Vegetable Broth: I used low-sodium vegetable broth.
• Lite Coconut Milk: I used lite coconut milk in a can from the Asian section of the grocery store.
• Red Curry Paste: Not all red curry pastes are vegan, so check the label. As mentioned earlier, the Thai Kitchen brand is vegan. Some curry paste has fish sauce or shrimp added.
• Cilantro: Fresh cilantro, also known as the leaves of the coriander plant, has a complex flavor that mixes citrus, pepper, and pungency. Some say it's tangy and delicate, while others compare it to parsley
• Thai Basil: Thai basil has a bold, savory, and spicy flavor with notes of anise and licorice. It's more assertive than sweet basil and can add a distinct pungency to dishes.

Red Thai Curry Noodles Ingredients

• Any rice noodles work well.
• Jarred minced garlic is similar to fresh garlic.
• White onion is a great substitute for yellow onions.
• Ginger paste is often used in place of fresh ginger.
• Choose any vegetables you have on hand.
• Harissa paste is often substituted for red curry paste.
• Instead of light coconut milk, use unflavored, unsweetened plant milk with a teaspoon of coconut extract. This is a lower-fat option for coconut milk.

Curry Tofu Ingredients (Optional)

Although the Thai red curry noodles are fabulous on their own, adding curry tofu makes them even better. However, this is an optional ingredient.

• Extra Firm Tofu: Extra firm tofu is what I call the lazy cook tofu because it doesn't need to be pressed. And I am a lazy cook who doesn't want to press tofu.
• Red Curry Paste: Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste is a carefully blended mixture of red chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, galangal (Thai ginger), and spices harvested at their peak freshness. 
• Lime Juice: Lime juice has a tart, acidic, and zesty sour flavor with a hint of sweetness and a bitter aftertaste; however, when combined with the red curry paste, it dulls the spiciness and gives the curry paste a fresh, tart flavor.

Tofu Marinade

• Combine the red curry paste and lime juice.
• Cut the tofu into equal-sized cubes for baking or air-frying or into 4 equal slabs for grilling. -
• Add the tofu pieces to a container with the marinade.
• Shake to coat the tofu.
• Marinate for 3-24 hours. For the best flavor, I prefer overnight, but a minimum of 3 hours is acceptable.

Curry Tofu Cooking Options

Baking

• Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silicone Baking Mat.
• Drain excess marinade into a different container
• Bake tofu for 15 minutes, turn it over with a spatula and cook for another 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
• Then,  add the cooked tofu to the container with the excess marinade.
• Toss in the marinade again for additional flavor.

Grilling

• First, to grill the perfect tofu on the grill, pre-heat the grill to medium or 400 degrees.
• Then, arrange the tofu directly on the grill for 20 minutes, flipping four times to get pretty grill marks.
• Next, I return the tofu to the container to soak up more marinade.
• At this point, you have two choices; cut it in cubes now and use it, or put it in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Air-Frying

• Place tofu in the base of the air-fryer in a single layer, not overlapping pieces.
• Batch cook at 370 degrees for 15 minutes, rotating the tofu 7 minutes into cooking.
• Remove and repeat with the remaining batch of tofu. 

How to Make Thai Red Curry Noodles

Since this is a one-pot vegan meal, everything cooks in one pan. I selected a Dutch oven, but any large pot would work. Even the noodles are cooked in the same pot with all the other ingredients.

• If you include tofu, cut it according to the cooking method chosen and marinate for 3-12 hours.
• In a Dutch oven or large pot on the stove, on medium heat.
• Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 2 Tablespoons of minced ginger.
• Now, add the slivered yellow onion and stir until the onions are translucent, and then add the mushrooms.
• Once the mushrooms are browned, add the red bell pepper and the snap peas.
• After 2 minutes, stir in 5-6 Tablespoons of red curry paste.
• Pour in the light coconut milk. Or, make lower-fat coconut milk with 2 teaspoons of coconut extract.
• Then, add the vegetable broth, turn the heat up to high, and bring the mixture to a boil.
• When boiling, add 14 ounces of rice noodles to the pot of vegetables and liquid and cook for 10 minutes (this is for the stir fry-sized noodles; adjust the time based on the noodles selected).
• Reduce the heat to medium-low; it continues to boil despite reducing the heat.
• Squeeze one of the limes into the cooked noodles, which have absorbed most of the fluid in the pot.
• Reserve ⅛ cup of cilantro for garnish, and add the other ⅛ cup to the cooked mixture.
• Salt to taste.
• Garnish with cilantro, Thai basil, and a lime wedge.
• Include cooked curry tofu pieces if desired.

Recipe Variations

I make these Thai red curry noodles often, and anything goes.

• Consider adding cauliflower and broccoli to the curry noodles; these vegetables tend to absorb heat and flavors. Add cauliflower and broccoli to the curry noodles; these vegetables
• If you can't find Thai basil, regular basil is an option in this version of the red curry noodles.
• Enjoy the recipe with or without tofu.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Depending on the size and width of the noodles determine how long they cook in the pot with the vegetables and coconut broth.
• The tofu is optional but quite tasty.
• You determine the spiciness. If you don't like spicy, use less red curry paste.
• Add any veggies you like and swap out the ones you don't like.
• If you don't like coconut milk, mix 2 teaspoons in your favorite unsweetened, unflavored plant milk.
• If you love curry, try Broccoli Curry Crunch Salad, Vegan Curried Chickpea Salad, Thai Yellow Curry and Thai Green Curry

If you love Thai food, give this Thai red curry noodle recipe! You pick the level of heat, so this recipe is for everyone! Mild or hot, you decide

Enjoy these Quick and Easy Vegan Recipes

If you love this Thai red curry noodle recipe, please give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

📖 Recipe

Thai Red Curry Noodles

Kathy Carmichael

Do you love quick and easy meals? This Thai red curry noodles recipe is easy, flavorful, and full of vegetables, rice noodles, and a delicious red curry sauce. Add some curry tofu for added yum!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Entrees

Cuisine Asian, Thai

Servings 4

Calories 105 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Curry Tofu (Optional)

• ▢ 1 15 ounce package Extra Firm Tofu
• ▢ 1 lime juiced
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Red Curry Paste

Red Thai Curry Noddles

• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger minced
• ▢ 1 yellow onion cut into slivers
• ▢ 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• ▢ 1 large red bell pepper sliced into thin strips
• ▢ 5 ounces snap peas cut in half
• ▢ 5-6 Tablespoons Red Curry Paste less for less spicy; more for more spicy
• ▢ 1 15 ounce can lite coconut milk or 15 ounce unsweetened, unflavored plant milk + 2 teaspoons of coconut extract
• ▢ 3 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth
• ▢ 14 ounces Stir Fry Rice Noodles
• ▢ 2 limes one for the noodles, one cut into wedges for garnish
• ▢ ¼ cup Cilantro, chopped and divided ⅛ cup for the noodles, ⅛ cup for garnish
• ▢ ¼ cup Thai basil chopped

Air Frying

• ▢ Place tofu in the base of the air-fryer in a single layer not overlapping pieces.
• ▢ Batch cook at 370 degrees for 15 minutes rotating the tofu 7 minutes into cooking.
• ▢ Remove and repeat with the remaining batch of tofu.

Instructions

 

Curry Tofu (Optional)

• Combine the red curry paste and lime juice.
• Cut the tofu into equal-sized cubes for baking or air-frying or into 4 equal slabs for grilling. -
• Add the tofu pieces to a container with the marinade.
• Shake to coat the tofu.
• Marinate for 3-24 hours. For the best flavor, I prefer overnight, but a minimum of 3 hours is acceptable.

Cooking Options for Tofu

Baking

• Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silicone Baking Mat.
• Drain excess marinade into a different container
• Bake tofu for 15 minutes, turn it over with a spatula and cook for another 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
• Then,  add the cooked tofu to the container with the excess marinade.
• Toss in the marinade again for additional flavor.

Grilling

• First, to grill the perfect tofu on the grill, pre-heat the grill to medium or 400 degrees.
• Then, arrange the tofu directly on the grill for 20 minutes, flipping four times to get pretty grill marks.
• Next, I return the tofu to the container to soak up more marinade.
• At this point, you have two choices; cut it in cubes now and use it, or put it in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Thai Red Curry Noodles

• If you include tofu, cut it according to the cooking method chosen and marinate for 3-12 hours.
• In a Dutch oven or large pot on the stove, on medium heat.
• Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 2 Tablespoons of minced ginger.
• Now, add the slivered yellow onion and stir until the onions are translucent, and then add the mushrooms.
• Once the mushrooms are browned, add the red bell pepper and the snap peas.
• After 2 minutes, stir in 5-6 Tablespoons of red curry paste.
• Pour in the light coconut milk. Or, make lower-fat coconut milk with 2 teaspoons of coconut extract.
• Then, add the vegetable broth, turn the heat up to high, and bring the mixture to a boil.
• When boiling, add 14 ounces of rice noodles to the pot of vegetables and liquid and cook for 10 minutes (this is for the stir fry-sized noodles; adjust the time based on the noodles selected).
• Reduce the heat to medium-low; it continues to boil despite reducing the heat.
• Squeeze one of the limes into the cooked noodles, which have absorbed most of the fluid in the pot.
• Reserve ⅛ cup of cilantro for garnish, and add the other ⅛ cup to the cooked mixture.
• Salt to taste.
• Garnish with cilantro, Thai basil, and a lime wedge.
• Include cooked curry tofu pieces if desired.

Video

Notes

• Depending on the size and width of the noodles determine how long they cook in the pot with the vegetables and coconut broth.
• The tofu is optional but quite tasty.
• You determine the spiciness. If you don't like spicy, use less red curry paste.
• Add any veggies you like and swap out the ones you don't like.
• If you don't like coconut milk, mix 2 teaspoons in your favorite unsweetened, unflavored plant milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 105kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 5gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 9mgPotassium: 454mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 4727IUVitamin C: 94mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 2mg

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Kathy Carmichael

Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂

www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me/