Thai Pumpkin Curry Vegan

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

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.