Easy Yellow Curry with Tempeh

Easy Thai Yellow Curry with Tempeh is a healthy bowl of goodness you can create in no time! With extra turmeric, colourful fresh vegetables and a creamy coconut yellow Thai curry sauce, it’s delicious and nourishing. Perfect for a weeknight dinner and bonus it can be frozen if you love some meal prep. This vegan friendly recipe is also gluten free.

Originally published November 2017 | Reviewed and updated May 2023

Life feels pretty intensely busy right now and coming home to a warm, comforting bowl of veggie-loaded curry is one little thing I’ve been doing to bring some cosy, healing time back in.

Why you need to make this simple vegan yellow curry

• Quick and easy enough to become a regular weeknight dinner. This is a delicious but simple curry packed full of ingredients you can easily pick up at the grocery store. Many of the ingredients are long lasting (like curry paste, dried spices and frozen veggies) so it’s a great recipe to keep in mind when you want a no-fuss, one-pot meal.

• A very tasty way to increase your veggie intake. The majority of people are not consuming enough vegetables each day, and a curry is honestly one of the nicest ways to turn that around! With a rich, creamy, coconutty sauce, veggies become purely delicious.

• Flexible and freezer friendly recipe. The only thing better than a simple recipe is one that is not only flexible but lets you get some meal prep done too! You can mix up the exact protein and veggies you add to this curry. The curry can also be frozen for those nights when you just can’t face turning on the stove.

Ingredients need to make tempeh yellow Thai curry

Now, as this is an EASY vegan yellow curry, the recipe involves a store-bought curry paste. Curry-wizards, if you prefer to make your own, you can definitely do so! But, if you grab a good curry paste from the shops, this plant-based curry is of course much quicker to make and it’s how I’m rolling at the moment.

• Tempeh. Tempeh is a soy product that is made from fermented soybeans. The soybeans are cooked and formed into a kind of ‘cake’ or patty. Tempeh is really easy to slice and to cook with, it’s like a firmer, nuttier tasting tofu. High in protein, economical and healthy, if you aren’t using tempeh yet you need to start now.
• Brown onion. A core vegetable to form the base of the curry,
• Capsicum (a.k.a. pepper). Sauteed capsicum is a delicious sweet vegetable to use in this curry – you can swap this out if you don’t have capsicum, but I recommend including it if you can.
• Mixed vegetables such as broccoli and carrot. You’ll need 2 to 3 cups of other vegetables such as broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, zucchini, mushrooms, green beans. It’s totally fine to use frozen vegetables or fresh. I have specified broccoli and carrot in my recipe card below but these can be swapped for other vegetables.
• Frozen peas. Peas are actually a legume and they will not only add an extra vegetable but they also boost the protein content of this curry.
• Thai style yellow curry paste. Thai yellow curry paste is typically one of the milder curry pastes available (compared with red or green curry paste). It cooks into a slightly sweet and very aromatic creamy curry and I really like using it for regular dinners because it tends to be enjoyed by most people.
• Coconut milk. You can use regular coconut milk or ‘lite’ reduced fat coconut milk depending on your preference. An essential ingredient for adding that amazing creaminess to the curry.
• Soy sauce or tamari. For a gluten free recipe, make sure that the sauce you choose is gluten free.
• Coconut sugar or brown sugar. A small amount of sugar will bring out the rich, sweet undertones of this curry.
• Ground turmeric. Yellow curry paste is already usually quite rich in turmeric but I love to add a bit more! Turmeric is such a wonderful anti-inflammatory spice, why not bump up the nutrition and the flavour.
• Lime. This isn’t strictly essential, you can make this recipe without lime, however I like to add a squeeze of lime juice as the zesty, acidic flavour is a nice contrast with the curry.
• Coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil for cooking.
• Salt and pepper to season if desired.

See the recipe card for ingredient quantities.

How to make vegetable yellow curry

Step 1. Prepare the tempeh and vegetables. Slice the tempeh into strips or dice as preferred. Slice the onion and capsicum and chop up any other vegetables as needed (you won’t need to chop as much if using frozen veggies).

*Optional: if you want more crispy, firm pieces of tempeh for the curry, you can pan-fry the tempeh in a little oil before you add it to the curry. I would do this now and then set the tempeh aside to add to the curry later.

Step 2. Heat a large deep saute pan or a saucepan over a moderate-high heat on the stove. Add 1 tbsp coconut oil, onion and capsicum to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion is translucent.

Step 3. Add the curry paste to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring the mixture to avoid it sticking and burning. Throw in the chopped mixed vegetables and cook for a further 2 minutes. If the mixture starts sticking/burning, add a splash of water.

Step 4. Once the mixture is smelling lovely and fragrant and the veggies are well coated, reduce the heat slightly. Add the coconut milk, coconut sugar, tamari and turmeric. Allow the mixture to come to a bubbling simmer, stirring gently. Then, add in the frozen peas and tempeh.

Step 5. Simmer the curry for about 10 minutes or until the veggies are softened to your liking. Stir occasionally as it cooks. If the curry is too thick, add a little water to thin it out. Squeeze in the lime juice once the curry has finished cooking.

Step 6. Serve with sides of your choice, I recommend a side of brown rice or some thick flat rice noodles to soak up all of the sauce.

Cooking tips and substitutions for vegan Thai yellow curry

• PLEASE be sure to CHECK your curry paste is vegan if you intend to have a vegan curry! Some yellow curry pastes have shrimp paste, fish sauce and/or other seafood-derived ingredients added. It is essential that you read the label before purchasing.

• For the images in this blog post, I added most of the tempeh in the curry, and then grilled a few extra tempeh slices for decoration.

• If tempeh isn’t your jam, go wild on the protein substitutions here guys. To keep it vegan, switch up the tempeh for firm tofu, chickpeas, brown lentils and/or black beans. Meat eaters; for a quick fix throw in some peeled prawns and continue to rapidly simmer the curry until the prawns are thoroughly cooked. You can also use chicken or even beef in this curry; dice into small chunks and brown the meat before adding the curry paste and liquid – so you’ll add the meat at Step 2 above.

Can I freeze yellow curry with vegetables?

Yes, you can freeze this curry. It should last around 3 to 4 months in the freezer. It also keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

The curry can be defrosted in the microwave or you could leave it to thaw and then heat it up on the stove.

More delicious plant based dinner goodness

Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower Buddha Bowls

Vegan Eggplant Red Lentil Bolognese

Peanut Butter Coconut Curry