Ready in just 15 minutes, these Thai Red Curry Noodles are the perfect simple dinner recipe. They’re naturally vegan, gluten free and pair perfectly with steamed veggies and your choice of protein!
You guys all know how much I love noodles, but it makes me so happy how much you love them too! My sesame and peanut noodles have been such a hit, so I thought it was time for something a little different!
These red curry noodles are a vegan recipe that take all of 15 minutes to prepare, but are BIG on flavor. They require just a few pantry staple ingredients and are perfect on their own or with some veggies and protein tossed in.
This recipe is perfect for those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking, but still want something comforting and delicious.
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions.
In a small pot or skillet, add the minced garlic, grated ginger and olive oil. Saute until the garlic looks slightly golden brown.
Add the coconut milk and all remaining ingredients to the pot with the garlic and saute until smooth. I suggest using full fat coconut milk for the best flavor, but if you only have light coconut milk, that will work too! You just don’t want to use coconut milk from a carton because it won’t be creamy liked canned.
Bring to a boil, whisk in the corn starch, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Once the noodles are done cooking, combine the sauce with the noodles and let simmer over low heat to let it thicken further. It will seem saucy at first, but the noodles do absorb the sauce as it sits. If you don’t like it too saucy, start with just 1/2 of the sauce with the noodles at first.
Garnish with cilantro, scallions and red pepper flakes and enjoy!
Make it a meal!
I love noodles so much, so I often like to keep the dish itself really simple and keep the focus on the noodles, but there are so many ways to spruce this recipe up!
Add your favorite veggies. You can steam some veggies on the side or add them in with the sauce to give them lots of flavor. Broccoli, bell peppers, or tough greens like kale would all be delicious with these curry noodles.
Toss in some protein. Tofu or chicken would probably be best, but even salmon is also delicious with curry flavors! You can saute the tofu in a bit of oil, then add it in with the noodles, or grill some chicken and serve it on the side. Anything goes!
Do they keep?
Once prepared, these noodles will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. Let them cool, then transfer to an air tight container for best results. I do not recommend freezing these as the noodles will completely fall apart once defrosted.
Turn it up a notch
As written, these curry noodles aren’t particularly spicy, but you can add in 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper to take it up a notch.
Red curry is usually hotter than green curry, but it really depends on the brand of curry paste you use. My suggestion- start small and add more as needed depending on your spice tolerance.
Favorite noodles
I used brown rice noodles to keep this recipe gluten free, but you can use any kind of noodle you have on hand. Even just regular pasta or spaghetti work just fine!
Other recipes you’ll love
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Thai Red Curry Noodles
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 16 ounces brown rice noodles
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 3-4 tbsp Thai red curry paste I used 4
- 2-3 tbsp tomato paste start with 2, add more if needed
- 1-2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 4 large cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp maple syrup or honey
- Juice from 1 lime about 1-2 tbsp
- 1 tsp cornstarch tapioca or arrowroot work too
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions. Undercook them just slightly, we'll continue cooking them a bit in the sauce.
- In a small pot or skillet, add the minced garlic, grated ginger and olive oil. Saute until the garlic looks slightly golden brown.
- Add the coconut milk and all remaining ingredients to the pot (aside from the cornstarch) with the garlic and whisk until smooth.
- Bring to a boil, whisk in the corn starch, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Once the noodles are done cooking, combine the sauce with the noodles and let simmer over low heat to let it thicken further and finish cooking the noodles. It will seem saucy at first, but the noodles will absorb a lot of the sauce as it sits. If you don't like it too saucy, start with just 1/2 of the sauce with the noodles at first and add more as desired. I usually serve it with other veggies/protein, which is why I made it create a lot of sauce, but feel free to start small if you prefer that!
- Garnish with cilantro, scallions and red pepper flakes. Serve with your favorite protein, sauteed or steamed vegetables, or enjoy as is!
Terrill says
I was really excited to try this. I’m not much of a cook & it sounded easy. The flavor was good but a little more tomato forward that I expected. If I make it again I’ll substitute one of the tbsp of tomato paste for another one of curry paste. But the biggest issue was I cut the noodles in half (used 8 instead of 16 oz) & left the sauce stuff the same bc I like my noodles & curry quite saucy but it thickened so much so fast! By the time I went back for a second bowl it was so thick, sticky, & almost just a clump of starch that I passed. Now I’m racking my brain for a way to try & do something with all the leftovers that will make them warm up even semi creamy again.
Claire Cary says
Unfortunately, that has a lot to do with the rice noodles. You can try omitting the thickener from the sauce and allow the noodles to thicken the sauce on their own. Hope that helps!
Asnat says
Besides leaving out the cornstarch one can always save some of the pasta water before draining the pasta and this can be added back to the dish to thin out the sauce. This technique works for just about any stovetop pasta dish. Also useful for reheating the next day. Nice recipe!
Cassie says
Amazing recipe!!!! So easy to adapt when needed to based on what we had in the fridge to add. Thank you!
Claire Cary says
The best kind of recipe! So happy you enjoyed!
Bella says
Love it! My favourite quick dish to make as so much better than anything store bought. I’ve made this countless times and it’s always been a treat (and I’m a hopeless cook). Perfect for lazy days or when I feel like whipping something up. Best part is there are always left overs also and it reheats beautifully. 5/5 starts from me 🙂
Kim says
I made this tonight and it is amazing. I didnt change a thing.
Rebecca says
Fantastic recipe!!! Loved it.
Claire Cary says
Thanks Rebecca! So happy to hear that.
Nuria says
Hi! I am very excited to make this, it looks delicious! I was wondering if leftovers could be frozen? I am making this as meal prep for the week for my self and I doubt I will finish it all so I like freezing me leftovers for the future.
Thanks!
Claire Cary says
I haven’t tried freezing these, I’m not sure how the noodles will hold up. I’m sure it will be fine but the noodles might get a bit mushy when you defrost it. let me know if you try!
Sally says
Thanks this recipe, it was perfect. I made some changes: using the creamy part of the coconut milk, and subbing red curry paste for green curry paste, furthermore omitting the tomato paste. My choice of veg was spinach and sweetcorn. Everyone loved it!
Claire Cary says
oh yum! I’ll have to try with green curry paste, that sound delicious!
Marija says
Loved this recipe!! So easy to make and sooo delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Samantha says
Amazing recipe.
rianna says
So quick and easy to make! Usually when a recipe says 15 minutes, it’s actually half an hour or something with prep. I whipped this together during my lunch break and it was so fast. I don’t have cornstarch but let it cook enough and it will thicken on its own.
Claire Cary says
Thanks Rianna! I try to be accurate with my time estimates 🙂 So happy you enjoyed it!