These Coconut Curry Noodles are the ultimate weeknight dinner comfort food. Gingery, garlicky noodles in a Thai red curry coconut sauce are garnished with a crispy tofu-cauliflower mix.

ceramic dish with coconut curry noodles and crispy tofu and cauliflower on top

These one-pot curry noodles feature the perfect balance of flavors with ingredients like garlic, ginger, red curry paste, peanut butter, tamari, lime, and coconut. Maple syrup even adds a hint of sweetness!

speckled ceramic plate with curry noodles and limes

Top it off with a crunchy mix of crumbled, crispy tofu and riced cauliflower to provide the perfect bit of texture to these warm, cozy noodles.

What is Red Curry Paste?

Let me introduce you to my favorite ingredient: red curry paste. I've always loved anything that begins with what I believe to be a match made in heaven—garlic and ginger. But there is something extra special about red curry paste. It's bold, spicy, and warm with hints of lemongrass and lime. If you've never tried it before, you're in for a real treat!

plate of noodles in red curry sauce with crispy topping

While you'll use about an entire jar of curry paste in this recipe, trust me, you will be happy to have extra in your fridge for another recipe!

Thai curry paste, also known as prik gaeng, is a combination of aromatics, herbs, and spices. The most vital ingredient is prik, or chiles. Garlic, shallots, and shrimp paste are traditionally added to curry paste. Red curry paste is most commonly made with dried chiles, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro roots, makrut lime zest, white peppercorns, shrimp paste, and salt.

Choose the Right Red Curry Paste

As I mentioned above, curry paste traditionally is made with shrimp paste, but I have found many grocery store brands that are vegan-friendly. Be sure to read the labels and find one that is free of shrimp if you eat plant-based.

noodles in a red curry sauce with peanuts, sesame seeds and lime

The heat varies greatly depending on what curry paste you buy. If you are worried about heat, start with less red curry paste and taste for heat at the end. If you need more spice, you can always stir more in later.

You can find red curry paste at most grocery stores in the same section as soy sauce, tamari, rice vinegar, and other Asian sauce ingredients.

What Type of Noodles to Use

plate and fork with vegan curry noodles and limes

I recommend using rice noodles for this recipe, but if you only have pasta on hand that's okay too! Look for Pad Thai noodles, stir fry noodles, or brown or white rice noodles. These are all essentially the same thing but can be named differently depending on where you shop and what brand you buy.

Chef Tips

These tips will really help you take this dish to the next level!

dish with coconut curry noodes, tofu-cauliflower topping, and limes on orange linen napkin

This recipe has two parts, the pot of noodles and the tofu-cauliflower mixture. Both are very hands-on. Make sure all of your ingredients are prepped, measured and ready before getting started. Then, while the pot is cooking you can get started on the tofu and cauliflower to save on time.
Love extra heat? Add more than a ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the pot. If you're wary of spice, leave them out and add them at the end (a little at a time) if you need more heat.

plate with orange noodles and crispy topping with quartered limes on orange linen napkin

When turning off the heat for the pot of noodles, taste a noodle to make sure it is soft to bite and not chewy or crunchy. If it is, cook for a few more minutes to ensure the noodles are cooked all the way through. They will continue to cook a little after the heat is turned off too.
Crumble the tofu by squeezing it in your hands—this will require less chopping with your spoon.

Ingredients

Garlic and ginger are sautéed in olive oil for an aromatic base. Red curry paste adds to this aroma with a warm, fragrant, and slightly spicy flavor. Add a touch more heat with red pepper flakes.

Build on this base and create the coconut curry sauce using full fat coconut milk for a cool, creamy texture. Vegetable broth will help the noodles cook and offers a richer flavor than using water. Peanut butter and tamari are added for nutty, salty, and umami flavor.

Once the rice noodles are added and cooked, stir in lime juice and maple syrup for a tangy, citrusy, and sweet burst of flavor.

Tofu is crumbled and cooked alongside riced cauliflower with salt, pepper, and additional red curry paste and tamari. This mixture adds a lovely crunchy, crispy addition to the creamy coconut curry noodles.

ceramic plate with coconut curry noodles and crispy tofu topping

To really pack in the flavor, garnish with more lime juice, sriracha, sesame seeds, and crushed peanuts.

Substitutions

Here is a list of ingredients I recommend not substituting, plus some that could be substituted.

plate with vegan curry noodles and crispy tofu cauliflower topping, limes, and fork

Red curry paste: I recommend only using red curry paste here. Other types of curry paste are vastly different, including green or yellow curry paste.
Full fat coconut milk: If you can, only use full fat coconut milk. Other milks won't offer the rich, creamy texture that makes this dish what it is.
Vegetable broth: You can use water instead, just know the flavor will be slightly thinner and milder.
Peanut butter: I definitely prefer peanut butter for this recipe, but you could use almond butter.
Tamari: Soy sauce or coconut aminos work here too.
Maple syrup: You can use brown sugar, coconut sugar, or agave here if you have it.
Tofu: Nothing will crumble quite as tiny as tofu will, but you could use tempeh instead. The texture will be more chewy and the pieces will be larger. If you can, stick with tofu!

How to Make Coconut Curry Noodles

In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once warm, add the minced garlic and sauté for a minute, keeping an eye on the garlic to make sure it doesn’t burn. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the ginger. Then add 3 tablespoons of red curry paste and a ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring everything together.

Thai red curry sauce with coconut milk in large soup pot

Add the coconut milk, broth, peanut butter, and 1 tablespoon of tamari. Bring the pot to a boil. Then add the noodles and cook for 6 minutes at medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat, stir in the lime juice and maple syrup.

soup pot with creamy coconut curry sauce and rice noodles

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Crumble the tofu into the pan, using your spatula or wooden spoon to chop the tofu into tiny pieces while simultaneously coating the tofu with oil.

white frying pan with crumbled tofu cauliflower mix and wooden spoon

Then add an additional tablespoon of oil along with the cauliflower. Mix the cauliflower and tofu together, continuing to break down any large pieces of tofu. Add the salt and pepper and sauté the mixture for 2 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of red curry paste and a ½ tablespoon of tamari. Continue to chop and stir, being careful to lower the heat if the mixture starts to burn or look dry. You can always add a bit more oil too.

speckled ceramic plate with curry noodles, tofu topping, and limes

Use tongs to add noodles to each bowl, then add a scoop of the tofu-cauliflower mix on top. Garnish with a squeeze of lime juice, sriracha, sesame seeds and crushed peanuts.

Storage & Reheating

If you have extra noodles leftover, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. The noodles will keep for up to 4 days. I don't recommend freezing this dish as the noodles will fall apart when reheated. However if you do freeze them, they'll last for up to a month.

rice noodles in Thai red curry coconut sauce and tofu-cauliflower topping with quartered limes

Reheat the noodles by warming oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the noodles, gently separating them with a spoon until warm all the way through. It's okay if some of the noodles get a little crispy—I love to do this when I reheat mine for a bit of crunch!

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vegan coconut curry noodles in bowl with limes and fork

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