23 Thai Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes

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Vegetarian Pad Thai — The Spruce/Ahlam Raffii

Are you looking for ways to maximize flavor, and fill up at meals, while sticking to a meat-free diet? These tasty Thai recipes will satisfy a comfort food craving, and put pep in your step, without the need to include meat, eggs, or dairy. We've collected our best vegan and vegetarian Thai recipes for nutritious weeknight stir-fries, potluck-friendly salads, soothing soups, company-worthy noodles, and even some desserts and party appetizers, so you can eat Thai — and eat well — on a vegan or vegetarian diet any day of the week.

Thai Essential Herbs and Spices

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Vegetarian Pad Thai

The Spruce/Ahlam Raffii

Pad Thai is Thailand's most famous culinary export, and for good reason. The combination of chewy rice noodles, crunchy nuts, vegetables, and protein in a tangy sweet, sour, and slightly spicy sauce is both delicious and filling. This vegetarian version with eggs (which you can omit, for a vegan dish) is perfect for those eating meatless to chow down on.
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Tropical Thai Coconut-Tapioca Pudding

The Spruce/Qi Ai

Flavored with tropical coconut, Thai tapioca pudding is a classic dessert from Thailand that deserves to be known stateside. Pretty, simple, and sweet, this plant-based dessert is not only creamy and delicious — it is also gluten-free and dairy-free. It is a refreshing treat after summer meals, and can be made ahead and chilled until ready to serve.
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Crunchy Fried Thai Vegetarian Egg Rolls

The Spruce/Stephanie Goldfinger

If you've always wanted to try your hand at making crunchy fried Asian-style egg rolls at home, here's your go-to recipe. The egg roll filling with lots of crisp vegetables comes together easily, and we've included tips for making them vegetarian or vegan. Get friends or family involved in the fun of rolling them up, before you fry them in a hot pan.
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Easy Gluten-Free Vegan Thai Fried Rice Noodles

The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

Thai fried rice noodles loaded with healthy vegetables and tender tofu bites in a sweet and tangy sauce are a vegan dinner delight. As a bonus, this rice noodle dish is gluten-free, nutritious, and low in fat in calories. If rice stick noodles are unavailable at the store, feel free to swap in any long, gluten-free pasta.

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Vegetarian Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

The Spruce

Fried rice is used in many global cuisines as a popular base for mixing flavorful and nutritious ingredients to make a quick, one-pan meal. Our summery, vegetarian take on Thai pineapple fried rice is truly mouth-watering, omitting the usual fish sauce, and adding in sweet raisins and crunchy cashews for extra flavor and texture.
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Thai Banana-Lychee Dessert in Coconut Milk

The Spruce/Julia Hartbeck

Sweet and creamy, yet low in fat, this exotic Thai fruit dessert with canned lychees, banana, and coconut milk will blow your mind. It is something like a magical dessert soup, and tastes like nothing else, with a wonderfully sweet and tropical flavor that you may find addictive. Best of all, it comes together in just 10 minutes, with 5 easy ingredients.
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Vegan Yellow Thai Curry With Mixed Vegetables

The Spruce/Ali Redmond

Thai yellow curry tends to be milder than green or red curries, and you can adjust the spice by adding less chili paste. This recipe produces great flavors without the need for curry paste or a long list of ingredients. Serve with fresh lime and cilantro.
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Thai Green Mango Salad

The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

Firm, unripe mangoes add fresh crunch and flavor to this classic Thai salad. If it's summertime, add some halved cherry tomatoes for more brightness. To make it vegan, swap the fish sauce for soy sauce. Fried tofu adds a new texture and protein.

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Thai Mango Sticky Rice Dessert (Khao Niaow Ma Muang)

The Spruce

Thai mango sticky rice (Khao Niaow Ma Muang) is a classic vegan Thai dessert and is sure to become a favorite at your house. The sticky rice can either be steamed or you can make it in a pot on your stove. It's the perfect pair with sweet, ripe mango.
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Thai-Style Vegan Stir-Fry With Lemongrass

The Spruce/Madhumita Sathishkumar

Lemongrass is a key ingredient of Thai cuisine that is less well-known in America. Discover its bright and beautiful flavor with this easy tofu stir-fry that you can throw together quickly for a weeknight meal. Serve it over coconut or jasmine rice for a fragrant family meal that cooks entirely in one pan, for easy preparation and clean-up.
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Vegetarian Tom Yum Soup

The Spruce

Vegetarian Tom Yum soup is the most famous all Thai soups. It is easy to make, deliciously flavorful, and always hits the spot when you are fighting a cold. The hot and sour broth is aromatic and tasty, and can be boosted with a little coconut milk if you prefer a creamy soup. Enjoy it solo for lunch, or ladle it over cooked rice or noodles for a filling one-bowl dinner.
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Easy Coconut Rice

The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

Coconut rice makes a great side dish to accompany a Thai curry or vegetable dish. It's simple to put together and makes any meal extra special. For best results, use Thai jasmine rice.

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Thai Coconut Ice Cream

The Spruce/Cara Cormack

Thai coconut ice cream is light and flavorful, with an icy-meets-creamy texture you'll be grateful for on hot summer days. You don't even need an ice cream maker to whip up this easy dessert with just 6 ingredients. Your blender or food processor, and some time in the freezer for chilling, will do the trick.
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10-Minute Thai Cucumber Salad

The Spruce

For a super quick salad with lots of flavor, throw together a Thai cucumber salad. With red chili, cilantro, and crushed peanuts, this is no boring salad. If you're eating vegan, swap the fish sauce for more soy sauce or omit it altogether.
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Baked Tofu in Thai Peanut Sauce

The Spruce/Cara Cormack

Tender baked tofu is coated in an easy-to-make Thai peanut sauce for a tasty vegan main dish. Serve this baked tofu with fried rice, noodles, and sautéed vegetables for a complete meal.
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Thai Massaman Vegetarian Curry

The Spruce / D.Schmidt

Massaman curries from southern Thailand have a wider array of dried spices than other Thai curries, bringing them closer to Indian-style curries. This vegan dish has wonderful depth of flavor and is delicious served with rice.

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Vegetarian Thai Green Coconut Curry

The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

Impress your family and friends with this aromatic Thai green coconut curry that makes excellent use of healthy, in-season vegetables. Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients — most of them will already be in your kitchen, and the dish only takes minutes to whip up. It's fresh, flavorful, and has a vibrant green color that kids and adults alike will love.
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Thai Yellow Rice

The Spruce

If you're looking for a more flavorful side dish than plain white or brown rice, try Thai yellow rice. Flavored with onion, garlic, red pepper, turmeric, saffron, and lime, it's a dish worth savoring all on its own. Use vegetable stock to make it vegetarian.
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Thai Stir-Fried Noodles With Vegetables

The Spruce/Haley Hazell

Stir-fried noodles with vegetables are made with a flavorful sauce composed of lime juice, soy sauce, white pepper, and chili. Egg or wheat noodles are used for a chewy texture, and the whole dish takes less than half an hour to whip up. Replace the oyster and fish sauce with more soy sauce to make it truly vegetarian.
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Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)

The Spruce

Thai green papaya salad (som tam) is popular in most areas of Thailand, and when you taste it, you'll know why. Green papaya salad is a beautifully unique and flavor-filled dish made with unripe, crunchy fruit. It's also easy to make, low-calorie, and very nutritious.

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Vegetarian Thai Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Curry

Loving it Vegan

Creamy pumpkin and sweet potato in a coconut sauce with ginger, turmeric, garlic, and lime, this Thai pumpkin curry is a delicious fall dish. If you don't have pumpkin handy, swap it for another winter squash like butternut, kabocha, or acorn squash.
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Thai Coconut Brown Rice

The Spruce / Andrea Livingston

Add some nutrition to your Thai meal with coconut brown rice. It has all of the flavors of coconut rice with more fiber and nutrients. Use high-quality coconut milk for the best possible results.
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Thai Steamed Dumplings

Lauri Patterson / Getty Images

For a vegetarian dim sum treat, try these delicious Thai steamed dumplings made with a shiitake mushroom, tofu, ginger, and coriander filling. The dumplings are steamed but with an option to fry them to create potstickers (goyzas).

26 Vegan and Vegetarian Dinner Recipes That Will Wow Your Tastebuds