Tofu Green Curry Noodle Bowls

Saucey and fresh, these Tofu Green Curry Noodle Bowls have been a repeat meal for us. The textures & flavors of chewy rice noodles, hearty broccoli, crispy tofu, and the creamy green curry sauce make for an easy + delicious experience. This meal is light and perfect for the approaching warmer weather months (as well as the cozy nights in!)

This green curry recipe is gluten free since it’s made with rice noodles, and can be entirely vegan depending on what brand of curry paste you use. And the best part? It takes less than 30 minutes start to finish. Now that’s my kind of meal!

If you’re a fellow curry lover, be sure to check out this Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp Noodles Recipe. Pad thai noodles get coated in a flavorful and creamy red coconut curry sauce, and served with crunchy snap peas, fresh cilantro, and juicy sautéed shrimp. Plus, it’s another dinner that comes together in less than 30 minutes!

Ingredients in Tofu Green Curry Bowls

Tofu – For optimal crisp and texture, I suggest using super firm tofu. Nasoya is a great brand as well as the Trader Joe’s brand. I like the Trader Joe’s brand because it requires no pressing, making it easier to crisp up while cooking.

Coconut Aminos – An underrated kitchen ingredient that everyone should have! Coconut aminos is almost like a sweeter version of soy sauce (that’s also gluten free) and really enhances the natural flavors of whatever dish you’re making. If needed, substitute with soy sauce and decrease the amount of salt in the recipe.

Fresh Ginger – The robust flavors of this dish come from spices like fresh ginger and the green curry paste.

Green Curry Paste – Most people are familiar with the traditional red curry but green curry might be my personal favorite. The brand I used is Mae Ploy and I love it because the base of traditional green curry herbs & spices is amplified with a yummy shrimp paste. Another brand I’d suggest (especially for vegans) is Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste for the high quality flavor of herbs and spices, and no animal by products.

Coconut Milk – For the guaranteed creamy texture, be sure to use full fat coconut milk. The flavor combination of coconut with the curry paste is what makes any curry dish so dang delicious!

Coconut Sugar – It might sound odd to add sugar but promise me, you want to! The subtle sweetness of coconut sugar helps balance the overall flavors of this tofu green curry.

Rice Noodles – Not all rice noodles are created the same and I 100% stand by and recommend Lotus Foods for all your noodle needs. The high quality ingredients make for the best rice noodles in both texture and flavor.

Red Curry Vs Green Curry

Now before we dive into the details of this dish, let’s clear up any curry confusion. Most people are a fan of traditional curry recipes made with red curry. The difference between red and green is simply in the ingredients. Red curry is made with a base of red chilis, hence the color and amplified spice of it. Green curry is made with a base of green chilis, making it less spicy and more focused on the flavor of the herbs and spices.

Both varieties are delicious (in my opinion) and deciding which to use just depends on the recipe. For these green curry noodle bowls I knew I wanted a flavorful sauce that was more fresh and spring flavored versus the heat of red curry paste. And that’s that!

How to Make Tofu Green Curry Noodle Bowls

1. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large saute pan and heat to medium. 
2. In a large bowl, add cubed tofu, salt, and 2 tbsp of coconut aminos, stirring until evenly coated. Add cubed tofu to the large saute pan and cook for 5-6 minutes until browned on 2 sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. To the same pan, add remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, ginger, jalapeno, and scallions and cook for 2-3 minutes, until scallions are softened. Add chopped broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in the 1 tbsp curry paste and stir until evenly combined.
4. Next, add your can of full fat coconut milk, coconut sugar, remaining 2 tbsp coconut aminos, and let simmer for 10 minutes to thicken. 
5. While simmering, prepare your rice noodles according to package instructions.
6. After 10 minutes, add chopped bok choy and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add your spinach and cook for 1 minute or until just wilted. 
7. Stir in your cooked rice noodles, cubed tofu, and fresh lime juice. Garnish with extra chopped scallions and cilantro. Enjoy!

How to Make Tofu Taste Good

Learning how to prep, cook, and make tofu taste good will change your culinary experience. As a pescatarian, I love including tofu in meals for added protein and when cooked right, the flavor and texture is phenomenal. I’ll share my tips and tricks for the *best* tofu experience down below, comment if you give them a try!

1. Remove excess moisture from the tofu by using extra firm tofu and pressing it. Regardless of the type of tofu you buy, pressing it helps extract moisture and creates crisp tofu. I suggest wrapping the tofu block in linen or paper towels and putting something heavy on top for 15 – 20 minutes. You’ll be amazed at how much moisture seeps out!
2. Tofu itself tastes quite bland so properly seasoning it is very important. Cut the tofu into small/medium sized cubes and add to a bowl with spices like salt, pepper, garlic, and so forth. Also add some dashes of coconut aminos (or soy sauce) and toss to evenly coat all the cubes.
3. Preheat the saute pan or baking sheet with oil before adding the tofu. This step keeps the tofu from baking to the pan/sheet and instead crisps up the outside of the cubes.
4. Tofu doesn’t need much time to cook, it’s just about achieving the outer crisp texture. So once you see the sides crisping up (about 5-6 minutes each), remove the tofu from heat so it doesn’t dry out!

How to Make Rice Noodles

I’ve definitely had a fair share of gummy rice pasta that’s clumpy and just not … great. To avoid that, follow these easy steps!

Always boil enough water to leave about 1-2 inches of water overtop the pasta. This ensures there’s enough water for proper cooking. Then once you’ve added the noodles, be sure to stir them regularly with a fork to separate the noodles and keep them from clumping.

I recommend following the suggested time on the pasta package while also testing for texture towards the end. The noodles may need an extra minute or two depending on the desired texture. Once you deem them done, strain through a colander and immediately add to the saute pan and sauce mixture.

Whether you’re cooking with oil or a sauce, adding the hot noodles right away keeps them from clumping to each other. Another option is to rinse the noodles in cold water (to remove the sticky starches that cause clumping) and set them aside to use in a cold salad or for later use.

More Rice Noodle Recipes

If you’re a fan of rice noodles (major fan here), you’ll love these recipes.

Rice Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce – Tender rice noodles with sauteed carrots, broccoli, bell pepper, and onion all tossed in a creamy peanut sauce. This dish is fresh and light with a kick of spice!

Vegetarian Spicy Tahini Rice Noodles – Sautéed onions, jalapeno, mushrooms, and broccoli get served with gluten free rice noodles, all coated in an easy + super creamy spicy tahini sauce.

If you try any of these recipes, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you and it helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Tofu Green Curry Rice Noodle Bowls 🙂

Tofu Green Curry Rice Noodle Bowls

Author Casey Colodny

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 15 minutes minutes

Total: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

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Tender rice noodles, sauteed broccoli, and crisp tofu are tossed in a creamy green curry sauce. These fresh and flavorful noodle bowls are vegan + gluten free and take less than 30 minutes to make!

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil divided
• 1, 16 oz pack super firm tofu pressed and cubed
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 4 tbsp coconut aminos divided (if you sub soy sauce, you will need to add less salt)
• 1 ½ inch piece ginger peeled and minced (~2 tbsp)
• 1 jalapeno minced (~3 tbsp)
• 4 scallions sliced thin (~⅓ cup)
• 2 cups broccoli florets chopped small
• 1 tbsp green curry paste
• 1, 13.5 oz can full fat coconut milk
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 baby bok choy chopped
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• ½ lime juiced (~1 tbsp)
• 12 oz rice noodles cooked according to package instructions
• Garnish: chopped scallions and chopped cilantro

Instructions

• Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large saute pan and heat to medium.
• In a large bowl, add cubed tofu, salt, and 2 tbsp of coconut aminos, stirring until evenly coated. Add cubed tofu to the large saute pan and cook for 5-6 minutes until browned on 2 sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• To the same pan, add remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, ginger, jalapeno, and scallions and cook for 2-3 minutes, until scallions are softened. Add chopped broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in the 1 tbsp curry paste and stir until evenly combined.
  
• Next, add your can of full fat coconut milk, coconut sugar, remaining 2 tbsp coconut aminos, and let simmer for 10 minutes to thicken.
• While simmering, prepare your rice noodles according to package instructions.
• After 10 minutes, add chopped bok choy and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add your spinach and cook for 1 minute or until just wilted.
• Stir in your cooked rice noodles, cubed tofu, and fresh lime juice. Garnish with extra chopped scallions and cilantro. Enjoy!
  

Notes

I like Trader Joe’s brand of super firm tofu because it doesn’t need to be pressed, just dried off with a towel. If you do need to press the tofu, I suggest wrapping it in linen or paper towels and putting something heavy on top for 15 – 20 minutes.

Coconut aminos brands differ – I like coconut secret brand and Trader Joe’s brand.

I used the Mae Ploy green curry paste. If you need this recipe to be vegan, I would suggest using Thai Kitchen Green curry paste instead.

I used Lotus Foods pad thai white rice noodles. If you use this brand you will need 1.5 packages.

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