A protein-packed vegan meal prep recipe with creamy coconut curry, sweet potatoes, kale and one tofu trick I wish I’d tried sooner.

I made this coconut tofu curry for meal prep this week and tried something I had never done before: I boiled the tofu in salted water before adding it to the curry.

And I’m into it.

It sounds like an unnecessary extra step, but it only takes a few minutes. The hot salted water seasons the tofu before it ever hits the curry, so you’re not relying entirely on the sauce to give an otherwise bland block of tofu some personality.

Then everything goes into this creamy coconut curry with sweet potato, kale, ginger, garlic and red curry paste. The fat from the coconut milk works especially well with the curry paste and spices, creating a sauce that tastes even better after everything has had some time to hang out together.

Which brings me to the other reason I love this recipe: it’s really good for meal prep.

Make a pot, add brown or white rice and some steamed broccoli, and you have a filling plant-based lunch ready to go for several days.

Easy Thai-Inspired Tofu Curry

Serves: 4–6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: About 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (14–16 oz) block extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt, for the tofu water
• 1–2 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral cooking oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or grated
• 1–2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 medium sweet potato, cut into small cubes
• 1 (13.5 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 3–4 cups chopped kale, tough stems removed
• ¼–½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt, to taste

For serving:

• Cooked brown or white rice
• Steamed broccoli
• Extra cilantro, optional

Instructions

1. Boil the tofu

Bring a medium pot of generously salted water to a boil.

Add the cubed tofu and gently boil for about 3–5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Chef Joanna Tip: This was my first time boiling tofu in salted water before adding it to a curry, and I loved the result. It gives the tofu a chance to get seasoned before it goes into the sauce rather than hoping it absorbs all its flavor later.

2. Build your curry base

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

Add the chopped onion and cook for about 3–4 minutes, until it begins to soften.

Add the garlic, ginger and 1–2 teaspoons red curry paste and sauté for another minute or so, stirring constantly.

You want to cook the curry paste in the oil rather than immediately drowning it in liquid. This helps wake up all those flavors.

3. Add the sweet potato

Stir in the curry powder and cubed sweet potato.

Add the coconut milk and approximately 2 cups vegetable broth. Stir everything together and bring to a gentle simmer.

4. Simmer

Partially cover the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.

Give it a stir every once in a while and adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.

5. Add the tofu and greens

Add the drained tofu and chopped kale.

Gently stir and cook for another 3–5 minutes, until the tofu is warmed through and the kale has wilted into the curry.

Taste and season with additional salt or curry paste if needed.

Turn off the heat and stir in a generous handful of fresh cilantro.

6. Meal prep it

Divide cooked rice among your meal-prep containers and spoon the tofu coconut curry alongside it.

I added steamed broccoli at the end for even more green veggies without making the curry itself too crowded.

Let everything cool before covering and refrigerating.

Why This Tofu Curry Is So Good for Meal Prep

This is one of those recipes that may actually be better the next day.

As it sits, the coconut milk, red curry paste, ginger, garlic and spices have more time to come together. The tofu hangs out in all that curry sauce, and the whole thing becomes more flavorful.

Plus, one container gives you a pretty complete plant-based meal: tofu for protein, sweet potato and rice for carbohydrates, coconut milk for richness and fat, and kale and broccoli for plenty of vegetables.

And it doesn’t taste like sad meal-prep food.

That’s important.

Can You Adjust the Spice?

Absolutely.

If you’re cooking for kids or someone who doesn’t love spicy food, start with 1 teaspoon of red curry paste. You can always add more.

Different brands of Thai curry paste also vary quite a bit in heat, so taste as you go.

Chef Joanna’s Meal Prep Tip

Keep a little extra vegetable broth around when reheating this.

The curry will naturally thicken in the refrigerator as the tofu and vegetables sit in the sauce. If it gets thicker than you’d like, add a splash of broth before reheating and give it a stir.

Suddenly it’s creamy and saucy again.

The Big Takeaway

If tofu usually feels a little boring to you, try boiling it in salted water first.

Then put it in a creamy coconut curry with ginger, garlic, sweet potato and greens and let it sit overnight.

This is the kind of vegan meal prep that makes me actually look forward to opening the refrigerator tomorrow.

Make it once. Eat well all week.