This super easy and ultra-creamy Vegan Chickpea Cauliflower Curry will become your new favorite weeknight dinner recipe. The mouth-watering sauce is made with crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, cauliflower, garlic, onions, coconut milk, and plenty of heartwarming spices.
Chickpea Cauliflower Curry Video
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Chickpea Cauliflower Curry
Just like my sweet potato stew, pumpkin curry, mushroom stroganoff, this creamy curry is a popular vegan food because it’s easy to make and doesn’t require many ingredients.
Ingredients
- Red curry paste – If you’re out, Massaman paste or even tomato paste can step in, though they won’t bring the same bold flavor. Tomato paste lacks heat, so taste as you go and add red pepper flakes, cayenne, or chili powder to bring the spice. This curry is creamy and mild with a slight kick—perfectly balanced!
- Cauliflower – Cut florets into bite-sized pieces, aiming for uniform sizes for even cooking. You’ll need about 3–4 cups. Not into cauliflower? Swap it for spinach, broccoli, kale, mushrooms, red bell peppers, or sweet potatoes. My favorite combo is sweet potatoes and spinach—so good! (Have you tried my sweet potato stew yet?)
- Coconut milk – Full-fat or low-fat? Honestly, either works, but make sure it’s unsweetened and free of additives for the best results.
- Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) – Canned chickpeas are a lifesaver for quick meals! Just drain and rinse them well to remove the salty liquid. If you prefer dried chickpeas, soak them overnight in plenty of water. Use 2 cans for a heartier curry or 1 for a lighter dish—it’s totally up to you!
- Vegetable stock – Adds a nice depth of flavor, but warm water works just fine too. Bouillon cubes or stock powder are handy substitutes.
- Fresh lime juice – A big, generous tablespoon brings all the flavors together. If you’re not sure about adding lime juice, let everyone drizzle their own—it’s fun and customizable!
- Ginger – Fresh ginger adds a lovely zing and mild heat. The more you use, the spicier it gets, so adjust to your taste.
- Garlic – Two medium cloves usually do the trick, but garlic can vary in strength depending on the season. Use your judgment—sometimes one clove is plenty!
📋 You can find the full ingredient list in the Recipe Card below the article.
How To Make This Curry
Heat up a large dutch oven or pot with cooking oil, add onion and cook until translucent (4-5 minutes.)
Follow with garlic, ginger, and spices (curry, turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper). Stir to combine and saute for 1 minute for spices to open up. Stir in the red curry paste.
Next, follow with cauliflower and season with salt.
Cook for a few minutes over medium heat while stirring constantly until florets are evenly covered in spice mix.
After that, add tomatoes, chickpeas vegetable stock. Take it to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until cauliflower florets are softened.
Add coconut milk last and simmer for another 5 -10 minutes on low.
Lastly, stir in fresh chopped cilantro (optional) and drizzle with fresh lime juice, remove the curry from heat.
Your delicious vegan chickpea cauliflower curry is ready to serve with rice, cauliflower rice, bread and fresh ci
Tips
- Curry will thicken even more once cooked and refrigerated. Add more vegetable broth, coconut milk, milk, or warm water once ready to reheat.
- Don't simmer for too long or boil once you add the coconut milk. It will start to separate.
- Make ahead - for even a quicker meal, you could boil or steam the cauliflower a day or two before. Once ready to eat, follow the instructions and once all the ingredients added, just simmer until the curry thickens to your liking.
- It is still a relatively mild creamy curry. To make it more spicy, add red pepper flakes, more red curry paste, ginger, garlic.
- If you have any cauliflower leftovers make these Vegetarian Patties With Broccoli, Cauliflower And Spinach for next day lunch or dinner. And chickpeas also make a delicious hummus with roasted red pepper.
Serving Suggestions
As most of you know, curry is served with rice (I like to use brown rice for a healthier option) and homemade GF naan bread. You can serve with regular bread (gluten-free if using), rice, quinoa, potatoes, any grain that has a gluten-free label if this is a concern for you. I have also served this as a thicker soup, with bread on the side.
Don't forget the toppings! Mango chutney, yogurt on the side, bean sprouts, shredded coconut, toasted nuts, green onions, chives, chopped red onion, cilantro, basil, parsley will all be a great addition and give lots of flavor to this curry.
Freezing and Storing Instructions
- Let the curry cool completely, and transfer to airtight containers, refrigerate and consume within 2-3 days. By the way, the best time to freeze the curry or any dish is on the same day it was prepared. This way it will remain fresh for longer and retain its nutritional value. Or freeze for 2-3 months.
- After thawing, however, the texture will change slightly which is very common with cream sauce, ‘’milk’’ based recipes. To restore its first look (as much as we can after thawing), and make it more creamy stir in fresh coconut milk or heavy cream (or vegetable stock, boiled water) when reheating.
Easy One Pot Weeknight Dinners
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Recipe Card
Vegan Chickpea Cauliflower Curry
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INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil, (grapeseed, coconut or avocado oil)
- 1 onion medium, chopped
- 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- 4 cup cauliflower florets, divide into smaller florets
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1 13.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 cans (15 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 can light coconut milk or full fat, both are suitable
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium whole lime juice (or to taste), juiced
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat up a large nonstick pot with oil, add onion and cook until translucent. (4-5 minutes.)1 onion medium, 2 tablespoon cooking oil
- Follow with garlic, ginger, and spices (curry, turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper). Stir to combine and saute for 1 minute for spices to open up. Stir in the red curry paste.2 fresh garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- Next, follow with cauliflower and season with salt. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat while stirring constantly until florets are evenly covered in spice mix.4 cup cauliflower florets, 1 teaspoon salt
- After that, add tomatoes, chickpeas vegetable broth. Take it to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until cauliflower florets are softened.4 cup cauliflower florets, 1 13.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes, 2 cans (15 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), 1 cup vegetable broth
- Add coconut milk last and simmer for another 5 -10 minutes on low.1 can light coconut milk or full fat
- Lastly, stir in fresh chopped cilantro (optional) and drizzle with fresh lime juice, remove the curry from heat.2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, 1 medium whole lime juice (or to taste)
- Your delicious vegan chickpea cauliflower curry is ready to serve with rice, cauliflower rice, bread and fresh cilantro.
VIDEO
NOTES
- Curry will thicken even more once cooked and refrigerated. Add more vegetable broth, coconut milk, milk, or warm water once ready to reheat.
- Make-ahead - for even a quicker meal, you could boil or steam the cauliflower a day or two before. Once ready to eat, follow the instructions and once all the ingredients are added, just simmer until the curry thickens to your liking.
- It is still a relatively mild creamy curry. To make it spicier, add red pepper flakes, more red curry paste, ginger, garlic.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Kelly
Great tasting and easy to make! To my great disappointment, I did not have any curry powder left, So I added more Red curry paste to taste and it still tasted great! Would definitely make again.
Julia
Yes you can sure do that too! So yummy right! Thank you for your comment Kelly!
JoAnne
I'd like to trying this recipe, but can't eat anything even mildly spicy. Are there any changes that can be made to this recipe to keep it from being spicy, yet retain the flavors in this dish? Thanks!
Julia
hi JoAnne! This would be difficult, You'll have to substitute ginger (this could be left out), curry powder (there's nothing that is close BUT you could increase the amount of turmeric and cumin instead) and red curry paste (maybe a good quality tomato paste in a tube instead). The flavor will be different, but with these subs still tasty. Make sure to season the ''curry'' well with salt.
Mariama Phillips
Very good! Thank you. My family loved it.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
glad you liked it!
Laurie
Loved this super quick and delicious recipe. Although I end up adding things to almost all recipes I make. I added cayenne pepper, broccoli florets, and some lentils because I needed to use them. This was a fave for sure!!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Laurie, I literally do the same thing, always! Thank you for comment!
Nohemi
I just made this for dinner, I followed the recipe except I didn’t add salt because there was already so much sodium in the vegetable stock. I also added avocado, green onions, and spinach. Delicious! It took me longer than 30 minutes though.
Helen
We love curry and this looks like a great one - so creamy and delicious!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you so much Helen!
Holley
I love how this is a one pot meal and can be made in big batches. It's easy to store in the freezer and just bouncing with flavors!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
So easy right! Thank you Holley!
Kechi
I have been looking for new curry recipes and am bookmarking this one to make. I love that this is vegan too!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you Kechi, hope it becomes your family favorite too!
Dannii
I love a chickpea curry for a vegan alternative. Yours looks amazing.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you so much Danii!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
Cauliflower is so good in curries and teaming it with chickpeas makes it a delicious hearty meal.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Agree, nutritious and delicious! Thank you Amanda!
Connie
This was very good! I added green beans, but otherwise used the recipe. Made basmati rice with butter and cumin seeds with it. Thanks for a great dish!
Niki
Looks delicious, I'm going to try it soon. 🙂
Julia
Thank you so much Niki, can't wait to hear how you go!
Lesley
I made this recipe for supper tonight, following the recipe pretty closely. It was really delicious... Tasty, creamy and a little spicy. Will definitely be making it again.
Julia
Thank you, Leslie, this is one of our favorite curries to make! Glad you liked it!