Name: Easy Thai Oyster Mushroom Curry With Coconut Milk
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 5 c Oyster Mushrooms ((about 3/4-1 pound depending on how dry the mushrooms are or 1 paper mushroom bag at most grocery stores)); 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil ((olive oil or coconut oil are fine too)); 2 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste; 1 can Coconut Milk ((398 ml Full-Fat Coconut Milk)); 1 c Vegetable Broth; 1 tbsp Fish Sauce (vegan 'fish' sauce or coconut aminos can be used for a vegan curry)); 1 tbsp Sugar ((Coconut sugar or palm sugar are traditional sugars you can use if you like)); 1 c Green Beans; 1 c Bean Sprouts; 1 tbsp Lime Juice; 1/2 c Fresh Basil Leaves

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Last Updated on February 25, 2024 by Sabrina Currie

Craving Thai curry but don't have much time? This easy Thai oyster mushroom curry with coconut milk is just the thing. With just a handful of ingredients and 30 minutes, you'll have a creamy, spicy bowl of comfort on the table. (Naturally gluten-free, easy vegan option)

3 blue bowls of red curry with green beans and long oyster mushrooms topped with white bean sprouts and green basil leaves.

Why I Love this recipe

I love the big, bold flavors of Thailand. I also love a fast recipe during the week. On one of my trips to Thailand, I did a day of cooking lessons that started at the market and ended with me making curry paste, soup, pad Thai and more, from scratch. (See me at Pum's Thai cooking school below!)

When I have time, I still love to make my curry paste from scratch, but when time doesn't allow, a good jar of curry paste works great.

Using Thai red curry paste brings lots of flavors like lemongrass, chilis, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, and ginger (or galangal) without having to buy and prepare them all separately. Along with vegetable broth, fish sauce, a touch of sugar and lime, it makes a great creamy coconut milk sauce for this mushroom curry.

To make this a vegan oyster mushroom curry, simply swap the fish sauce for coconut aminos, vegan 'fish'sauce, or a teaspoon of sea salt. (Dal palak is another favorite vegan Indian curry and if you like seafood, this scallop curry is a great one.)

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Why I Love this recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Substitutions + Variations
Step-by-Step Instructions
Expert Tips
More Easy Curry Recipes
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Recipe Ingredients

With just a few easy to find ingredients, this Thai oyster mushroom curry with coconut milk is really quick to make.

A table of ingredients for the recipe with text overlay. Shown are bean sprouts, green beans, oyster mushrooms, a jar of red Thai curry paste, jars of fish sauce, coconut milk and veggie stock, a lime, basil, oil and sugar.

Oyster Mushrooms - While you can easily substitute any other mushrooms, oyster mushrooms work particularly well in curry. (White, blue or pink oysters or king oyster mushrooms are equally delicious choices in this vegan curry.) They are firm and have a meaty texture that won't turn rubbery as it cooks. I love to pull them apart to have 2" long chunks. When slicing or tearing them, remember they will shrink to almost ½ their original size.
Thai Red Curry Paste - I've used Thai Kitchen brand but there are some other good ones too. Using curry powder won't achieve as fresh or bold a flavor so get curry paste if you can.
Coconut Milk - Regular full fat coconut milk is what you should use for this. Light coconut milk will result in a much thinner soup. (Avoid coconut cream which is meant for desserts and sugary cocktails.)
Fish Sauce - I love the funk and authentic flavor of fish sauce but...if you are vegetarian, you can omit it. Coconut aminos, soy sauce, or vegetarian 'fish' sauce are a great substitute. If you don't have any of those, just use a teaspoon of sea salt instead.

See recipe card for quantities.

One bowl of white, wide rice noodles and another of mushroom curry.

Substitutions + Variations

Curry - This recipe will work equally well with Thai green curry paste too. It will have a more basil and green chili forward flavor. You can even make it with any other of your favorite curry pastes that pair well with coconut milk.
Mushrooms - You can definitely swap out oyster mushrooms for other meatier mushrooms. Other types of mushrooms like sliced portobello mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, wild mushrooms like boletes (aka porcini), brown cremini mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear or even white mushrooms. Or you can use more delicate Thai style mushrooms like straw mushrooms or enoki mushrooms.
Different Vegetables - The crisp green beans can be swapped for different vegetables if you want. Chopped zucchini, sliced bok choy, or green peas are all tasty options. These vegetables cook faster than green beans so reduce the cook time 2-3 minutes.
Add-Ins - Make this vegetarian curry heartier with a cup of cubed sweet potato added along with the broth and coconut milk. Or stir in 2 cups of greens like baby kale or spinach when adding the bean sprouts. Stir and serve once they are wilted in.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow along for this easy and super-satisfying one pot dinner! This has a mile-medium spice level. To make it spicier, add your favorite hot chili paste to taste.

Torn oyster mushrooms in a large soup pot.

Step 1. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Tear oyster mushrooms into large chunks and then sauté for a few minutes until softened and golden brown edges start.

Oyster mushrooms have been cooked down to half their original size and pushed to the side of the pot. There is red curry paste in the pot beside the mushrooms.

Step 2. Add the curry paste and stir through.

Step 3. Cook, stirring curry paste for 2 more minutes.

Coconut milk added but not yet stirred into the curry mixture.

Step 4. Add broth, can of coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar.

Mushrooms cooking in a pot of deep orange curry sauce.

Step 5. Stir and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Green beans added to the top of the curry.

Step 6. Stir and season with extra sugar, fish sauce (or pinch of salt), and lime juice to taste. Add green beans and lime juice.

Bean sprouts are added to the top of the mushroom and green bean curry.

Step 7. Simmer 5 more minutes, then add bean sprouts and serve.

Bright orange curry filled with mushrooms, green beans, basil and bean sprouts in a blue bowl beside another bowl of white rice noodles and 2 gold spoons,

Serve up easy oyster mushroom curry with lime wedges, extra basil (or cilantro leaves), cooked rice noodles, jasmine or basmati rice.

Leftover creamy mushroom curry gets even better the next day! It keeps well up to 3 days, covered in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers gently just until hot, without boiling and enjoy.

Expert Tips

This is such an easy curry recipe that I don't have any expert tips. Anyone can make this, just pay attention and don't let your curry paste burn. As long as you stir it regularly, it will be fine.

But...I do have a chef tip! If you love food, take a cooking course in another place when you are travelling. You will learn lots about the food, but more importantly, you'll get to know the people.

Sabrina standing in a huge Asian market with heaps of vegetables and produce on tables.

Sabrina and Pum cooking at a stove with a black wok.

More Easy Curry Recipes

If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. I try to answer any recipe related questions quickly as I know you might be in the middle of making it.

Also check out my FREE PRINTABLE meal planner to make menu planning and grocery shopping a breeze and my shopping guide. And if you like this recipe, I would love it if you give it a star rating in the recipe card.

Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina