These Vegan Thai Curry Meatball Subs are the perfect and fun dinner idea! Full of bold and intense flavors, these plant-based sandwiches are easy to make and delicious. This recipe is full of simple ingredients that make it the perfect healthy dinner option for meatless Mondays or just every day!
One of the things that I love most is a good warming curry dish. I love the taste of Thai Curry and I love the heartiness that a big bowl of it brings. It is so filling and so soul-warming. Currently, however, we are smack dab in the middle of July, it is WAY too hot for a bowl of Thai Curry! It is currently 109 degrees out as I am writing this, no thank you! I wanted to replicate the flavors of Thai Curry into something that was Summer friendly. Enter these Vegan Thai Curry Meatball Subs. These vegan meatball subs have all of the flavors of a traditional Thai Curry dish with the convenience of it being in a sandwich form. It is handy and messy but it is so delicious. You will make this once and then want it every night after!
What is Thai Curry?
Curry is a universal staple in Southeast Asia. It is well known that curry was first invented by Indians and used ginger, turmeric, and garlic. There has been evidence of curry dated back in history to 2500 B.C.E! The actual word "curry" is an English version of the "kari." As the trade route opened in India, merchants from as far as Japan, China, Portugal, and France, helped to spread the recipes for curry throughout southeast Asia, including Thailand. The word "curry" in Thai is gaeng. In English, it means "any wet savory dish enriched and thickened with paste." In Thailand, curry is usually a soup-based dish consisting of coconut milk, meat, and curry paste. Thai curries tend to be more soup-like in texture compared to their Indian cousins.
This Thai Curry that I am sharing with you today is red Thai curry. Curries typically come in either red, green, or yellow. Each color paste has its unique flavor and level of spice, green is usually the milder of the curry pastes, while red is usually the hottest, and yellow falls somewhere in between. The red curry perfectly translates into the perfect amount of heat for these meatball subs.
How to Make These Vegan Thai Curry Meatball Subs
These Vegan Thai Curry Meatball Subs are super easy and simple to make. You can make them in about an hour from start to finish and they are one of the most flavorful meals that I have eaten in a while. Full of simple, plant-based ingredients, these subs are delicious and healthy!
Total Time:
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 50 Minutes
Ingredients:
For the Meatballs:
- 16oz mushrooms
- ½ cup cashews
- 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 flax egg
- ½ onion
- 1 teaspoon EACH ground ginger, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and basil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Curry Paste
For the Sauce
- ½ onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- ¼ cup Red Curry Paste
- 1 can coconut cream
For the Sandwiches:
- 4 baguettes
- Cilantro Lime Coleslaw (Optional)
- Pickled Cucumbers (Optional)
- Sliced jalapeño (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and finely chop your mushroom and half an onion. Add the mushrooms and onion to a pan and sauté over medium heat until the onion is soft and the mushroom loses some water content, about 5 minutes. Add in the red curry paste and spices and stir to combine.
- Transfer your mushroom and onion mixture into a food processor and add the panko breadcrumbs, flax egg, and cashews. Process until roughly combined.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out and ball up the mixture and add each ball to a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- While the meatballs are cooking, slice your bell pepper and add it and the other half of the onion to a pan and sauté on high until softened. About 5-7 minutes.
- Once the bell pepper is softened, add in the red curry paste and the coconut cream, stir to combine. Once the meatballs are done in the oven, toss the meatballs in the coconut curry sauce and assemble your sandwiches.
To Assemble the Sandwiches:
- Add 2 tablespoons of sauce to each baguette, then fill each baguette with four meatballs. Top with optional toppings such as cilantro-lime coleslaw, sliced jalapeños, or pickled cucumbers. Serve immediately.
Tips for Success
- The easiest way to make these sandwiches is to do everything in succession. Make your meatballs first and while the meatballs are in the oven, make your sauce and prep your baguettes.
- These vegan meatball sandwiches store well for lunch the next day. I like to reheat the sauce and meatballs and serve them over rice the next day.
- Make sure to store the meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge, they will store up to three days.
Vegan Thai Curry Meatball Subs FAQ's
Here are answers to some common questions regarding this recipe.
Are these Meatball subs healthy?
These Vegan Thai Curry Meatball Subs are completely plant-based. Every ingredient in this recipe is derived from what is naturally found in nature. This recipe is high in calories and does contain a lot of fat, however, that is due to the coconut cream and the cashews. If you would like to make this recipe lighter, you can sub in low-fat coconut milk however your sauce will be thinner.
Are these Meatball subs Paleo and Whole-30 or Keto?
These meatball subs are not paleo. Due to the panko breadcrumbs in the meatballs, they do not fit in the Whole-30 diet either. If you want to make these subs keto, remove the panko breadcrumbs and cashews add 1 cup almond flour instead and serve over zoodles.
Are these Meatball subs Gluten-Free
To make these meatball subs gluten-free, sub out the panko breadcrumbs and add 1 cup of almond flour and serve on a gluten-free baguette.
VEGAN THAI CURRY MEATBALL SUBS
Ingredients
- For the Meatballs:16oz mushrooms
- ½ cup cashews
- 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 flax egg
- ½ onion
- 1 teaspoon EACH ground ginger garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and basil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Curry Paste
- For the Sauce½ onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- ¼ cup Red Curry Paste
- 1 can coconut cream
For the Sandwiches:
- 4 baguettes
- Cilantro Lime Coleslaw Optional
- Pickled Cucumbers Optional
- Sliced jalapeño Optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and finely chop your mushroom and half an onion. Add the mushrooms and onion to a pan and sauté over medium heat until the onion is soft and the mushroom loses some water content, about 5 minutes. Add in the red curry paste and spices and stir to combine.
- Transfer your mushroom and onion mixture into a food processor and add the panko breadcrumbs, flax egg, and cashews. Process until roughly combined.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out and ball up the mixture and add each ball to a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- While the meatballs are cooking, slice your bell pepper and add it and the other half of the onion to a pan and sauté on high until softened. About 5-7 minutes.
- Once the bell pepper is softened, add in the red curry paste and the coconut cream, stir to combine. Once the meatballs are done in the oven, toss the meatballs in the coconut curry sauce and assemble your sandwiches.
- To Assemble the Sandwiches:Add 2 tablespoons of sauce to each baguette, then fill each baguette with four meatballs. Top with optional toppings such as cilantro-lime coleslaw, sliced jalapeños, or pickled cucumbers. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The easiest way to make these sandwiches is to do everything in succession. Make your meatballs first and while the meatballs are in the oven, make your sauce and prep your baguettes.
- These vegan meatball sandwiches store well for lunch the next day. I like to reheat the sauce and meatballs and serve them over rice the next day.
- Make sure to store the meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge, they will store up to three days.
Kevin Foodie says
Can't believe its VEGAN! Look so delicious ?, i could eat an entire foot long. It's very strange that the meal contains about 15 g of saturated fat? But anyways ? i am sure it's very tasty.
kaydimaggio says
Thanks Kevin! The saturated fat comes from the full fat coconut cream.
Kimberlie says
I literally would never have thought of using meatballs in this way, but it looks delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
kaydimaggio says
Thank you! I love making recipes with a twist!
Heannie says
It looks so good and delicious! I love Thai food and their curry is so flavorful. Need to try this in the kitchen
Akshita says
This looks delicious! Cant wait to try it!
kaydimaggio says
Thank you!Hope you enjoy!
Linda says
This looks incredible! I'm not vegetarian/vegan, but trying to eat more plant based meals and need to add this one to my hopper of recipes to make! Just love-love all the flavors you're using in this!
kaydimaggio says
Thanks so much! This really is delicious and you won't even miss the fact that it doesn't have meat in it 🙂
Jeri says
These sandwiches were full of flavor and so easy to make! The sauce was fantastic too! Thanks for the recipe!
Amy says
These look delightful! I love vegetarian sandwiches and I'll have to try this one!
Susan Orlain says
Love Thai foodies. Will surely try this one. Thanks for sharing!
Susan Orlain says
Will surely try this Thai foodie. Looks delicious. Thanks for sharing!
kaydimaggio says
Hope you enjoy!
Brianna May says
Loved this
kaydimaggio says
Thank you!
Debra says
That simple sauce is DEELISH!!! We had extra and I used it on pasta! YUM.
kaydimaggio says
So glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Amanda Dixon says
These look delicious! I bet the Thai curry adds the best depth of flavor.
kaydimaggio says
It does add the best depth of flavor, this recipe is so delicious!
Kristina says
Loved these as a vegan sandwich option.
kaydimaggio says
Glad you enjoyed them!
Raquel says
These healthy sandwiches are perfect for a picnic. Love that they are vegan too!
kaydimaggio says
Yes! They aren't super messy which is nice.
Lucia De Rosa says
it seems delicious! right tomorrow I'll have a dinner with some friends, thank you for giving me this wonderful idea about something new to cook!:)
kaydimaggio says
Yes! Hope everyone enjoys them! It is such a fun recipe!
Bernice says
What perfect 'meat'balls! Passing this recipe on to my vegan daughter who will be thrilled!
kaydimaggio says
Hope she enjoys them!
Anaiah says
Wow! The flavors in this vegan thai meatball sub was amazing! I would have never thought to combine these ingredients together but I was pleasantly surprised.
kaydimaggio says
Yes! It is such a fun combination and so delicious! Glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
LaRena Fry says
This sounds amazing. Thanks for posting
kaydimaggio says
Thank you!
Arti says
I am a vegetarian but can surely try the curry part. Looks yumm. Thanks for sharing.
kaydimaggio says
Thank you!
Natalie says
What a delicious lunch option. Looks so light, tasty and it's super easy to make. Thanks! I'm making this.
kaydimaggio says
Thanks so much!
Krysten Quiles says
Just looking at the pictures is making my mouth water, yum!
kaydimaggio says
Thank you!
Leslie says
Great recipe!
kaydimaggio says
Thank you!
aisasami says
I never really had Thai curry because Indian curry is more popular here in Japan. But I want to share this my coworker as he would love this as he is a vegan.
kaydimaggio says
Yes! Both are equally as good but so different!
Genevieve says
oh my these subs looks delicious and easy to make!
kaydimaggio says
Thank you!
Jenny says
Great recipe. I will try it
kaydimaggio says
Thank you! I hope you like it!