Is Green Curry Vegetarian or Vegan? (Fish Sauce & Shrimp Paste)

Green curry is coconut-milk based, which makes it look creamy and plant-based. The animal products are in the paste and the seasoning, not the vegetables. Here is what makes green curry non-vegetarian, and how to order it vegan.

Key Takeaways

• Thai green curry is usually not vegetarian: the paste contains shrimp paste and the seasoning includes fish sauce.
• It is often cooked with chicken or beef, but that is the visible part; the shrimp paste and fish sauce are the hidden part.
• A “vegetable green curry” may still contain shrimp paste and fish sauce.
• Order it vegan by asking for no shrimp paste, no fish sauce, and tofu or vegetables.

TL;DR: Thai green curry is usually not vegetarian. The green curry paste traditionally contains shrimp paste (kapi) and the curry is seasoned with fish sauce: and it’s often cooked with chicken or beef. Vegan green curry is common and just as good.

What makes green curry non-veg

Green curry (“gaeng keow wan”) is coconut-milk based, but the flavor comes from:

• Green curry paste: traditionally includes shrimp paste (kapi)
• Fish sauce: added to the broth
• Chicken, beef or pork: the usual protein

So even a “vegetable green curry” may still contain shrimp paste and fish sauce.

How to order it vegan

Ask for:

• No shrimp paste in the curry paste
• No fish sauce: swap for soy sauce or salt
• Tofu or vegetables instead of meat

Many Thai restaurants can make a genuinely vegan green curry on request, and vegan curry pastes are easy to find in stores.

The bottom line

• Vegetarian? Only if made without shrimp paste and fish sauce.
• Vegan? Same, plus tofu/veg instead of meat.

See our Green Curry dish guide for the full breakdown.

Check before you eat. The Verify Veg app scans a barcode or reads an ingredient list from a photo and flags ingredients against your diet (vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Jain and more). Download on the App Store - Android is coming soon.

Written by Samir Narain, founder of Verify Veg. Verify Veg helps people check packaged food against their diet by scanning barcodes and reading ingredient lists from photos.

Note: Verify Veg provides ingredient-based compatibility checks, not certification. Recipes and preparations vary by restaurant, region and cook, so always confirm with the restaurant, brand or vendor.