30-Minute Vegan Pad Thai
Vegan pad thai is a plant-based reinvention of the beloved Thai classic! It’s loaded with toasty peanuts, tender rice noodles, scrambled tofu “eggs,” and a tangy-spicy tamarind sauce.
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Small saucepan
- Large non-stick pan
- Colander
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
Sauce
- 5 tablespoons sugar (coconut or cane)
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 3 tablespoons vegan fish sauce or tamari
- ½ tablespoon dried chili flakes (or to taste)
Pad Thai
- 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
- 6 ½ ounces medium-sized dry rice noodles (soaked and drained)
- 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
- 2 shallots (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 ½ cups bean sprouts (loosely packed)
- 6-7 stalks Chinese chives or scallions (cut into 2” pieces)
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts (roughly chopped)
- ½ lime (squeezed)
Optional tofu “egg”
- ¾ cup medium or firm tofu (crumbled)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric optional
- ¾ teaspoon black salt optional
- Sea salt to taste
For serving
- Chili flakes
- Roasted peanuts
- Bean sprouts
- Scallions
- Lime wedges
- Sweet chili sauce
Instructions
- Place the rice noodles in a large bowl and pour over enough lukewarm water to fully cover them. Allow them to soak for ~20 minutes.
Pad Thai Sauce
- While the noodles are soaking, prepare the sauce. Heat the coconut or cane sugar in a small saucepan over low.
- Once it’s melted, add the water, tamarind paste, vegan fish sauce or tamari, and dried chili flakes. The sauce will harden at first but don’t worry.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer for about 1 minute, then turn the heat off, cover the pot, and let the sugar melt while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Pad Thai
- Heat 2 tablespoons of neutral vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and shallots and sauté for about 1 minute, just until they begin to soften.
- Add the crumbled tofu cubes to the pan, cooking for 1-2 minutes or until they’re well combined with the shallots and garlic. Season the tofu with turmeric and regular sea salt or black salt for an “egg” flavor.
- Drain the noodles in a colander, then add them to the pan along with the prepared sauce. Toss gently for a few minutes until the noodles absorb the sauce.
- Lastly, add the bean sprouts, Chinese chives or scallions, and roasted peanuts to the pan. Toss these ingredients through the noodle mixture until they are well combined, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Serve your vegan Pad Thai immediately with a garnish of peanuts, lime wedges, bean sprouts, Chinese chives or scallions, sweet chili sauce, and more chili flakes to taste. Happy eating!
Notes
- Don’t oversoak: Soak the noodles just until they are soft. Oversoaking can lead to mushy and broken noodles.
- Prep everything first: Prepare the sauce, noodles, tofu, and vegetables before you start cooking since things move fast.
- Use a wok: If you have access to a wok, we recommend using one since it distributes heat more evenly and helps cook the noodles and vegetables perfectly.
- Don't skip the tamarind: Tamarind paste is what gives the dish its unique flavor, so try not to skip it in this recipe!
- Adjust the heat: High heat can burn the ingredients, while too low heat can make the dish soggy. Keep an eye on everything as it cooks, and increase or decrease the heat as needed.
- Garnishes: Don’t skip the garnishes! This is where a lot of extra flavor and crunch comes from. Plus, you can really customize the dish this way.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 517kcal | Carbohydrates: 74.1g | Protein: 12.8g | Fat: 20.9g | Saturated Fat: 3.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.8g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 906.1mg | Potassium: 386.1mg | Fiber: 5.3g | Sugar: 24.2g | Vitamin A: 392.3IU | Vitamin C: 18.9mg | Calcium: 117.7mg | Iron: 2.9mg
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