by I’ve been looking for an easy recipe for a vegan Pad Thai for the past few weeks. Glenn and I love Pad Thai, but our favorite Thai restaurant is closed between 3-5 pm every day… plus it’s a fair drive from our house. Both things make it hard to pick up a Thai dinner on a weeknight, so I decided that I needed a recipe to be able make it at home.
This recipe takes less than 30 minutes, and it super simple- with ingredients that are easy to keep on hand. This recipe does not use Tamarind Paste. I do want to try another version of this recipe using tamarind paste one of these days, and compare the two… but for now we liked this recipe enough to put it in the recipe file 😋
5/16/2022 Update: We’ve made this several times now. The first couple of times we used maple syrup in the sauce, and then we changed to using brown sugar instead. We liked the flavor of the sauce better with brown sugar.
We tried this recipe once with Ramen Noodles and the next two times with Pad Thai brown rice noodles. Both were very good. The Pad Thai noodles were our favorite, but the ramen make for a nice change, too. We used Anne Chun’s Brown Rice noodles.
We like our Pad Thai a little spicy, so I put a full Tablespoon of Sriracha sauce in; however, if you like milder Pad Thai, use 1-2 teaspoons instead. The sweetness of the sauce should also be adjusted to your own tastes as well. I originally made it with 4 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup (which I liked), but Glenn thought it was too sweet. He thought 3 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup was perfect, and less sugar is always healthier, of course. 😉 I haven tried making it with brown sugar yet, but I think that would be a good substitution for the maple syrup. Sweetness and spiciness are aspects of the dish that are very easy to adjust to your individual preferences.
Vegan Tofu and Vegetable Pad Thai
Ingredients
Sauce
- 6 Tablespoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 4 ½ Tablespoons Brown Sugar (use more or less to taste)
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce (use more or less to taste)
- 6 Tablespoons Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
Vegetables
- 1+ cup Julienned carrots (usually about 3-4 small carrots)
- 1 + cup Broccoli florets
- ½ cup Edamame
- 1 Red Pepper, cut into strips
Main Ingredients
- 8 ounce brown rice noodles
- 1-2 Tablespoons Oil (I use Olive Oil)
- 16 ounce block extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into ½ inch cubes
Serving Ingredients
- 1-2 limes, cut into wedges
- ½ Cup Chopped Peanuts (Optional)
Instructions
Prep ingredients before you begin:
- Press the tofu for about 15 minutes.
- While the tofu is draining, slice the carrots and cut the broccoli into bit size pieces.
- Once the tofu is drained & pressed, slice it into ½ inch cubes.
- Make the sauce: stir all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside.
Cook the noodles:
- Bring a large pots of water to boil for the noodles. Add the noodles and cook according to the package directions (about 4-5 minutes). Drain, rinse, and set aside.
Fry the tofu:
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the tofu, and fry it until all sides are golden brown.
- Once the tofu is browned, add the sauce, carrots, edamame, broccoli, and noodles to the pan. Stir over medium heat until everything is hot.
Serve:
- Spoon into bowls.
- Serve immediately, sprinkling peanuts on top, and serve with lime wedges on the side. Squeeze lime juice, to taste, before eating.
Notes
- To save time, I usually boil my noodles while I am frying my tofu. The noodles are usually ready and drained by the time the tofu is browned.
- Other vegetables can be added according to your tastes- mung bean sprouts, green onions, etc.
- Ramen noodles can also be substituted for the brown rice noodles.
- Maple Syrup could be substituted for the brown sugar, if you prefer.
- The recipe is written for a fairly spicy dish. If you like your Pad Thai mild, cut the Sriracha sauce down to 1 teaspoon.
