Vegan Pad Thai
This delicious Pad Thai recipe with tofu is a wholesome, complete meal that tastes perfect. Great for meal prep too.
Servings 2
Calories 556kcal
Ingredients
- 4 oz. rice noodles or 115 gm
- 1 cup. firm tofu or 100 gm cut into small cubes
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts
- 1 small red onion or scallions finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or sesame oil
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts roughly crushed
- Salt as needed
- Fresh cilantro optional
- Lime wedges for serving
Pad Thai Sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1.5 tbsp. Miso
- 2.5 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 3 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Start by preparing the rice noodles according to the package directions. Don’t cook them until completely soft. Drain them well and keep them aside.
- Mix the soy sauce, miso, tamarind paste, maple syrup or brown sugar, rice vinegar, chilli flakes and water in a small bowl. Stir until the sauce is well combined. Miso is a good substitute for the traditional fish sauce and gives the dish a delicious umami taste.
- Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large wok or wide pan. Add tofu cubes and cook for a couple of minutes, until they are lightly golden on the outside. Remove them from the pan and keep aside.
- Add one more tbsp. of oil Add chopped onion and garlic in the same pan. Cook for a minute or two until the onion sweats and the garlic smells good.
- Add cooked rice noodles along with tofu and pour the Pad Thai sauce over them. Toss everything together gently so the noodles are evenly coated. If the noodles seem a little dry, add a splash of water and continue tossing.
- Now add the mung bean sprouts. Toss again and cook for another minute or so. I like keeping the sprouts slightly crisp rather than cooking them until completely soft.
- Taste the noodles and adjust the seasoning if needed. You can add a little more soy sauce for saltiness, tamarind for extra tang or chilli flakes if you like more heat.
- Transfer the Pad Thai to serving plates and top with the crushed roasted peanuts. Add fresh cilantro if you like and serve with lime wedges on the side.
- Trust me this vegan Pad Thai is so delicious, even your non-vegan friends will love it.
- Storage Instructions: Rice noodles don’t keep that well. But, in case of leftovers store in an airtight container in the fridge for upto a day. Microwave and heat thoroughly before consuming.
Notes
1. Have all the ingredients chopped and ready before you start cooking. The actual cooking takes only a few minutes.
2. Don’t overcook the rice noodles. Slightly firm noodles hold up much better when tossed with the sauce.
3. Press the tofu well before cutting it. This helps it brown instead of releasing too much water into the pan.
4. Use a wide pan or wok so the noodles have enough room to move around. A crowded pan can make them turn mushy.
5. Add the mungbean sprouts right at the end. They only need a minute to warm through while keeping some crunch. I have used homemade sprouts but you can easily get store bought.
6. Taste the sauce before adding it to the noodles. Tamarind pastes can vary quite a bit in sourness, so you may want to adjust the sweetness slightly depending on the one you’re using.
7. Don’t skip the peanuts. They add a really nice contrast to the soft noodles and tofu.
2. Don’t overcook the rice noodles. Slightly firm noodles hold up much better when tossed with the sauce.
3. Press the tofu well before cutting it. This helps it brown instead of releasing too much water into the pan.
4. Use a wide pan or wok so the noodles have enough room to move around. A crowded pan can make them turn mushy.
5. Add the mungbean sprouts right at the end. They only need a minute to warm through while keeping some crunch. I have used homemade sprouts but you can easily get store bought.
6. Taste the sauce before adding it to the noodles. Tamarind pastes can vary quite a bit in sourness, so you may want to adjust the sweetness slightly depending on the one you’re using.
7. Don’t skip the peanuts. They add a really nice contrast to the soft noodles and tofu.
Nutrition
Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 1646mg | Potassium: 511mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 239mg | Iron: 4mg