Vegan Tofu Pad Thai Recipe - chock full of crunchy veggies, protein rich pan roasted tofu and al dente noodles in a lip smacking creamy, sweet and savory homemade Asian/Thai flavored sauce. Jump to Recipe Print Recipe (Step-wise recipe too below) This easy, “ready under 30 minutes” Pad Thai was gone in a jiffy in our house! If you love noodles, are a big fan of Asian flavors (and peanuts) like we are and also find Thai food irresistible, then this Vegan Pad Thai is definitely for you! A total meal in itself! Super easy, delicious, totally customizable and totally sumptuous and delightful. Let’s make some shall we?
WHAT IS PAD THAI?
This popular street food from Thailand is a stir-fried rice noodle dish traditionally made with shrimp, chicken, eggs etc. in a peanut based sauce. Here for a plant based and vegan version, I have used lots of veggies (carrots and bell peppers) along with protein rich and nutritious soy bean curd or tofu along with my favorite kind of dry noodles. Just stir fry the veggies, tofu, cooked noodles with a peanut based sauce mixture which is filled with umami flavors (sweet, spicy, savory, tangy etc.) in a deep saucepan/wok, sprinkle more peanuts and enjoy! Sounds and looks super delicious and super easy to make too doesn’t it? My family keeps asking for this almost every week and their wish is my command.
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE MY VERSION OF VEGAN TOFU PAD THAI:
Noodles: Traditionally, Thai cuisine uses flat noodles or sometimes rice noodles but you can use any dry noodles you have or love. Just make sure to cook it al dente or just cooked and still with a bite to it. It will continue to cook in the pan. Sauce ingredients: The key to a delicious Pad Thai, you will need: Soy sauce, peanut butter (smooth or chunky variety; your preference and natural, unsweetened preferred), hot sauce (I love using hot Sriracha or as done here, Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney), some sweetener like coconut sugar, jaggery or if you can get, some palm sugar like they use in Thai cuisine along with some tamarind concentrate (make from fresh tamarind if possible) and/or lemon/lime juice. Aromatics: Basics like onions and garlic. Vegetables: I love using julienned carrots and bell peppers. But, feel free to add bean sprouts, chives, cabbage, mushroom, broccoli, celery etc. too. Protein: Totally optional to add but my favorite in Asian cooking is tofu so used that here too! You can substitute with paneer if you cannot find tofu or even meat, shrimp or chicken if you are non vegetarian. Peanuts: This is more for the crunch and texture. I love adding crushed peanuts in my noodles and later garnishing with more either crushed or halved as garnish too. That bite in every spoonful or chop stick full is heavenly! But if you are not a fan of getting bits of nuts in your noodles, do omit. Rest is the usual salt and oil.
HOW TO MAKE “READY UNDER 30 MINUTES” VEGAN PAD THAI
- Cook noodles according to package instructions; just enough that it still has a bite to it. (DO NOT OVERCOOK as they will continue to cook along with veggies and sauce). Drain thoroughly in a colander. If making this ahead, then to avoid sticky noodles, sprinkle a few drops of oil and gently mix to coat the noodles thoroughly. This prevents cooked noodles from sticking to a big mass! 2)Whisk the Pad Thai sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside. 3)If using tofu, dab excess moisture from the tofu block using paper tissues and if needed, press on it using a heavy weight in a colander to drain excess moisture; and then cut into cubes. Sauté tofu in hot oil until light brown or slightly crispy brown on both sides; remove and keep aside. This is preferably done on medium high heat. 4)Sauté the aromatics (onions and garlic) until starting to brown and then add the veggies and stir fry a few minutes. Again, do not overcook here; just to heat through. Stir in stir fried tofu chunks and mix well. Toss in the noodles along with the sauce; heat through. By this time, the veggies would have cooked just right.
Stir in crushed peanuts and garnish with more peanuts; dig in!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Totally a one-bowl meal, you can enjoy this for lunch, brunch or dinner! For more deliciousness, you can make some soup too if you feel like it, like this super easy, delicious and super quick Sweet Corn Soup!
For more zing and texture, serve Pad Thai with a squeeze of lime or lemon and more peanuts on the side. Best enjoyed fresh, it stays well for at least a day or two and is a wonderful lunch box or picnic option too!
Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Eating!
For more Asian food options, do check out these too:
Korean Three Treasure Vegetables Korean Braised Tofu with Vegetables Malaysian Vegetarian Laksa Soup Singaporean Curried Noodles
to name a few!
TIME TO PRINT/SAVE:
TIME TO PIN/SHARE: This easy, “ready under 30 minutes” Pad Thai was gone in a jiffy in our house!
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