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vegan tofu pad thai

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 sauce.

This easy, “ready under 30 minutes” Pad Thai was gone in a jiffy in our house!

Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Thai
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Author Vanitha Bhat

Ingredients

  • 400 gm dry noodles Rice Noodles, flat noodles or your favorite noodles
  • 200 gm extra firm tofu cut into cubes

FOR THE PAD THAI SAUCE:

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2-3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter can use crunchy too
  • 2-3 tablespoons Hot Sauce I used Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney; you can use Chili Garlic Sauce, Sriracha or any other hot sauce
  • 2-3 tablespoons sweetener or as needed I used coconut sugar; you can use jaggery, brown sugar, palm sugar, date syrup, maple syrup etc.
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or you can go the traditional way and use 1 ½ tablespoon or so of tamarind extract or use combination of both

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 medium onion sliced or chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 4-5 large cloves of garlic chopped fine or minced
  • 1 large carrot peeled and julienned (1 cup)
  • 1 green bell pepper cut into strips (about 1 cup or so)
  • ¼ to 1/3 cup coarsely crushed roasted and salted peanuts
  • Salt to taste

FOR SERVING:

  • Lime/lemon wedges
  • Crushed/whole peanuts
  • Green onions/Scallions
  • Roasted sesame seeds

Instructions

PREP INGREDIENTS:

  1. Cook 400 gm noodles according to package instructions. DO NOT OVERCOOK! We need noodles that are just cooked and still have a bite to it. It will continue to cook in the stir fry.
  2. Drain and set aside. If using a little bit later, drizzle a few drops of oil over it and mix to coat noodles. This step helps in keeping the noodles from sticking together.
  3. Drain 8 ounce/200 gm tofu, press using paper towels to remove excess moisture and then cut into cubes.
  4. Julienne peeled carrots (1), green bell peppers (1) and slice onions (1 medium sized).
  5. Finely chop/mince garlic cloves (4-5 large cloves).

MAKE THE SAUCE:

  1. In a bowl, add the sauce ingredients: 2-3 tbsp. peanut butter, ¼ cup soy sauce, 2-3 tbsp schezwan chutney or hot sauce, 2-3 tablespoon sweetener (coconut sugar, maple syrup, date syrup, honey, jaggery etc.), 2-3 tbsp lime juice and or 1 ½ tsp or so of tamarind extract/paste.
  2. Do a taste test and adjust ingredients to make for a savory, spicy and mildly sweet sauce according to your preference.
  3. Whisk well and set aside.

TO MAKE VEGAN PAD THAI:

  1. Heat 2-3 tablespoons sesame oil in a deep wok like pan; tip in the cubed tofu.
  2. Sauté on high heat until light golden brown (gently toss or flip using a silicone spatula or flat ladle in between, taking care not to break the cubes); remove using a drainer ladle and set aside.
  3. In the remaining hot oil (add if needed), stir fry minced garlic (2-3 large cloves) and sauté on medium high heat until starting to brown.
  4. Tip in sliced or chopped onions (1 cup), mix and fry again for a few minutes until starting to soften.
  5. At that stage, add julienned carrots, bell pepper and mix well.
  6. Stir fry for a couple of minutes on high just enough to make it crisp tender but with still a bite to it.
  7. When veggies start to cook, add the fried tofu (if using), noodles and soy sauce mixture.
  8. Mix well on medium high heat using tongs or a thick wooden spoon to coat the veggies and noodles with the sauce and until the dish is heated through.
  9. Remove from heat.
  10. Serve hot garnished with crushed peanuts, lime/lemon wedges, green onions, roasted sesame seeds etc.
  11. Leftovers if any stay good for a couple of days.

Recipe Notes

  • Adjust the amount of sauce ingredients according to your preference
  • I sometimes mix the sauce in the cooked noodles thoroughly before adding to veggies in the pan; makes it easier and faster to cook.
  • You can use any vegetable you like or have that goes well in an Asian stir fry like broccoli florets, sliced zucchini, shredded cabbage, sliced mushrooms etc.; amount is as per your choice but season with sauce accordingly.
  • Adding tamarind is optional as the souring agent but preferable as it then gives an authentic Thai flavor! You can use the bottle concentrate or make your own by soaking some tamarind in hot water and squeezing out the juice.
  • Do try and add lemon juice. You can either mix it in the sauce or add in the end before removing pan from stove.
  • Use any type of noodle you like.
  • Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Eating!