Tofu Pad Thai

Have a craving for the sweet and spicy flavors of pad thai? This tofu pad thai recipe made with rice noodles, tofu, and a savory-sweet pad thai sauce with just the right amount of heat is sure to set your taste buds alive!

Is Pad Thai Vegan?

Pad thai is a popular dish from Thailand where it’s most commonly served as street food. 

The sauce has a few hidden ingredients that make it unsuitable for vegans including fish sauce and dried shrimp. In addition, the dish may often include eggs, shrimp, and other seafood or meat.

This recipe uses the traditional recipe as inspiration to create a flavorful vegan pad thai sauce that’s cooked with tofu, veggies, and rice noodles with all the sweet, nutty, and spicy flavors you expect a pad thai dish to have.

Why This Recipe Works

• A quick weeknight dinner solution the whole family loves!
• More budget-friendly than takeout!
• Prepared using mostly pantry staple ingredients you might already have in your pantry.

What Goes Into This Recipe

This recipe is great because I find that most of the time I have almost everything to make it in my pantry! Check the list below to see if you do too!

• Rice noodles: Thin, flat noodles traditionally used to make pad thai.
• Tamarind paste: Probably the most difficult ingredient to find. If you don't see it at the grocery store, check out an Asian or Indian market.
• Base of the sauce: Made with veggie broth, soy sauce, Sriracha and brown sugar.
• Peanut butter: A quick and easy way to add some sweetness and peanut flavor to the sauce.
• Extra-firm tofu: The best tofu to use for stir frys. Check out this guide to learn about the different types of tofu.
• Ginger powder: A quick alternative to fresh ginger. If you prefer fresh ginger, use about one tablespoon of fresh to replace the dried.
• Garlic cloves: Love the flavor of fresh garlic cloves!
• Jalapeno: Gives the dish the spiciness you expect from pad thai.
• Broccoli: Adds some color, crunch and nutrition!
• Peanuts: Even more peanut flavor and also a nice bit of texture to the pad thai.

Substitutions

• Tofu: You can easily leave the tofu out of the dish or swap it for edamame, tempeh or another plant-based protein option.
• Broccoli: Swap it out with another vegetable such as snow peas, eggplant, cauliflower or zucchini.
• Rice noodles: While rice noodles are traditionally used to make pad thai, you can also use any other type of noodle you have or prefer.

How To Make Tofu Pad Thai

• 1) Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions and set them aside.
• 2) Mix the tamarind, veggie broth, soy sauce, sriracha, brown sugar, and peanut butter in a small bowl. 

• 3) Cook the tofu, ginger powder, and garlic in a non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the tofu is lightly browned on each side.

• 4) Add the broccoli and jalapeno to the pan and cook for five more minutes.

• 5) Add the peanuts, noodles, and half of the sauce to the pan and cook until the sauce is absorbed.

• 6) Slowly add more sauce to the pan until everything is completely coated and starts to thicken.
• 7) Serve immediately. 

Expert Tips and FAQs

• Prep all the ingredients before starting to stir fry. The dish goes together quickly and having everything ready makes it so much easier.
• Don’t overcook the rice noodles when prepping and serve immediately so the dish doesn’t become mushy.

How to Serve

• Add some toppings: Bean sprouts, pickled radishes, lime wedges, more chopped peanuts, and even chopped cilantro.
• Less spicy? Make sure to remove the seeds from the jalapeno or even eliminate it altogether.
• Serve it up with sliced chilies, red chili flakes, or Sriracha so everyone can make it spicier if they want.

More Vegan Thai Recipes

• Vegan Thai Pizza Recipe
• Sweet Coconut Thai Tofu
• Thai Mango Sticky Rice
• Quick Thai Curry

Photos by Alfonso Revilla