Vegan Tofu Pad Thai | Vegan Recipes
When that midweek meal slump hits and you’re tempted to order a takeaway, try cooking this Vegan Tofu Pad Thai!
It’s a plant-based take on Pad Thai, including a vegan version of the classic peanut sauce.
What Is Pad Thai?
Pad Thai is Thailand’s national dish and became popular during the 1930s. The key ingredient is fried rice noodles, commonly served with spicy peanut sauce. It’s also popular to add eggs and shrimp, but for this plant-based version we’re using stir-fried tofu!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Chewy rice noodles, crispy tofu, all drizzled with an irresistible peanut sauce - what's not to love? It's also super quick and easy to make, with enough left over to have it for lunch the next day!
How To Make Pad Thai
This recipe makes 2 servings, but you might want to double the sauce and keep the rest for another day. You’ll need a small saucepan to make the sauce, and a wok to cook the noodles and stir fry everything together.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Wok or large frying pan
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 200g rice noodles
- Sesame oil for frying
- Thumb-sized (approx 35g) piece of ginger, ground or diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 5 tbsp. soy sauce
- 100 g tofu, drained and cubed
- Some spring onions
- Handful of bean sprouts
- 50g peanuts, chopped
For the peanut sauce
- 120 g Organic Peanut Butter
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- 4 tbsp. coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp. sriracha
- 340 ml coconut milk
To serve (optional)
- Coriander
- Lime slices
- Sesame seeds
Method
- Cook rice noodles according to instructions on the packet.
- In the meantime, make the peanut sauce. Combine the peanut butter, 2 tbsp soy sauce, coconut sugar, sriracha, and coconut milk in a small saucepan and slowly bring to boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and set on the side.
- Heat the sesame oil in a wok over medium-high heat and stir fry the ginger and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tofu and stir fry until it starts to go slightly crispy.
- Add in the drained noodles, 2 tbsp soy sauce and remaining coconut sugar and cook for another 3-5 minutes until the noodles have softened.
- Add remaining soy sauce, chopped spring onions, chopped peanuts, bean sprouts and keep on stirring to prevent the ingredients sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add a dash of water if it looks too dry. Cook for another 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and serve it with the peanut sauce drizzled on top and your choice of extras (eg. coriander, lime, sesame seeds).
Top Tips
- Extra firm tofu is best for stir fry dishes like Pad Thai
- Draining and pressing the tofu before frying removes some of the water and gives a firmer texture
- Double the sauce ingredients and store the rest in your fridge to use another day
Storage
Pad Thai is best when eaten fresh, but if you have leftovers refrigerate them in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Reheat your Pad Thai in a microwave until hot all the way through.
Take Home Message
Vegan Tofu Pad Thai is a quick, nutritious weeknight meal that also makes great leftovers.
FAQs
Is Pad Thai usually vegan?
Traditional Pad Thai may include eggs, shrimp and fish sauce. So, while many pad thai recipes are not vegan, the version in this blog is completely plant-based. Here, we’ve swapped in soy sauce for fish sauce, and avoided the eggs and shrimp.
What is Pad Thai sauce made from?
Many Thai dishes, including Pad Thai, use peanut sauce. This is a smooth mildly spicy mixture of peanut butter and soy sauce, often with added sriracha, coconut milk, or rice wine vinegar.
What noodles are used in Pad Thai?
Pad Thai uses rice noodles, which are vegan.
Can vegans eat rice noodles?
Yes! Rice noodles are just rice flour and water - sometimes cornstarch or tapioca flour are added to prevent them sticking together. This means that rice noodles are completely plant-based and suitable for vegans.
What type of tofu is used in vegan Pad Thai?
Extra firm tofu (also known as bean curd) is best for stir fry dishes like vegan Pad Thai. Draining and pressing the tofu can make it firmer and easier to crisp up when frying.
