Description
Quick and easy take-out worthy pad thai you can make anytime! This homemade vegan pad thai will tick all your boxes and help you save!
Ingredients
- 8oz medium rice noodles
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 350g extra firm tofu (if not using extra firm, see notes)
- 1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1/2 thai red chilli pepper, deseeded and minced
- 1–2 medium carrots, julienned (about 4 handfuls)*
- 225g bean sprouts*
- 1/4 cup green onion, sliced (plus more for topping)*
- 1/3 cup chopped peanuts
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup tamari (or soy sauce)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 1/2 tsp chilli garlic sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (or palm sugar for a more authentic version)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (see notes if using the more traditional tamarind!)
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- Prepare a large pot with water and bring to a boil for your noodles.
- While your water is heating up, julienne your carrots, slice your green onion, and slice the tofu into cubes.
- Cook your rice noodles according to the package instructions (usually 5 minutes). Stir frequently so they don’t stick together. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking. You can also toss them in a bit of sesame oil but I find this usually isn’t needed.
- Heat a large skillet with 1 tbsp sesame oil over medium heat. Add your tofu cubes and cook for about 4 minutes until they are nicely browned. Give the skillet a shake every so often to prevent the tofu sticking.
- While your tofu browns, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- When the tofu is lightly browned, add 1 tbsp tamari and ½ red chilli pepper. Toss to coat.
- Then add your carrots, bean sprouts, and green onion. Cook for 1 minute or so to soften slightly.
- Add your noodles and sauce. Stir and cook for about 4 minutes until everything is evenly coated, heated through, and slightly softened.
- To serve, divide among bowls and top with more green onion and chopped peanuts. Looking for a starter? Try our Thai Mango Salad!
Notes
Cost Comparison: CAD $7.63 ($1.91/serving) with 350g tofu vs. CAD $9.49 with 200g shrimp & CAD $11.19 with 1lb chicken. Add about CAD $0.98 for 2 eggs if you were to make a traditional pad thai.
Extra firm tofu is best because it won’t break apart. If your tofu is quite wet you can press it for 10 minutes or so. Use either a tofu press or wrap the tofu in a clean cloth and lay something heavy (like a cast-iron skillet) on top. After 10 minutes unwrap the tofu and slice into cubes.
If you have tamarind in your pantry and want a sauce closer to the traditional, try decreasing the tamari/soy sauce to 1-2 tbsp and replacing the rice vinegar with 2-4 tbsp tamarind. Since we don’t tend to stock tamarind in our pantry we haven’t tried this version but taste test your sauce until you get it to your liking! Water can be used to thin the sauce and increase the volume without adding more sodium or sugar if needed!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai