Vegan Pad Thai
I absolutely love pad thai, and making this at home always leaves me reminiscing about trips to Thailand. I made my own vegan fish sauce to use for this recipe and coat the noodles in a deliciously sweet and savory sauce. I made this dish with tofu for protein, added crunch from bean sprouts and peanuts, tang from lime and an extra kick of spice from chili powder!
Ingredients
SAUCE
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar or palm sugar (55 g)
- 1 - 4 tbsp vegan fish sauce SEE NOTES - adjust to taste (see homemade recipe here)
- 1 to 2 tbsp soy sauce 15 to 30 ml (plus more to taste if needed, see notes)
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp tamarind puree (see notes)
NOODLES AND VEGETABLES
- 7 oz extra-firm tofu
- 1/2 lb dried rice noodles at least 1/8" (3 mm) thick
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 small red or white onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 5.2 oz fresh bean sprouts plus more for serving
- 1 scallion sliced into 2" (5-cm) strips
TO SERVE
- Fresh lime juice
- 1/2 to 1 tbsp chili powder or red pepper flakes (optional)
- Handful of sliced scallions or chives
- 2 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts 30 g
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredi- ents. Feel free to adjust the ingredient amounts according to your desired taste. Set aside.
- Prepare the noodles and vegetables: Press the tofu for at least 10 minutes to drain any excess liquid. Afterward, slice into 1⁄2-inch (1.3-cm) cubes.
- Place the rice noodles in a large, heatproof bowl. Pour in enough boiling hot water to completely soak the noodles. Leave the noodles to soak for 6 to 7 minutes, or until they are white (no longer translu-cent), pliable and still very chewy. Drain the noodles and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu cubes. Pan-fry them, flipping about every 2 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on all sides, about 10 minutes total.
- Move the tofu to the side of the pan and then add the onion and garlic. Sauté until cooked, about 1 minute. Add the rice noodles and then pour in the sauce.
- Mix well, then cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked through but still a little chewy. Lower the heat to medium, then mix in the bean sprouts and strips of scallion. Taste the noodles and feel free to add more soy sauce or vegan fish sauce, as desired. Cook for another 2 minutes, then turn off the heat once the bean sprouts are tender.
- Serve the noodles in two bowls, each with a generous squeeze of lime juice, chili powder or red pepper flakes, scallions or chives, peanuts and bean sprouts, if desired. Mix and enjoy your pad thai while it’s still hot.
WATCH Video
Notes
FISH SAUCE
- If you’re using store-bought vegan fish sauce, start with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) or use soy sauce, since store-bought vegan fish sauce can be much saltier!
TAMARIND PUREE
- You can replace the tamarind puree with a mix of 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of fresh lime juice and 2 tablespoons (28 g) of coconut sugar or palm sugar.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 561kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 545mg | Potassium: 298mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg
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