Vegan Pad Thai

This vegan Pad Thai with crispy tofu and vegetables makes the perfect weeknight dinner! It's super easy to make, packed with flavor, and it's ready in just 30 minutes. You will never want to eat take-out again

Course Entrée, Main Course

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 324kcal

Author Sina

Ingredients

For the vegan Pad Thai:

7 oz rice noodles
2 cups broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
3/4 cup baby corn cobs
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 green onions, cut into rings
1 piece of fresh ginger (about 1 inch)

For the vegan Pad Thai sauce:

4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon sambal olek, sriracha, or other chili paste
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons brown sugar/ coconut sugar
1 tablespoon tamarind paste (optional)
black pepper

For the crispy oven-baked tofu:

7 oz firm or extra-firm tofu
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon corn starch

To serve:

lime wedges
freshly chopped cilantro
roasted peanuts

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 °F. Start by making the oven-baked crispy tofu. Cut the tofu into cubes. Place them in a bowl and add the sesame oil and the soy sauce. Stir well. Then add the corn starch. Make sure all cubes are covered in corn starch. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the tofu cubes on top. Bake for 25 minutes, tossing halfway.
Cook the rice noodles according to the instructions on the package.
Heat some oil in a large non-stick pan or wok. Add the garlic, the green onions, the ginger, and the chili and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the broccoli, the carrots, the baby corn, and the bell pepper. Cook for 7-8 minutes stirring frequently.
In the meantime, make the sauce. Combine the soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, peanut butter, chili paste, ground ginger, black pepper, tamarind paste, and brown sugar in a bowl and stir well.
Add the cooked noodles and the sauce to the vegetables and stir well. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until heated through. Then add the baked tofu cubes. Serve with lime wedges, freshly chopped cilantro, and peanuts.

Notes

Make sure to use firm tofu for this recipe. I love super crispy tofu that is made in the oven. So while you cook your Pad Thai on the stovetop, the tofu is cooking up nicely in the oven.
I used tamarind paste for the vegan Pad Thai sauce, which you can buy online or in Asian supermarkets. I listed it as optional as the recipe is still delicious without it. But it's definitely more authentic with the tamarind paste.
If you want to make this dish gluten-free, make sure to replace the soy sauce with tamari. That's all you have to do.
Are you allergic to peanuts? You could also replace the peanut butter with other nut butter like almond butter or cashew butter. Just note that this will change the flavor a bit. However, it's a great and easy way to make this recipe allergy-friendly! And it still tastes amazing.
Feel free to use other vegetables in this recipe. Baby bok choi and bean sprouts also work really well.
You can store any leftovers in the fridge for about 2-3 days in an airtight container. However, the noodles will stick together a bit. But it will still be delicious!

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