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Skillet of Vegan Pad Thai on a Blue Background
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5 from 10 votes

Vegan Pad Thai

Better than takeout, and on the table in 30 minutes! This vegan pad Thai is packed with flavor, easy enough for a weeknight, but also perfect for special dinners.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Thai
Servings: 4
Calories: 507kcal
Author: Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons organic brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon sambal oelek, or to taste
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

For the Stir-Fry

  • 3 tablespoons canola oil, or high-heat oil of choice, divided
  • 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 cups snap peas
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 medium shallot, sliced into strips
  • 3 medium scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • ¼ cup crushed roasted peanuts

For Serving

  • Lime wedges
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook them according to the package instructions*.
  • Drain the noodles in a colander then rinse them well with cold water. Drain them well then return them to the pot.
  • While the noodles cook, stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste-test the sauce and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
  • Coat the bottom of a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu in an even layer.
  • Allow the tofu to cook for about 10 minutes, flipping once or twice to brown the pieces on multiple sides.
  • Remove the tofu from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.
  • Add another 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and raise the heat to high.
  • Add the snap peas, bell pepper and shallot to the skillet. Stir-fry the veggies until they become tender-crisp and intensify in color, about 2 minutes.
  • Lower the heat a bit. Push the veggies to the side of the skillet and pour the sauce onto the hot cooking surface. Be very careful — the skillet should be hot at this point, and the sauce could sputter.
  • Let the sauce bubble up for a few seconds, then add the noodles and scallions. Stir-fry for about 1 minute, until the sauce thickens up just a bit, flipping the noodles quickly with a spatula or stirring them with a fork to coat them with the sauce.
  • Add the tofu to the skillet, flip everything a few times to distribute the tofu, and remove the skillet from the heat.
  • Top the pad Thai with bean sprouts and peanuts. Divide onto plates and serve with lime wedges.

Notes

*Some brands will instruct you to boil the noodles, while others will instruct you to remove the pot from heat and soak the noodles.

Nutrition

Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 20.6g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Sodium: 757mg | Potassium: 442mg | Fiber: 3.2g | Sugar: 11.5g | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 3.1mg