Vegan Pad Thai with Tofu
This Pad Thai with Tofu is surprisingly easy to make at home and whips up in an hour or less! This version of the popular Thai street food is vegan and gluten-free with all the same classic savory-sweet, tangy, and optional spicy flavors from your favorite Pad Thai restaurant!
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Medium sized bowl
- 1 wok (see notes below if you don't have a wok)
- 1 Colander
Ingredients
Tofu
- 16 oz extra firm tofu
- 1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek chili paste
- 1 tsp tamari
Stir Fry
- 2 shallots thinly sliced into rounds
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large carrot medium julienne
- 2 ½ cups broccoli roughly chopped
- ½ of a red bell pepper medium julienne
Sauce
- ¼ cup tamari
- 2 ½ Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp tamarind puree
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 2-3 tsp chili paste (optional, for spice)
Rice Noodles
- 8 oz rice noodles
- 8 cups boiling water
Garnish
- 2 Tbsp peanuts, chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- chili flakes (optional)
- 1-2 stalks green onions, sliced into rounds or strips (optional)
Instructions
- Tofu: Drain the tofu and wrap with a clean kitchen towel and place something weighted on top for 15 minutes to press out excess moisture. Cut tofu into cubes and place in a large bowl. Toss tofu with 1 Tbsp chili paste and 2 tsp tamari until evenly coated.
- Prep: Chop everything and place next to stove. Prepare sauce by whisking together all ingredients in the "Sauce" section in a medium-sized bowl. This Pad Thai cooks quickly so having everything prepped is important.
- Rice Noodles: Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Turn off heat and submerge rice noodles in hot water for about 5 minutes, using a fork to gently separate noodles so they don't clump together. After 5 minutes, strain water by using a colander and rinse noodles with cold water. Don't overcook; noodles should still be al dente as they will cook again at the end and overcooked noodles will end up gummy.
- Stir Fry: Heat a wok on high heat (see notes below if you don't have a wok). Once wok is hot, add a drizzle of avocado oil and tofu and cook until browned, stirring frequently. Remove tofu and set aside. Add another drizzle of oil and the shallots and cook about 30-45 seconds, stirring frequently. Add garlic, broccoli, carrots, and bell pepper and stir fry until veggies just begin to soften, just a couple minutes or so, but not fully cooked.
- Combine everything: Add al dente noodles and cooked tofu to the wok and pour sauce on top. Cook until noodles absorb the sauce and softens to desired consistency.
- Finishing: Serve immediately, garnishing with chopped peanuts, green onions, lime wedges, and optional chili flakes for additional spice. Enjoy!
Notes
If you don't have a wok and love Pad Thai and stir-frying, I highly recommend investing in one! Pad Thai is cooked quickly on high heat and a wok is designed for this. A large pot or a large skillet with tall sides can be used, but the final results won't be the same. You'll have to cook everything on medium heat instead of high to prevent scorching, and this will "steam" the ingredients instead of stir-frying. It can be done, and I've done it, but a wok with take this Pad Thai to the next level.