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Vegan Pad Thai with Tofu

This Vegan Pad Thai is incredibly flavorful, savory, and a little spicy — a healthy version of the popular Thai dish!
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Asian, Thai
Keyword: dinner, Pasta, savory, spicy, Thai
Servings: 4 servings
Author: The Wandering Veggie

Ingredients

Tofu

  • 1 - 16 oz extra firm tofu
  • 1 Tbsp chili sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • Veggies
  • Drizzle of sesame oil
  • ½ of a red onion chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ of a zucchini cut in thin strips
  • 1 large carrot cut in thin strips
  • 2 ½ cups broccoli chopped
  • ½ of a red bell pepper cut in thin strips

Sauce

  • ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable broth
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Tamarind
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 2 tsp ginger root grated
  • 1 tsp chili sauce optional for spice
  • Noodles
  • 7 oz rice noodles
  • 8 cups boiling water

For Serving

  • Peanuts chopped
  • 1-2 stalks green onions chopped
  • Lime wedges
  • Red pepper flakes optional, for added spice

Instructions

  • Drain tofu and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Cut into squares and place in a large skillet. Drizzle with 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 Tbsp chili sauce and toss to coat. Cook on medium heat until browned, 10-15 minutes, flipping occasionally. 
  • While tofu cooks, chop all veggies. Then prepare sauce by stirring together everything in the "sauce" section in a medium-sized bowl.
  • In a wok (preferred), extra large skillet, or large pot: heat 2 tsp sesame oil on medium heat and sauté onions until softened. Stir in garlic, broccoli, zucchini, and carrots, and sauté until they begin to soften (they will cook more with the noodles and sauce.) Stir in bell pepper and turn off heat.
  • Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Turn off heat and submerge rice noodles in hot water for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften but are still al dente. Don’t overcook! Noodles will be cooking more with veggies. Strain water out using a colander. 
  • Add the al dente noodles to veggie mix and pour sauce on top. Cook on medium heat until noodles absorb the sauce and noodles soften to desired consistency.
  • Serve immediately, topping with peanuts, green onions, lime wedges, and optional red pepper flakes for additional spice.