Vegan Pad Thai Noodles

5 from 1 vote

This quick and delicious one-pot Vegan Pad Thai Noodles is a perfect 30-minute weeknight dinner! It's made with fresh vegetables, protein-rich crispy tofu, gluten-free noodles, and homemade Thai Peanut sauce.

Prep: 15

Cook: 15

Total: 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Servings:

Calories: 564kcal

Author: Ruchi

Ingredients

THAI PEANUT SAUCE

1 tablespoon Soy sauce use Tamari for gluten-free option
3½ tablespoons Brown sugar
2¼ tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 tablespoons Chili Garlic sauce adjust to taste
2½ tablespoons Vegan Peanut butter
1½ teaspoons Tamarind paste
1¼ tablespoons Lemon Juice

PAD THAI NOODLES

8 ounces Thai Rice noodles gluten-free
3 tablespoons Avocado Oil
12.3 oz Mori-Nu Tofu Extra Firm
½ teaspoon Chili Flakes
½ teaspoon Paprika
3 cloves of Garlic finely chopped
1 large Red Bell pepper thinly sliced
3 stalks of Scallions chopped
¾ cup Bean sprouts + ¼ cup for garnish
½ cup Cilantro leaves chopped
⅓ cup Dry roasted Peanuts roughly chopped
½ teaspoon Sesame Oil to toss the boiled noodles in

GARNISHES

- - Scallions
- - Cilantro leaves
- - Lime Wedges
¼ cup Bean sprouts
- - Roasted Peanuts
- - Black sesame seeds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

THAI PEANUT SAUCE

Let’s begin by making the peanut sauce first. In a small bowl, add brown sugar.
Add all the remaining sauce ingredients to the same bowl and stir to combine. Mix the peanut sauce until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

PROTIP- Instead of stirring all the ingredients with hand, you can transfer all the ingredients to a food processor or a blender and puree it to perfection. This way, you will end up in a creamy and thick peanut sauce.

PAD THAI NOODLES

Meanwhile, transfer the gluten-free pad Thai noodles to a large bowl. Pour hot boiling water just enough to cover the noodles.
Stir and make sure the Thai noodles are submerged in water.
Cover the bowl and let the noodles sit undisturbed for 5-6 minutes or until al dente. (follow the instructions on the package)
PROTIP– After the resting time is over, drain the noodles and toss with little oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
Remove the Mori-Nu Tofu Extra Firm one from the packet. Briefly press it and cut it into cubes.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Once the oil is hot, add tofu and season it with paprika and red chili flakes.
Sauté it for 3-4 minutes until evenly brown on each side, turning occasionally. When cooked on both sides, remove and set aside.
To the same pan, add chopped garlic, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
Take the skillet off the heat. Add chopped scallions. Mix everything to combine. Spread all the ingredients around to make room for the noodles.
Add pad Thai noodles and bean sprouts. Top with more scallions, browned tofu, cilantro leaves, and coarsely crushed peanuts.
Finally, add the flavor-booster – Thai peanut sauce that we had prepared earlier in the recipe. Return it to the heat and cook for another 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat, tossing occasionally.
PROTIP- Use tongs to mix all the ingredients until everything is coated in the peanut sauce.
Remove from heat and serve. To serve, garnish the Vegan Pad Thai noodles with lemon wedges, additional bean sprouts, scallions, cilantro, and black sesame seeds (optional).

Notes

Tips and variations for making the best Vegan Pad Thai Recipe!

1. Always use extra firm tofu for Pad Thai noodles: I have used Mori-NuTofu. It's great for stir-frying, is low-fat, gluten-free, and needs no refrigeration until opened. In addition to that, extra-firm tofu holds its form nicely and turns out crispy.

2. You can bake the tofu in the oven: for baking, preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Rub cut tofu pieces with 2 teaspoons of oil + paprika and chili flakes. Like a baking tray with parchment paper. Spread tofu pieces in a single layer on the tray and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until evenly brown, turning halfway during the cooking.

3. Want to make this tofu noodles with low-sodium: try Tamari instead of Soy sauce. It's gluten-free as well as low-sodium.

4. Feel free to add more greens and vegetables to the Pad Thai noodles. There are no set rules to make these noodles. Simply mix and match the vegetables you have on hand, and you are all set.

Some other vegetable options are bok choy, French beans, carrots, baby corn, shiitake mushrooms, and orange bell peppers.

5. Do not overcook the rice noodles. They should be al dente meaning the noodles should be soft and cooked through but still have a little bite left to it.

6. Unable to cook Pad Thai with the soaked noodles: no worries! Drain the noodles, toss in sesame oil, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Good for 2 days.

7. Allergic to peanut butter – substitute it with almond butter or cashew butter. Top the noodles with coarsely chopped roasted almonds or cashews.

8. Do not let the noodles to sit for too long as they will stick together. Eat the Pad Thai noodles right away!

9. Leftovers: This recipe is so yummy that it hardly has any leftovers, but if you still end up with some, then store it in an airtight container. Makes a great lunch the next day!

10. Like it spicy: Toss in some chopped jalapeno peppers or an extra teaspoon of sriracha sauce and tone up the level of spice to suit your taste.

Is Pad Thai a Vegan Recipe?

Pad Thai recipe that is served in the restaurants is NOT vegan unless stated. The traditional recipe uses fish sauce and eggs.

But the recipe that I have shared here is Vegan Pad Thai made without fish sauce and eggs with is equally delicious and tasty.

Are Pad Thai Noodles gluten-free?

No, it’s not! But it can be easily tailored to a gluten-free diet. All the ingredients in this recipe are gluten-free except soy sauce.

To make it gluten-free, swap soy sauce with Tamari, which is gluten-free and vegan.

Nutrition