Name: 30 MINUTE EASY VEGAN PAD THAI
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons sesame oil; 1 block firm tofu ((280g)); 1 tablespoon tamari sauce (or soy sauce); 1 medium white onion (finely chopped); 2 garlic cloves (crushed); 1 red Thai chilli (finely sliced); 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (finely chopped); 3 stems spring onions (sliced (plus more for garnish)); 2 red bell peppers (finely sliced lengthways); 2 handfuls bean sprouts; 180 g tenderstem broccoli; 1 tablespoon tamarind paste; Juice of 1 lime; 1 tablespoon tamari sauce; 2 heaped tablespoon peanut butter (smooth or crunchy); 1.5 tablespoon maple syrup; Around 2 tablespoons water; Lime wedges; Fresh coriander; Chopped peanuts

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Healthy, vibrant, full of flavour and ready in 30 minutes, this vegan Pad Thai will tick all the boxes for a quick yet delicious plant-based lunch or dinner. Free from gluten, eggs, & refined sugar.

Vegan Pad Thai on a plate with lime wedges & broccoli

What is Pad Thai?

Pad Thai is a traditional stir-fried rice noodle street food eaten all over Thailand. Even though authentic Pad Thai recipes vary in the ingredients, traditionally it’s made with rice noodles, tofu, bean sprouts, garlic, chilli & eggs. It’s then stir-fried in sweet & sour sauce made with tamarind paste, fish sauce, shrimp paste, lime juice & palm sugar.

Wagamama’s Vegan Pad Thai recipe is one of my favourite and I’ve been experimenting in my kitchen for a while trying to recreate it at home. I’ve played with a few different ingredients and combinations and I’ve finally found The One!

Overhead view of vegan Pad Thai on white plates with lime wedges & broccoli

How to make Pad Thai vegan

To get the Pad Thai right, the sauce has to be spot on. Normally, traditional Pad Thai sauce calls for fish sauce and dried shrimps. As we’re making our Pad Thai vegan, we need to find a plant-based alternative for that umami flavour. I’ve found that tamarind paste works great to replicate umami flavours. If you haven’t got it to hand, you can also play with miso paste and pineapple juice to add those slightly acidic umami notes to your Pad Thai.

Ingredients for vegan Pad Thai sauce

Having played around with different ingredients, I’ve found these work best:

Tamarind paste
Lime juice
Tamari sauce (or soy sauce if you’re not making it gluten free)
Peanut butter (you can use either smooth or crunchy peanut butter)
Maple syrup
Water

Why you’ll love this recipe

You need just under 30 minutes to prepare it
It’s wholesome, healthy & delicious
Full of fresh & vibrant flavours
A perfect meal for any night of the week
Vegan, free from gluten and refined sugar.

Useful tips

Prepare all the ingredients at the start to ensure everything is chopped up and sliced before you start cooking.
Drain your tofu well and fry it over high temperature to allow it to crisp up & seal the flavour. Otherwise, it can get too soft and soggy.
When cooking rice noodles, make sure they’re cooked al dente. If you over-cook them, they’ll end up being mushy.

Step by step instructions

Step 1

Cook rice noodles according to the packet instructions. Cook 2 minutes less than recommended time to make sure the noodles are al dente. Drain & set aside. You might want to stir in a little oil into the noodles to stop them from sticking together.

Step 2

To make the sauce, whisk together tamarind paste, lime juice, tamari sauce, peanut butter, maple syrup and water until smooth. Set aside.

Step 3

Get your frying pan very hot. Add the oil and fry tofu for 5-8 minutes until crispy, turning halfway through. Add a dash of tamari sauce in the last 2 minutes of cooking to glaze. Once the tofu is cooked, set it aside.

Overhead view of fried tofu in a black pan

Step 4

In the same pan, add more oil and sautee onion, garlic, ginger, spring onions and red chili for 2-3 minutes until just softened.

Step 5

Add sliced red bell peppers and bean sprouts to the pan and fry for 3-5 minutes until softened.

Overhead view of fried vegetables in a pan for making vegan Pad Thai

Step 6

Add tenderstem broccoli & tofu to the pan, stir and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Step 7

Finally, fold in rice noodles, pour in the sauce and cook for 2 minutes. If needed, add a little water. Make sure not to overcook the noodles, otherwise they’ll become too soft and mushy.

Overhead view of vegan Pad Thai in a black pan

Step 8

Serve immediately with a wedge of lime, crushed peanuts, spring onions and fresh coriander.

Storing leftovers

This recipe tastes best when it’s fresh out of the wok, however if you have any leftover Pad Thai, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll keep for up to 3 days.

Looking for more healthy vegan recipes?

Try some of the readers’ favourite vegan recipes below:

I really hope you’ll give this delicious vegan Pad Thai a try. If you recreate this recipe, I’d be delighted to read your comments and hear your feedback. Be sure to drop a comment here on the blog, tag me in your photos on Instagram @Fit Foodie Nutter, Facebook or Pinterest so I don’t miss them.

Stay healthy and keep safe.

Healthfully yours,

Tania x