What We’re Cooking This Weekend: Easy Vegan Pad Thai

One of our favorite Thai dishes has to be Pad Thai, but it can be hard to find a vegan version at restaurants, as most places will cook it with fish sauce and egg. So, even though you may think you’re ordering a plant-based version by subbing in tofu and asking for no egg, the fish sauce is usually there. However, you can save yourself the trouble and follow this Easy Vegan Pad Thai recipe, which has all of the taste, but no fish sauce and your friends will love it.

The beauty of this recipe is you can sub in, omit, or add any veggie ingredients you want! I like to have my Pad Thai with carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, and of course tofu, but I’m a huge advocate of making a recipe your own. If you want to take out one veggie and add in a different kind, all the power to you! After all, cooking is all about exploring what you like.

Vegan Pad Thai

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Total Time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients

• 8 oz Rice Noodle, uncooked
• 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
• 1 Block Extra Firm Tofu
• 3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• ½ Cup Red and/or Green Bell Pepper, chopped
• ½ Medium Carrot, sliced
• 1 ½ Cups Broccoli Florets, chopped small
• 1 Stalk of Green Onion, thinly sliced
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauce

• ⅓ Cup Maple Syrup
• ¼ Cup Low Sodium Tamari, or Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• Juice from Half a Lime
• 2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
• 3 Tsp Sesame oil
• ¼ Tsp Garlic oil, optional
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Cook your rice noodles as directed on the package. Once cooked, take a pair of clean kitchen scissors and cut the noodles once in half. This will help later on when mixing your ingredients in. Set aside.
2. Make your Pad Thai Sauce by adding all ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until combined. Be sure to taste your sauce to adjust for any seasonings.
3. Drain your tofu and press any excess water. Cut your tofu in slices, you can cut them as thin or thick as you like! Set aside and heat up a large pan with 1 Tbsp of oil over medium heat. Cook your tofu for 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Flip your tofu and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Once all your tofu is cooked, Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. In the same pan, add in another 1 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Add your garlic, all your veggies, and green onion to the pan and stir fry for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add your cooked rice noodles and the sauce to the pan with the veggies. Mix until all your noodles and veggies are evenly combined and coated in the sauce. Mix your tofu in and serve right away. Garnish with some extra sliced green onions and top it off with crushed peanuts. Or if you have someone in the house with a peanut allergy, you can garnish with toasted cashews crushed. Enjoy!

Nutritionals Servings: 2

Calories 585 | Total Fat 25.2 | Saturated Fat 3.7g | Sodium 1328mg | Total Carbohydrates 79.5g | Dietary Fiber 5.1g | Total Sugars 36.4 | Protein 11.1g | Calcium 183mg | Iron 5mg | Potassium 629mg |