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Vegan Pad Thai

30 min

Main

Pad Thai is one of the ultimate fast and delicious meals. It's a perfect balance of sweet, salty, sour and spicy. Our version has loads of crunchy vegetables, chewy brown rice noodles, and crispy tofu.

Servings

Total

30 min

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Contains

Soy symbol

soy

Swap out

Gluten symbol

gluten

Free from

Peanut symbol

peanut

Treenut symbol

tree nut

Sesame symbol

sesame

Ingredients

Crispy tofu

  • 2 Tbsp (30 mL)
    vegetable oil
  • 16 oz (450 g)
    firm tofu, pressed, cut into 1 cm cubes

Pad Thai base

  • 5.3 oz (150 g)
    dry brown rice noodles
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
    vegetable oil
  • 6
    cloves garlic, minced
  • 2
    medium shallots, diced
  • 2
    stalks green onion, sliced
  • 1
    red hot chili pepper, minced
  • 1½ Tbsp (14 g)
    pickled radish (optional)
  • 1
    carrot, julienned
  • 1
    red bell pepper, julienned
  • 1 cup (64 g)
    shredded green cabbage (optional)
  • ¼ cup (60 mL)
  • 3 Tbsp (45 mL)
    tamarind paste
  • 2 Tbsp (28 g)
    granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
    rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
  • ½
    lime, juiced
  • 1 cup (90 g)
    fresh bean sprouts

Optional garnishes

  • fresh cilantro
  • lime slice
  • roasted unsalted peanuts

Directions

  1. To a large pan on high heat, add the oil. When hot, add the tofu and cook until lightly crispy on all sides*, about 8 minutes. Then transfer to a bowl.
  2. Add the rice noodles to a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit to soften, and drain when 1 - 2 minutes before al dente. Rinse under cold water.
  3. To a sauté pan, add the oil. When hot, add the garlic, shallots, green onions, chili, and pickled radish. Cook for 5 - 8 minutes.
  4. Then add the carrot, bell pepper, and cabbage and cook for 5 more minutes.
  5. Add the soy sauce, tamarind paste, sugar, vinegar, sriracha, and lime juice. Stir.
  6. Add the rice noodles to the pan, and toss to combine. Cook until everything is warmed through and the noodles are fully cooked.
  7. Add the bean sprouts and tofu to the pan, and toss to coat.
  8. Serve while hot, top with desired garnishes, and enjoy!

Storage

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Plate method

The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.

Grains & Starches 41%

dry brown rice noodles

Proteins 16%

firm tofu

Fruits & Veggies 43%

clove garlic

medium shallot

stalk green onion

red hot chili pepper

pickled radish

carrot

red bell pepper

shredded green cabbage

lime

fresh bean sprouts

Calcium

firm tofu

Fat

vegetable oil

vegetable oil

Nutrition info

We believe that focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. If you require specific nutrition information due to a medical condition, please consult with a dietitian or physician. The nutritional information provided is composed with the utmost care. However, we cannot guarantee the correctness of the displayed values, see also our disclaimer.

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Discussion & Rating

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Alanna Niehaus - March 13, 2024, 3 a.m.

Delicious 😋


Vera - March 12, 2024, 1:06 p.m.

Very tasty! We made 200g of dry noodles for 2 people :)


Holly - March 9, 2024, 4:22 a.m.

Was very tasty and satisfying! I omitted the spice for the kiddos and they loved it, while hubby and I loved the spice! Will definitely make again!


Marguerite De Valois - March 8, 2024, 7:38 p.m.

Super bon ! A refaire pour les repas réconfortants. Attention avec la quantité de sucre. Les poivrons peuvent être remplacés par des tomates, et le soja par le chou blanc.

Marguerite De Valois - March 8, 2024, 8:13 p.m.

Ah oui, et diminuer la quantité de sauce de soja aussi car c'est très salé. Je retirerai au moins 1 cl par rapport à la recette originale


Lauren - Feb. 14, 2024, 5:36 p.m.

Hello! Some tips from a person who is very bad at cooking but made a New Year's Resolution or just something to laugh at if you've already got this:

1) Just because you like salty things, do not substitute the reduced sodium soy sauce for the regular kind!! It will be too salty!
2) Turns out baby carrots are extremely hard to julienne so make sure you get full size carrots and don't just use the ones in your fridge.
3) If you're not a fan of the sour, skip the pickled radish and if you do use it avoid the brine!
4) Tamarind seasoning is not a substitute for Tamarind paste because it turns out they put salt in that.
5) Also if you don't like sour, go easy on the lime especially if you bought a weirdly large one.
6) If things go wrong, maple syrup will not save you!! Resist going full Elf!!

Best of luck to your Pad Thai journey.

PUL Team - Feb. 15, 2024, 1:40 a.m.

Hey Lauren, aw thanks a bunch for taking the time to share your experience with the recipe and tips! We're so honoured to be welcomed on your journey with cooking - learning as we go is the best way to figure out what works for us. If you ever have any questions about substitutes we're happy to help 🤗


Adina Vlad - Feb. 4, 2024, 3:44 p.m.

It was a bomb😃!


Leila - Jan. 29, 2024, 2:45 a.m.

We live this recipe! We tweaked it slightly and use the peanut like sauce from one of your other recipe and it's delicious!


Sonja Pejic - Jan. 27, 2024, 4:31 p.m.

Amazing 🥰


Christine - Jan. 26, 2024, 11:18 p.m.

Next time, I would reduce the tamarind paste...


AC - Jan. 17, 2024, 1:04 p.m.

I would put 1 tbsp of tamarind paste in the future instead of 3, it was too sour


The VB fam - Dec. 16, 2023, 8:03 a.m.

Soooo delicious! My family loved this.


Tanja Hehr - Nov. 8, 2023, 8:31 p.m.

A lot of veggie prep/ cutting, but so tasty.


Adrienn - Nov. 7, 2023, 12:53 p.m.

We don't have here (Hungary) pickled radish, so I had to skip it. Still it was like a restaurant style dish, soooo good. 🤩 I used half marinated tofu and half smoked and it gave an extra taste.


Grae - Sept. 14, 2023, 6:34 a.m.

I loved this recipe SO MUCH. Never had much Asian food growing up with my disabled sister and my family overall, lots of southern/autism friendly food. had no idea what pad Thai was. Made this recipe and for the first time in my life, I went OUT OF MY WAY to eat tofu. I burned it (I think) so it was really crispy, and I put garlic, chili powder, and soy with my tofu as a little sauce. 10/10 I’ll make again this week!

PUL Team - Sept. 14, 2023, 6:58 p.m.

Oh we're so thrilled that the Vegan Pad Thai was enjoyed, Grae, it means so much! Sauce on the tofu sounds lovely as well 💛


Kylee Piccirillo - July 11, 2023, 6:06 a.m.

This recipe is so good! I love recipes that have a great base, but can easily be swapped around to use what is already in the house.


RileyMay - June 28, 2023, 7:49 a.m.

This recipe has been in our meal rotation for years! Delicious every time.


Flower - June 26, 2023, 11:23 p.m.

Delicious 💚


Keren - May 28, 2023, 5:07 p.m.

Hey! Can’t wait to make it
Is there an alternative to tamarind paste if I don’t have it? Is silan an option?
Thank you!

PUL Team - May 28, 2023, 9:36 p.m.

Hey Keren, you could omit the tamarind paste for a slightly less flavourful dish. Alternatively, we've heard positive reviews with using balsamic vinegar, or a combination of vinegar and sugar, or diluted lemon juice. While silan can add a touch of sweetness, it won't provide the same tangy flavour that tamarind paste offers, so perhaps adding a little vinegar can help balance out the dish if you use it 🙂

Steph LaClair - Dec. 11, 2023, 10:09 p.m.

I have a recipe for pad Thai that I make that suggests apricot preserves as a sub for tamarind paste and it was pretty good. Not exactly tamarind, but had a nice sweet, slightly tart component that accented the dish nicely.

Linda - Jan. 8, 2024, 7:55 p.m.

Worcester sauce kind of works too!


Jenna - May 25, 2023, 3:30 a.m.

A very tasty pad thai recipe - I made it this week for my meal preps! Thank you! I was able to find a tamarind paste at a local asian market and I'm glad I did as it added a delicious flavour!

PUL Team - May 25, 2023, 5:32 a.m.

Whoop whoop - so happy to hear, Jenna!


Theres Derungs - April 30, 2023, 9:51 a.m.


Michelle - April 27, 2023, 1:47 p.m.

Just made this! I didn't have tamarind paste, so I read you can use Balsamico vinegar. I swapped it and it was so delicious, will do it again!

PUL Team - April 29, 2023, 7:58 a.m.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe, Michelle 🤗


Mik - March 17, 2023, 10:15 p.m.

This was amazing! Honestly I was surprised to take the first bite, amazed that I could this by myself using this recipe! Feels worthy of a restaurant, yet not even difficult to make!
Due to allergies I replaced the bell pepper with canned baby corn, which was a good substitute!

PUL Team - March 18, 2023, 6:37 p.m.

Such a big compliment, Mik, thank you so much 🤗


Safae - Feb. 25, 2023, 2:03 p.m.

Very delicious dish ! And very easy ! Thank you very much.

If I would just recommended to add what texture or results we should have after the 5 or 8 min cooking as we don't have the same hotplates. :)

PUL Team - Feb. 26, 2023, 2:07 a.m.

Thank you for the kind words and feedback, Safae! We'll note it down to help us improve. In the meantime, we typically recommend cooking vegetables until they're fairly cooked through when it's not already listed 🤗


Saz - Feb. 2, 2023, 11:47 p.m.

amazing! Thank you


Jule - Jan. 18, 2023, 4:34 p.m.

This recipe is the best for cooking up weird leftover veggies. I rarely have the veggies on hand mentioned in the recipe. I tend to just julienne anything on hand and the sauce will make it amazing. Here are some substitutions I experimented with in case you are also missing ingredients:
mushrooms instead of tofu (oyster mushrooms especially)
leek/red onion for spring onion
zucchini/pok choi/spinach/napa cabbage/sugar peas for cabbage
kohlrabi/turnip/sweet potato for carrot
exchange bamboo and soy bean shoots
edamame/sesame/peanut butter for peanuts
(I recommend bell pepper and carrot though)


Glen - Sept. 11, 2022, 8:22 p.m.

I googled vegan pad Thai in the AH, saw this from PUL and got very excited. A delicious and easy to prepare mid week dinner. It also works extremely well with pre-made AH tempeh ketjap and ramen noodles. Definitely a new staple in the repertoire.

PUL Team - Sept. 12, 2022, 4:50 p.m.

Such a big compliment, Glen, we're so thrilled the Pad Thai was enjoyed 😃


Dee - Sept. 8, 2022, 2:11 a.m.

Excellent! My mom doesn’t like spicy so I didn’t add any of the spice flavor.

I couldn’t find tamarind paste at my local store so I made my own. Pretty easy. It seemed too sour for me so I didn't put as much as the recipe called for.

Subbed vinegar for lemon.

Loved the idea of pouring hot water over the noodles. Worked perfectly!

Another winner!

PUL Team - Sept. 8, 2022, 10:47 p.m.

Mmm love the modifications, Dee, thanks for taking the time to share!


Julie Kikatibzh - Aug. 20, 2022, 8:41 p.m.

'Delicious!' says 9 year old Anouk. Dad is the only vegan in the family but this dish has become our favourite Saturday dinner dish. Thank you! Merci!

PUL Team - Aug. 20, 2022, 11:24 p.m.

Oh we're so glad it's being enjoyed, Julie! Wishing your family an abundance of health and happiness 💛


Roshni - June 28, 2022, 2:39 p.m.

What can you use as a substitute for tamarind paste.

PUL Team - June 28, 2022, 3:57 p.m.

Hey there, Roshni, you could omit the tamarind paste for a slightly less flavourful dish. Alternatively, we've heard positive reviews with using a combination of vinegar and sugar or diluted lemon juice in place of tamarind paste in other recipes. You could perhaps start by omitting the tamarind paste and adding more of the vinegar and sugar or lime juice in this one to taste 🙂

Roshni - June 28, 2022, 5:32 p.m.

Thank you! I’m so excited to try this


Freya - June 12, 2022, 7:03 a.m.

A staple in our house. Thanks for the great recipe. So yummy!


Shruti - June 9, 2022, 8:34 p.m.

Had been looking for a good vegan Pad Thai recipe. This was so easy to make and it turned out to be delicious! Got to introduce my family to Thai food through this! Thanks a ton!

PUL Team - June 10, 2022, 10:25 p.m.

Woohoo! We appreciate it so much, Shruti, and so kind of you to share it with family 😃


Ann - May 2, 2022, 3:12 a.m.

Pick Up Limes Team! This ✨ recipe ✨ is ✨ a ✨ winner !! So delicious! Next time I’m going to replace the cabbage with celery for a little extra crunch.

PUL Team - May 2, 2022, 9:02 p.m.

Thank YOU, Ann ✨ Cabbage is a lovely idea as well!


Joanne - April 20, 2022, 12:51 p.m.

We love Pad Thai and never found a vegan recipe we liked but this one is a game changer! So so delicious thank you!

PUL Team - April 20, 2022, 6:52 p.m.

Oh it means so much, Joanne, thank you!


Hannah - April 11, 2022, 1:56 a.m.

Loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing! We will definitely make it again and next time we might add some edamame!

PUL Team - April 11, 2022, 2:54 p.m.

Mmm edamame sounds lovely! Thank you, Hannah :)


Nadia - March 14, 2022, 7:32 p.m.

Such a lovely recipe, will definitely make again!


Melissa B - Jan. 10, 2022, 3:54 p.m.

So excited to make this! I know that non-vegan pad thai recipes use fish sauce. Since we are not completely vegan, if we wanted to put a little bit in the sauce would that be ok do you think?

PUL Team - Jan. 11, 2022, 4:58 p.m.

Hi Melissa! Thanks for the question. Since we only use plant-based products here at PUL we haven't tested it out, but we hope you enjoy the pad thai if you're able to give it a try ☺️


Mirabelle de Montréal - Jan. 9, 2022, 12:29 a.m.

C’est la première fois que je laisse un commentaire à une recette. C’est parce qu’elle est vraiment très bonne!
Cela m’a pris environ 60 minutes, mais vaut le temps impliqué.
Merci beaucoup Sadia pour cette recette! C’est certain que je la recommencerai ☺️.

PUL Team - Jan. 10, 2022, 2:18 a.m.

We're so glad it was enjoyed, Mirabelle, merci! 🤗


Miranda B. - Jan. 7, 2022, 4:06 p.m.

Delicious! The “large shred” setting on my food processor made for light work, so this recipe was less chopping than I’d planned for. I did not have tamarind and also used a jalapeño, subbed for the red chiles- but it still turned out great! Excellent, Sadia!

PUL Team - Jan. 7, 2022, 9:20 p.m.

Ooo that sounds like an incredible feature, Miranda! Love the substitutions as well 😊


Victoria - Oct. 3, 2021, 10:29 p.m.

Amazing! We made this for ourselves and our family and even my grandma liked it! We used sambal oelek instead of sriracha and a combination of coconut aminos and dark soy sauce. The second time we made it with 1/2 a tablespoon of sambal oelek, 2.5 tablespoons of dark soy sauce and 1.5 tablespoons of coconut aminos and found this flavor profile a bit closer to our liking. I also like topping it with a generous amount of roasted peanuts. I was a bit hesitant tamarind paste and wasn’t sure how I’d use the whole jar, but now I can’t wait to make and eat this again.

PUL Team - Oct. 4, 2021, 3:52 a.m.

Awe we're so happy to hear, Victoria! Thanks a bunch for taking the time to share your experience with the pad thai 😃


Jeni McKerlie - Aug. 7, 2021, 11:10 a.m.

Made this and it was so good! Very tasty and I love the spicy kick! Going to make it again this week :)


D - Aug. 7, 2021, 12:02 a.m.

Tasty!


Adrienne Abudo - Aug. 3, 2021, 4:37 a.m.

I made this tonight and my non-vegan husband said "Dang that's delicious! Can I have some more?" We will definitely be adding this to our regular menu.


Ananya R - July 24, 2021, 8:27 p.m.

The best recipe to make with friends who “can’t cook”! Made this with some college friends in our dorm kitchen & we LOVED it, plus it proved to them that cooking isn’t that hard after all!

PUL Team - July 26, 2021, 7:48 p.m.

So thrilled the recipe was enjoyed, Ananya! All of the best with your studies ✨📚


Ashley - July 24, 2021, 7:06 p.m.

Loved this!


Arah - July 24, 2021, 1:33 p.m.

The best pad thai recipe ever!! My husband asks me to make this each week. I replace the sriracha with vegan thai red curry paste (as husband doesn’t like as much spice). So delicious and addictive!!

PUL Team - July 25, 2021, 9:37 p.m.

What a compliment, Arah! Love the substitution as well 😊


N - July 22, 2021, 9 p.m.

LOVE IT SO MUCH. It's my go-to meal when I'm feeling lazy.


Newbie_Rookie_00 - July 22, 2021, 12:32 a.m.

Being a newbie to cooking, I left several ingredients out but a solid base of the recipe was there. One addition was mushrooms.
Ingredients omitted either by choice or circumstantial were the following:
Tofu
Tamarind paste
Pickled radish
Dry brown rice noodles (used spaghetti ^.^ )
Cabbage
Fresh bean sprouts
~and~ three of the four optional garnishes
WHEN I make this again, I will not skip out on the cabbage, tamarind paste, the peanuts, and a substitute for tofu
I really enjoyed cutting the veggies as recommended because it was wonderful to enjoy them so crisp. The only thing I would do differently is cut them into a bit smaller pieces just out of preference.
Thank you so much for the walk-through and making cooking fun and inspirational! :D

PUL Team - July 22, 2021, 5:54 a.m.

Ooo thanks a bunch for sharing your experience with us! We're so glad you're enjoying this one 🤩


Consuelo - July 11, 2021, 11:37 p.m.

I loved this recipe!!! Very easy and so tasty. I prefer this Pad Thai with a lot of veggies, than a restaurant’s Pad Thai. I’m always checking de PUL website for new wholsesome recipes!! Thank you for doing this!!!

PUL Team - July 17, 2021, 2:01 a.m.

This means so much, Consuelo, so glad you're enjoying the PUL content :D


Lauren - July 10, 2021, 9:55 p.m.

This recipe is easy and delicious! I personally add more soy sauce for my husband and I. All the recipes that Pick Up Limes create are made with love and nutrition out the ass. I always tell my vegan friends about their Youtube channel and share their recipes because of this. It can be hard to get all the essentials in one's diet but never fear, Pick Up Limes is here! Thank you guys for all your hard work. It is very much appreciated by me and many others. ^_^

PUL Team - July 16, 2021, 4:14 a.m.

Oh, Lauren, you're such a gem 💎 Your support sincerely means so much to us! Thank you for helping our PUL community so special 🌻


Ilse - July 10, 2021, 11:35 a.m.

I think I made this one a 1000 times. It is so delicious!


Sam - July 9, 2021, 2:46 a.m.

Love it! This is also one of my go-to recipes on those days where I have a ton of work and cannot spend a lot of time on cooking. I love that there are so many veggies in this recipe, definitely prefer this recipe to a restaurant pad thai.


Rebeca Parra - July 8, 2021, 6:42 p.m.

I made it for my family and everyone liked it, it's amazing!!!
If you're waiting for a sign to make this, this is it! Haha try it!
Thank you Sadia 💚

PUL Team - July 10, 2021, 3:28 p.m.

Hehe love it, Rebeca - thank you for the wonderful review 😃


Madhura - July 8, 2021, 5:42 p.m.

I've made this several times and its absolutely delicious! PUL is my go-to page to try new recipes :)

PUL Team - July 9, 2021, 9:27 p.m.

This means so much, Madhura, thank you 🥰


Erin - June 14, 2021, 7:14 p.m.

I made this last night and it was very delicious. I couldn't find tamarind paste so I left it out (which I think it definitely needs so I'll try it again next time). My grocery store didn't have bean sprouts and I was devastated, that's the best part! Overall, this was still a really delicious and easy recipe once you prep all of the ingredients. It comes together pretty quickly. Still figuring out tofu though, haven't been able to squeeze out the water without it ripping. How long would you recommend having it be pressed down by a pot or something heavy to get the water out? I think that will help it get crispy for next time. Another delicious dinner, thank you!

PUL Team - June 15, 2021, 3:31 p.m.

Hi Erin! So wonderful you were able to modify the recipe to what was accessible for you 😃 Tofu cracking when squeezing the water out can definitely be tricky. We recommend applying less pressure for a longer time when pressing tofu - patience is a virtue 🤓

This could look like placing the tofu on a plate with a towel or paper towels wrapped around it, and then placing something moderately heavy with an even distribution of weight on the wrapped tofu. For example, a flat skillet. I find that letting the tofu sit for around 10-15 minutes works well. If you use paper towel, you also may need to replace it partway when it soaks through. If your tofu is still cracking, trying a different brand or slicing the tofu in half before pressing are other options! We hope this helps ✨

Kirstyn - July 8, 2021, 9:18 p.m.

Hey Erin - I also have a terrible time with tofu.. mainly because i am not the most patient.... I've definitely had better luck cooking it in the oven instead of a pan if that helps you... even if I don't get enough liquid out it seems to burn off in the oven..... its another dish but still tastes delicious and get the crispy edges :)


Cris S - June 5, 2021, 4:13 p.m.

Another of my top favorites from the PUL website! Stunning! 😁🤤

PUL Team - June 5, 2021, 9:42 p.m.

Woo! Thank you, Cris 😃


Tamara Speid - April 19, 2021, 4:37 a.m.

Love the tasty delicious flavors in this recipe. Def will make this again. Thank you.

PUL Team - April 20, 2021, 1:38 a.m.

So happy you enjoyed it, Tamara! 🤗


AB - April 1, 2021, 12:08 a.m.

So just made this and I'm so impressed. It really packs a punch with flavor. My sister, who never really likes vegan food, actually loved this recipe so thanks so much for sharing!

PUL Team - April 3, 2021, 1:11 a.m.

This is such a lovely review, AB! So happy you and your sister enjoyed the pad thai :D