30-Minute Vegan Pad Thai (With Traditional Flavors) (2024)

Vegan pad thai is a plant-based reinvention of the beloved Thai classic! It’s loaded with toasty peanuts, tender rice noodles, scrambled tofu “eggs,” and a tangy-spicy tamarind sauce. Add some bean sprouts, fresh veggies, and a squeeze of lime for the ultimate meal!

🧡 Why you’ll love this recipe

• One pan: Everything is cooked in one pan, so your kitchen stays nice and tidy.
• Traditional flavors: This recipe is bursting with traditional Thai flavors, yet it’s fully vegan. Now that’s a winner!
• Customizable: This vegan pad thai recipe is super customizable, so you can add your favorite vegetables or proteins.
• Perfect weeknight dinner: Once the sauce is made and the noodles are soaked, everything comes together in under 10 minutes. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner when you need something quick!

If you love vegan pad thai, you should really check out our peanut noodles, vegan Thai red curry, and Thai tea boba.

🍜 What is vegan pad thai?

Vegan pad thai is a plant-based version of the famous Thai street food dish, pad thai. This stir-fried noodle dish traditionally consists of ingredients like eggs, fish sauce, tamarind paste, and shrimp or chicken.

In our vegan version, we’ve replaced those ingredients with vegan-friendly substitutes to create a dish that’s just as delicious, if not more! The star of the show is the homemade tangy-sweet tamarind sauce, featuring palm sugar, tamarind paste, chili flakes, and vegan fish sauce.

We soak the rice noodles as opposed to boiling them, resulting in a perfectly chewy and tender texture. And the tofu provides a soft contrast to the crunch of the peanuts.

Serve your vegan pad thai garnished with a generous amount of crushed peanuts, a wedge of lime, and extra chili flakes if you prefer a spicy kick!

🌱 How to “veganize” pad thai

In our efforts to craft a great vegan pad thai recipe, we made the following changes to the ingredients while trying to ensure the taste reflects authentic flavors as close as possible:

• Protein: We opt for tofu as the primary protein source in place of traditional shrimp or chicken. You can also try plant-based chicken or tempeh.
• Vegan eggs: Instead of excluding eggs completely, we incorporate crumbled medium or firm tofu. This way we can preserve the textures associated with scrambled eggs in traditional pad thai while keeping this recipe plant-based.
• Fish sauce: While integral to traditional pad thai for its unique umami punch, fish sauce is not vegan-friendly. But, don’t worry! You can replace it with vegan fish sauce to retain the savory tanginess without using any animal-derived products.

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Sugar: We use coconut palm sugar for a deep, rich, caramelized flavor, but you can also use vegan-friendly cane sugar to balance the tang and spice of the dish.
• Tamarind paste: Gives the sauce its unique tangy flavor. Check for tamarind paste or pods at Asian or Latin American markets or online. If you can’t find any, you can use lime juice or vinegar, but the flavor won’t be quite the same.
• Vegan fish sauce: Gives the dish an umami flavor punch. If you can’t find vegan fish sauce in stores or online, you can make your own fish sauce or substitute it with tamari, coconut aminos, or soy sauce if need be.
• Dried chili flakes: Provide a touch of heat. If you’re sensitive to spice, reduce or omit the chili flakes. If you prefer more spice, include extras!
• Vegetable oil: Used for sautéing the veggies and noodles. Make sure to use a neutral vegetable oil like avocado, canola, or peanut.
• Dry rice noodles: Form the base of this vegan pad thai recipe. If you can’t find medium-sized flat rice noodles, you can use thin rice noodles.
• Shallots, garlic: Both add a savory depth to the dish without overpowering it. If you don’t have shallots, feel free to use white or yellow onions.
• Sprouts, Chinese chives: Bean sprouts and Chinese chives are traditional in pad thai for a crunch and pop of color. We don’t have access to Chinese chives where we live, but you can also use scallions for a similar effect (which we do). If you live near an Asian food market, you should be able to pick some up there!
• Roasted peanuts: Provide the perfect crunch and toasty flavor. If you have a peanut allergy or don’t have any on hand, substitute them with roasted cashews.
• Tofu “egg”: Tofu replaces the traditional egg in this vegan recipe. We recommend using firm or medium tofu for a similar soft scrambled egg texture. To take it a step further, add turmeric and black salt for an egg-like color and taste.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make vegan pad thai

Step 1: Soak the noodles

Start by soaking the rice noodles in lukewarm water. This softens the noodles and readies them for cooking. Be careful not to over-soak the noodles since you don’t want them to turn mushy during the cooking process. If you’re short on time, soak the noodles in boiling water for just 5 minutes.

Step 2: Make the sauce

While your noodles are soaking, you can start the sauce. Heat up some coconut or cane sugar in a saucepan. Try not to stir or disturb it until it’s melted.

Once it’s melted, add in the water, tamarind paste, vegan fish sauce or tamari, and chili flakes. Don’t worry if the sauce hardens a bit! It will become silky smooth as it sits.

Step 3: Scramble the tofu

When the sauce is almost ready, start sautéing some chopped garlic and shallots in a large skillet or wok. Add in the crumbled tofu and season it with turmeric, regular sea salt, or black salt for an “egg” flavor. The turmeric also gives the tofu a gorgeous golden color.

Step 4: Assemble everything

Now you can drain the noodles and add them to the pan with the tofu, followed by the tamarind sauce you prepared earlier. Toss everything gently until the noodles absorb all the sauce.

Step 5: Add the final touches

Time for some veggies! Add in the bean sprouts, Chinese chives or scallions, and roasted peanuts. Give it all a quick toss and your vegan pad thai is ready to serve. Happy eating!

If you have questions about this vegan pad thai recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🌶️ What to serve with vegan pad thai

If you want to take your vegan pad Thai to the next level, try serving it with some of the most popular garnishes like these:

• Chili flakes
• Extra roasted peanuts
• Fresh bean sprouts
• Sliced scallions
• Lime wedges
• Fresh cilantro leaves

🌡️ Storage & reheating

For any leftover vegan pad thai, keep these storage and reheating tips in mind:

• Fridge: Vegan pad thai can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. Just make sure to let it cool completely first.
• Freezer: We don’t recommend freezing vegan pad thai as the texture of the noodles and vegetables will become quite mushy once thawed.
• Reheating: Reheat your vegan pad thai in a pan over medium heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or oil to prevent it from drying out.
• Prep ahead: You can prepare the sauce and chop the vegetables ahead of time, then just assemble and cook when you’re ready to eat!

♻️ Variations

• Vegetables: While not as traditional, you can try adding other vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, or broccoli for extra nutrition.
• Protein: Use seitan or tempeh cubes instead of tofu for a different protein source.
• Grains: Swap out the rice noodles for rice, quinoa, glass noodles, shirataki noodles, or even cauliflower rice.
• Cashews: Use cashews instead of peanuts for a variation in taste and texture.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Don’t oversoak: Soak the noodles just until they are soft. Oversoaking can lead to mushy and broken noodles.
• Prep everything first: Prepare the sauce, noodles, tofu, and vegetables before you start cooking since things move fast.
• Use a wok: If you have access to a wok, we recommend using one since it distributes heat more evenly and helps cook the noodles and vegetables perfectly.
• Don’t skip the tamarind: Tamarind paste is what gives the dish its unique flavor, so try not to skip it in this recipe!
• Adjust the heat: High heat can burn the ingredients, while too low heat can make the dish soggy. Keep an eye on everything as it cooks, and increase or decrease the heat as needed.
• Garnishes: Don’t skip the garnishes! This is where a lot of extra flavor and crunch comes from. Plus, you can really customize the dish this way.

💬 FAQ

🍴 More noodle dishes

If you enjoy noodle dishes like vegan pad thai as much as us, here are some more of our favorites you need to try:

• Lemon Garlic Pasta: Quick, flavorful, and vibrant recipe that requires little effort!
• Vegan Ramen: Packed with vibrant flavor and hearty textures.
• Vegan Pasta Salad: Filled with a medley of flavors, textures, and colors.
• Espagueti Rojo: Rich, creamy, and slightly spicy spaghetti.