Vegan Pad Thai

This Vegan Pad Thai with tofu makes a satisfying, flavorful weeknight dinner. It's quick and easy (ready in about 45 minutes) and tastes even better the next day as leftovers!

Video Tutorial

A fun fact before we delve into this recipe: growing up, our family hosted 8 exchange students from around the world, each for a full year at a time. One of our students, Nicky, was from Thailand, and we've been making a variation of this recipe ever since we first made it with her.

Our recipe has changed a bit over the years to accommodate our vegan dietary needs (we used to add eggs & chicken), but it's still just as delicious!

Why we love this vegan pad thai

• It's SO flavorful. To channel Guy Fieri, this recipe is a one-way ticket to Flavor Town. 🔥 Please forgive me for that reference. But in all seriousness, this vegan pad thai is packed with flavor and spice in every bite!
• Vegan and gluten free friendly: perfect for just about any dietary requirements. This can also be made nut free with one simple swap.
• Easy to make: most of the ingredients are pantry-friendly and easy to prepare.
• The BEST leftovers. This vegan pad thai soaks up even more flavor overnight. It's delicious warmed up or cold straight from the fridge.
• Perfect weeknight vegan dinner or lunch!

Ingredients

Here are a few of the key ingredients you'll need to make this vegan pad thai:

• Mushrooms: basic button or cremini mushrooms are easiest, but you can also use shiitake for more flavor.
• Tofu: firm or extra firm works here.
• Rice noodles: they are naturally gluten free!
• Peanut butter & chopped peanuts: peanut butter is essential for a creamy, rich sauce and chopped peanuts and a satisfying crunch.
• Sriracha: you can adjust the amount of sriracha and red pepper flakes to make this vegan pad thai as spicy or as mild as you'd like.
• Seasonings: coriander, chives, cilantro, sriracha, coconut sugar

Ingredient Notes

• Tamari is a gluten free alternative to soy sauce. If you're not gluten free, you can also use regular soy sauce. If you can't have soy, you can use coconut liquid aminos.
  • Please note that this recipe calls for low sodium tamari or soy sauce. If you are using regular tamari (not low sodium), cut the amount in half and taste before adding more.
• There are several varieties of rice noodles. Look for packaging that specifies "pad thai" or "stir-fry" rice noodles – they should be medium thickness. You can use white or brown rice noodles depending on your preferences (I prefer classic white rice noodles in this recipe).
• Coconut sugar can be subbed with brown sugar.
• Sensitive to spice? Cut back on the sriracha and red pepper flakes. You can always add more later.
• Not a fan of tofu (or allergic to soy)? Leave out the tofu and double the quantity of mushrooms.

Instructions

This vegan pad thai comes together in a few easy steps:

Start by pressing your tofu to remove moisture. To do so, remove from packaging, drain and wrap in a clean tea towel (or several paper towels). Set something heavy on top (like a cookbook or pan) and let sit for 20-30 minutes.

Once the tofu is pressed, dice into small cubes.

Add to a skillet with some sesame oil and cook until slightly crispy on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

Get your rice noodles cooking. Follow the package directions and drain as soon as they are al dente. Set aside.

Heat the remaining sesame oil in a large pot. Add the scallions and garlic and sauté until tender and fragrant (about 5 minutes).

Add the mushrooms and sauté until they cook down and start to brown. This takes about 5-8 minutes depending on how high the heat is.

Next, add ¼ cup of the tamari, 2 tablespoon of lime juice, coriander, red pepper flakes, coconut sugar, sriracha and peanut butter. Stir well to make sure there are no clumps of peanut butter.

You can also whisk together all of those ingredients before adding into the pad thai, but adding them straight to the pan means fewer dishes to clean!

Add in the cooked rice noodles, the remaining tamari and lime, chopped peanuts, cilantro, chives, spinach and sprouts (if using). Use tongs to coat the noodles with the sauce.

Let cook on low for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice noodles have mostly absorbed the sauce. Add back in the tofu and stir.

Taste and add more sriracha and/or red pepper flakes if you prefer spicier. Top with more crushed peanuts, fresh herbs, thinly sliced radish and/or sprouts and a wedge of lime.

Expert Tips

• Be careful not to overcook the rice noodles! Keep a timer going while they're cooking and taste-test as you go. Be sure to drain them under cool water as soon as they are al dente, otherwise they'll end up super mushy.
• Serve with an extra squeeze of fresh lime juice. It adds the perfect amount of acidity with every bite!
• To make this recipe peanut-free, you can sub peanut butter with almond butter, tahini or sunflower seed butter. Not traditional, but it will still give you that satisfying, nutty taste without the peanuts.
• For extra textural contrast and plenty of freshness in each bite, top with thinly sliced fresh veggies. Pad thai is a pretty heavy, salty dish, so it needs a bit of freshness. We love topping ours with thinly sliced radish, scallions, and sometimes bean sprouts. Cilantro and thai basil are also great garnishes.
• Family members that aren't vegan? Same here. You can easily add in 1 lb. of shredded chicken or cooked shrimp to this recipe. You can also add in 4 finely scrambled eggs.

FAQ's

More vegan dinner recipes

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