Vegan Pad Thai

This Vegan Pad Thai recipe is an exclusive from Jeeca Uy’s new cookbook Vegan Asian: A Cookbook. Click here to find out where you can order the book. 

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Jeeca Uy is an avid home cook and the creator of the popular vegan food blog The Foodie Takes Flight. Her recipes have been featured in Plant Based News, Best of Vegan, One Green Planet, and others. She was born and raised in the Philippines and lives in Metro Manila.

Vegan Pad Thai from Jeeca Uy’s Vegan Asian

5 from 1 vote

I absolutely love pad thai, and making this at home always leaves me reminiscing about trips to Thailand. I made my own vegan fish sauce to use for this recipe and coat the noodles in a deliciously sweet and savory sauce. I made this dish with tofu for protein, added crunch from bean sprouts and peanuts, tang from lime and an extra kick of spice from chili powder!

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Author: Jeeca Uy | The Foodie Takes Flight

Servings: 3 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ SAUCE
• ▢ ¼ cup 55 g coconut sugar or palm sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup 60 ml vegan fish sauce, plus more to taste (see notes)
• ▢ 1 to 2 tbsp 15 to 30 ml soy sauce, plus more to taste if needed (see notes)
• ▢ 1 tbsp 15 ml fresh lime juice
• ▢ 2 tbsp 32 g tamarind puree (see notes)
• ▢ NOODLES AND VEGETABLES
• ▢ 7 oz 200 g block extra-firm tofu
• ▢ 8 oz 225 g dried rice noodles, at least 1/8" (3 mm) thick
• ▢ 3 tbsp 45 ml neutral oil
• ▢ 1 small red or white onion - sliced
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic - minced
• ▢ 2 cups 150 g fresh bean sprouts, plus more for serving
• ▢ 1 scallion - sliced into 2" (5-cm) strips
• ▢ TO SERVE
• ▢ Fresh lime juice
• ▢ ½ to 1 tbsp 4 to 8 g chili powder or red pepper flakes (optional)
• ▢ Handful of sliced scallions or chives
• ▢ 2 tbsp 30 g chopped roasted peanuts

Instructions

• Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. Feel free to adjust the ingredient amounts according to your desired taste. Set aside.
• Prepare the noodles and vegetables: Press the tofu for at least 10 minutes to drain any excess liquid (see page 11 for more details). Afterward, slice into 1⁄2-inch (1.3-cm) cubes.
• Place the rice noodles in a large, heatproof bowl. Pour in enough boiling hot water to completely soak the noodles. Leave the noodles to soak for 6 to 7 minutes, or until they are white (no longer translucent), pliable, and still very chewy. Drain the noodles and set aside.
• Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu cubes. Pan-fry them, flipping about every 2 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on all sides, about 10 minutes total.
• Move the tofu to the side of the pan and then add the onion and garlic. Sauté until cooked, about 1 minute. Add the rice noodles and then pour in the sauce.
• Mix well, then cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked through but still a little chewy. Lower the heat to medium, then mix in the bean sprouts and strips of scallion. Taste the noodles and feel free to add more soy sauce or vegan fish sauce, as desired. Cook for another 2 minutes, then turn off the heat once the bean sprouts are tender.
• Serve the noodles in two bowls, each with a generous squeeze of lime juice, chili powder or red pepper flakes, scallions or chives, peanuts and bean sprouts, if desired. Mix and enjoy your pad thai while it’s still hot.

Notes

If you’re using store-bought vegan fish sauce, start with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) or use soy sauce, since store-bought vegan fish sauce can be much saltier! You can replace the tamarind puree with a mix of 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of fresh lime juice and 2 tablespoons (28 g) of coconut sugar or palm sugar.

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Reprinted with permission from Vegan Asian: A Cookbook by Jeeca Uy, Page Street Publishing Co. 2021. Photo credit: Jeeca Uy

Click here or on the photo above to get your copy.

About the Book

For those craving vegan-friendly versions of classic Asian dishes, Vegan Asian: A Cookbook (August 31, 2021; $21.99; Page Street Publishing) is sure to fit the bill! Jeeca Uy, of the hit Instagram account TheFoodieTakesFlight, transforms traditional Southeast and East Asian cuisine into spectacular vegan renditions that are bursting with flavor. From iconic Thai dishes to piping-hot Japanese fare and everything in between, Jeeca’s recipes will take readers’ palates on a delicious food trip across Asia that will keep them coming back for more. So, why order takeout when it’s easy to whip up a vegan version that is not only healthier but can taste even better? 

From traditional favorites to discovering new favorites readers will find recipes for: Pad Thai, Char Siu Tofu, Vietnamese Mushroom Pho, Singaporean Chili Tofu, Chinese Lettuce Wraps, Yang Chow Fried Rice, Japanese Yakisoba, Spicy Dan Dan Noodles, Satay Tofu Sticks with Peanut Sauce, and Korean Bulgogi Mushrooms.

Along with vibrant photographs, Jeeca has packed this book with tips and tricks to guide any cook, vegan or not, on how best to work with tofu, how to fold dumplings, how to make vegan versions of essential sauces and so much more. This cookbook will quickly become a go-to guide for simple yet delicious vegan Asian recipes.

If you loved this vegan pad thai recipe, you might like more exclusive recipes from Vegan Asian:

https://bestofvegan.com/vegan-char-siu-tofu-from-jeeca-uys-vegan-asian/

https://bestofvegan.com/stuffed-chinese-eggplants-from-jeeca-uys-vegan-asian/

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