Name: Vegan Pad Thai
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 kombu sheet ( about 2” square); ¾ cup water ( boiling); 2 oz tamarind pulp; 3 tbsp palm sugar; 2 Tbsp sweet soy sauce; 1 Tbsp black vinegar; 7 oz firm tofu (frozen and thawed); 2 Tbsp potato starch; 1 Tbsp mushroom powder; 1 tsp poultry seasoning; ½ tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp black pepper (fresh cracked ); 3 Tbsp olive oil; 8 oz rice noodles; 3 Tbsp olive oil; 2 shallots (thinly sliced); 4 garlic cloves (thinly sliced); ½ tsp kosher salt; 1 cup Chinese chives (cut into 1-inch batons); 1 cup mung beans; 2 limes (zest, juice and wedges for garnish); ¼ cup peanuts (roasted, salted, chopped)

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Vegan Pad Thai is fun and easy to make. Some of the ingredients may seem hard to find or intimidating. However, we find that this is one of the exciting things about cooking, the discovery of new flavors and ingredients and we encourage you to branch out into flavors that you may not be familiar with. Check out the substitute option in the Chef’s Tips.

Once you’ve made this Vegan Pad Thai recipe you will be hooked and make this dish every week.

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What You Need…

Tamarind Pulp: use tamarind concentrate ( it’s labeled as a concentrate but it’s a paste) in place of making your paste.
Sweet Soy Sauce is an easy fix, use regular soy sauce with a dash of maple syrup.
Black Vinegar can be replaced with balsamic vinegar.
Palm sugar can be substituted by using maple syrup.

How to Make Vegan Pad Thai Sauce

Soaking Tamarind pulp — Soak the Tamarind pulp in boiling water.

Pressing Tamarind Pulp — After 10 minutes, press through a sieve.

Adding Sugar to sauce — Grate the Palm Sugar

How to Make Seasoned Crispy Tofu

seasoning tofu portions — Dredging the tofu

How to Make Pad Thai Noodles

soaking pad thai noodles — Soaking Pad Thai Noodles

SOAKED PAD THAI NOODLES — Soaked Noodles and Pad Thai Sauce

How to Pull it All Together

cooked shallots and garlic vegan pad thai — Cook the shallots and garlic.

adding Chinese chive vegan pad thai — Next, add the Chinese chives.

adding noodles to vegan pad thai — Then add the cooked noodles.

adding sauce to vegan pad Thai — Add pad Thai sauce.

adding tofu to vegan Pad Thai — Combine the crispy tofu.

cooked vegan pad thai — Finished vegan pad Thai. Enjoy!

Vegan Pad Thai with mung beans — Vegan Pad Thai with Mung Beans, Lime & Peanuts

Chefs Tips

Questions?
Why do we freeze the Tofu? Do I have to?

When frozen, tofu magically transforms. Its texture becomes denser and spongier, with tons of little coral reef–like holes. This magic is actually science: The water in tofu expands when it is frozen, thereby changing the original structure. When the ice crystals thaw, they seep out in the form of water, leaving the holes they formed behind.

No, you can use tofu that has not been frozen, we suggest pressing it for 4-5 minutes instead.

Serving Suggestions
We think that just about any vegetable is great with Vegan Pad Thai. There is nothing better than a huge helping of your blistered long beans with ginger or a huge bunch of broccoli.

Vegan Pad Thai

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Vegan Pad Thai

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: People

Calories: 502kcal

Author: Those Vegan Chefs

Vegan Pad Thai is fun to make. Some of the ingredients may seem hard to find or intimidating. However, we find that this is one of the exciting things about cooking, the discovery of new flavors and ingredients and we encourage you to branch out into flavors that you may not be familiar with.

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Ingredients

Pad Thai Sauce

1 kombu sheet about 2” square
¾ cup water boiling
2 oz tamarind pulp
3 tbsp palm sugar
2 Tbsp sweet soy sauce
1 Tbsp black vinegar

Tofu

7 oz firm tofu frozen and thawed
2 Tbsp potato starch

1 Tbsp mushroom powder
1 tsp poultry seasoning
½ tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper fresh cracked
3 Tbsp olive oil

Pad Thai Ingredients

8 oz rice noodles

3 Tbsp olive oil
2 shallots thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
½ tsp kosher salt
1 cup Chinese chives cut into 1-inch batons
1 cup mung beans
2 limes zest, juice and wedges for garnish
¼ cup peanuts roasted, salted, chopped

Instructions

How to make the vegan Pad Thai sauce

Place the water and the kombu sheet together in a pot, bring to a boil and allow the kombu to steep for 30 minutes.
Place the tamarind pulp in a bowl.
Remove the kombu sheet from the water, then bring the water back to boil. Pour over the tamarind paste. Mix until combined, and allow to hydrate for 10 minutes.
Press the tamarind paste through a mesh sieve.
Use a Microplane grater to grate the palm sugar into the tamarind paste.
Combine the tamarind paste, palm sugar, sweet soy sauce, and black vinegar. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

How to make the crispy seasoned tofu

Remove the thawed tofu from the packaging, and press for 10 minutes.
Cut the tofu into thin slices.
Combine potato starch, mushroom powder, poultry seasoning, and fresh cracked black pepper and mixed well. Dredge the sliced tofu with the mixture, and place it on a baking sheet.
Heat a wok or a heavy pan over high heat, add 3 Tbsp of olive oil to the pan, and add the seasoned tofu. Cooking until the tofu is turning light brown and getting crispy. Remove the tofu from the pan, place onto a drip rack and set aside.

How to cook the rice noodles

Place the rice noodles in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over the noodles. Allow the noodles to soak for 5-10 minutes. The noodles should be al dente. Drain and rinse, set aside.

How to finish the Vegan Pad Thai

Heat the wok or pan over high heat, and add 3 Tbsp olive oil to the pan. Sauté the shallots and garlic, season with ½ tsp kosher salt. The shallots and garlic should start turning light brown.
Add the Chinese chive, and give a quick toss to wilt the chives.
Add the soaked rice noodles to the shallots, garlic, Chinese chives. Sauté for another 2 minutes continuing to mix.
Add the Pad Thai sauce to the noodles and stir vigorously to incorporate and coat the noodles. Add sautéed tofu and toss to coat with sauce.
Add ½ of the bean sprouts and mix to incorporate.
Zest 1 lime over the Pad Thai.
Garnish the plate with fresh bean sprouts, lime wedges, and chopped peanuts.

Notes

Nutritional values are an estimate.

Nutrition