Easy Veggie Pad Thai

Vegetable Pad Thai purchased from street vendors, presented on paper plates and generously seasoned, by me, with a variety of zesty condiments, constitutes the foundation of some of my fondest recollections from my stay in Bangkok. It’s such a beloved dish that it can be found on nearly every street corner. I likely consumed my body weight in Pad Thai noodles by the time I made my way back home.

Rice noodles are swiftly stir-fried with traditional Thai spices, bean sprouts, fried tofu, and occasionally shrimp or chicken. Once plated, the chewy noodles in zesty sauce are completed with a squeeze of lime and a dusting of crushed roasted peanuts. Each vendor presents a selection of crushed chiles, pickled chile peppers, hot sauce, and other seasoning options to customize it to your preference.

This Veggie Pad Thai recipe is straightforward to prepare at home, and the outcome is just as delightful as the authentic Pad Thai crafted by your favorite Thai establishment.

What is Pad Thai?

Pad Thai is a rice noodle creation and ranks among the most popular offerings in any Thai eatery. As one of Thailand’s most renowned national dishes, Pad translates to “fried” while Thai signifies “Thai style.”

Pad Thai consists of rice noodles, which literally translates to “Thai-style stir-fried noodles.” It’s a well-liked street food and one of the staple meals in Thailand (it isn’t referred to as the “Land of Smiles” for nothing!)

Pad Thai can be prepared as vegetarian or vegan using vegetarian fish sauce and tofu or other plant-based proteins. Alternatively, it can include shrimp, pork, or chicken alongside standard fish sauce.

This veggie Pad Thai incorporates fried tofu for protein, but you can swap in meat or seafood, or even add them in addition to the tofu.

What ingredients do you need to create this Pad Thai?

Many of the components are kitchen essentials, while the remainder can be easily sourced from supermarkets or Asian grocery stores. For those that might be a bit more challenging to locate in your usual supermarket, I’ve provided a link where you can purchase it online, but do check your local Asian market or standard grocery stores as well.

• Palm sugar or brown sugar
• Tamarind paste (also known as tamarind concentrate) or use tamarind pulp that has been soaked, squeezing the liquid out to utilize in the sauce
• Thai fish sauce or vegan fish sauce
• Chile paste (also called sambal oelek)
• Firm tofu
• Vegetable oil (any neutral flavored cooking oil with a high smoke point—avocado oil, peanut oil, canola oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc.)
• Garlic
• Broth (vegetable or chicken)
• Peanut butter (ideally all-natural, without added sugar)
• Black bean sauce
• Hot red chilies (Thai, serrano, etc.)
• Wide Thai rice noodles
• Bean sprouts
• Beaten eggs (optional)
• Cilantro
• Salt and pepper
• Roasted peanuts
• Green onions
• Lime juice (optional)

How do you prepare it?

1. This dish may have quite a number of ingredients, but crafting this Pad Thai recipe is uncomplicated. Here’s the process:
2. Soak the noodles in hot water to soften, then drain.
3. Combine the sauce ingredients.
4. Warm the oil in a wok or a large nonstick skillet and quickly sauté the garlic.
5. Add the sauce mixture, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer.
6. Introduce the rice noodles and stir well to coat in the sauce.
7. Add fried tofu, bean sprouts, scrambled egg, fresh cilantro, and mix until barely combined.
8. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
9. Finish with chopped peanuts and green onions before serving.
10. Provide lime wedges, crushed chile peppers, Prik Nam Pla, pickled chiles in vinegar, fish sauce, chile paste,

    sriracha, along with various seasonings, enabling individuals to modify the heat intensity according to their preference.

Variations of Pad Thai

• To create Vegetarian Pad Thai, simply substitute vegan fish sauce instead of the standard fish sauce in this dish.
• The Vegan Pad Thai follows the same instructions, incorporating the vegan fish sauce instead of regular fish sauce, while excluding the egg.
• For Pad Thai with Shrimp, you can utilize the traditional fish sauce and add shrimp (quickly stir-fry prior to adding the noodles to the wok).
• Alternatively, prepare Pad Thai with Chicken by introducing sliced chicken (again, stir-frying briefly in the wok before adding the sauce and noodles).
• Pad Thai with Pork includes thinly sliced pork (stir-fried in the wok).

Frequently Asked Questions about Pad Thai

What pairs well with it?

I enjoy serving this Pad Thai alongside an appetizer of Thai Fish Cakes, Green Papaya Salad, Thai Larb, Thai Chicken Satay, or a vegetarian Thai Pumpkin Curry or Thai Chicken Curry.

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