30 Minute Vegan Pad Thai with rice noodles, tofu, veggies, peanuts and the most incredible, simple sauce. Talk about an easy dinner using everyday ingredients! 

two plates with vegan pad thai from top with chopsticks

I’ve had Vegan Pad Thai on my list of recipes to create for probably a year now. It took me a couple of tries to get it just right, so we have had a lot of noodles to eat at my house the last few weeks! It was a bit of a challenge to get the sauce just right, since traditional Pad Thai recipes call for fish sauce. Vegan fish sauce apparently does exist, but I’ve never seen it.

Of course, this recipe isn’t traditional because it doesn’t contain fish sauce, oyster sauce or any meat.

I wanted this recipe to be as simple as possible, so I worked hard to get the ingredient list down and include only easy to find staples. I have broken down the instructions into easy to follow steps, and this Vegan Pad Thai really will be ready in under 30 minutes! I think you will love the result.

Vegan Pad Thai in a pan, with crushed peanuts on top

How to make 30 Minute Vegan Pad Thai

The first step is to gather and prep all the ingredients. Chop the carrots, green onions, cilantro and peanuts. Press your tofu, if needed (I like to buy the super firm variety for this recipe so no need to press it), and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Next, prepare the noodles by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 1 minute, then remove from heat and let them soak for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside. (I used these noodles.)

Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large pan, and fry the tofu on all sides until golden brown.

tofu frying in a large pan

Next, add the noodles, sauce, carrots, green onions and some of the cilantro to the pan with the tofu. Stir well as it warms up.

ingredients for vegan pad thai in a pan, not stirred together yet

Serve immediately, with lime wedges for squeezing, crushed peanuts, more cilantro, and mung bean sprouts. Enjoy!

I hope you love this Vegan Pad Thai as much as I do! It’s:

  • Bursting with fresh flavor
  • Sweet, savory and tangy
  • Easy to make
  • Made with simple ingredients
  • Full of protein

Is Vegan Pad Thai Gluten Free?

This Pad Thai can easily be made gluten free by simply substituting gluten free tamari for the soy sauce.

large spoon with lots of vegan pad thai on it

Want more Asian inspired vegan recipes?

two plates with vegan pad thai on it with chopsticks

chopsticks picking up vegan pad thai from a plate

 

two plates with vegan pad thai from top with chopsticks

30 Minute Vegan Pad Thai

Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Author: Nora Taylor
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Thai
30 Minute Vegan Pad Thai with rice noodles, tofu, veggies, peanuts and the most incredible, simple sauce. Talk about an easy dinner using everyday ingredients!
5 stars (40 ratings)
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Ingredients 

  • 7 ounces stir fry rice noodles
  • 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 16 ounce block extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Sauce

Vegetables

  • 1 cup julienne sliced carrots, about 3 carrots
  • 3 green onions, chopped

For serving

  • 2 limes, cut into wedges
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 cup crushed or chopped peanuts
  • 1 cup mung bean sprouts, optional
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Prepare all of your ingredients before you begin. Slice the carrots, chop the green onions, cilantro and the peanuts. Press your tofu if needed (I like to get the vacuum packed extra-firm tofu so no need to press it), and then chop into 1/2 inch cubes.
  • Cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and let them soak for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
  • Make the sauce: Stir all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Fry the tofu: In a large pan (you can even use the same pot you boiled the noodles in), heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu, and fry it until all sides are golden brown.
  • To the pan with the tofu, add the noodles, sauce, carrots, green onions and half of the cilantro. Stir as it warms up. 
  • Serve immediately, sprinkling peanuts and more cilantro on the top of each serving, with lime wedges and mung bean sprouts on the side. Squeeze lime juice to taste before eating. Yum!

Notes

  1. For Gluten Free, use gluten free tamari instead of soy sauce.
  2. If you want vegetable only pad thai, replace the tofu with various veggies, such as red pepper strips and broccoli florets. Stir fry these in place of the tofu until tender, before adding the noodles and sauce. 
  3. For the carrots, I buy the bag of pre-cut carrots, julienne style so it reduces my chopping time.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 500kcal, Carbohydrates: 68g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Sodium: 754mg, Potassium: 585mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 5571IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 111mg, Iron: 3mg

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