RecipesVegan Pad Thai – a 15 Minute Easy Recipe
Updated on: 14.01.2021
Are you looking for a quick vegan pad thai recipe that is sure to impress the omnis in your life? We’ve got exactly what you’re looking for.
This pad thai recipe is ridiculously easy to make and contains ingredients most veteran vegans always have at home.
It takes about 15 minutes to make and is a perfect choice when you want to put something together quickly and effortlessly.
An additional bonus is that the recipe is not only vegan but also gluten-free, so it’s perfect if you are cooking for someone with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.
(Warning: In case of celiac disease, make sure to check all the packaged foods – such as soy sauce, nuts etc. and make sure they don’t contain traces of gluten. Failing to do so may put your loved one in danger of gluten contamination, which can cause severe damage to a celiac’s intestines and may take months to heal. You can read more about it here.)
How to Make Vegan Pad Thai Sauce Magical – Add Peanut Butter!
Of course, when it comes to pad thai, the sauce is the most important thing. This pad thai sauce has a special ingredient that gives the dish a delicious twist – peanut butter.
We recommend you use a high-quality peanut butter, preferrably one that is fully made from peanuts, no oils or sugar added. For a super budget friendly and healthy version, make your own from whole peanuts using a good high-quality blender. Don’t have one yet? Check out our best blender for everything shopping guide to find your perfect match.
As for the smoothness of the peanut butter, you can use either the smooth or the crunchy kind, both work great.
Additionally, you will need whole peanuts as well; a few to fry in the dish itself, and about half a cup to sprinkle over the finished dish.
For that cherry on top, we recommend you spritz a bit of lime juice on top before digging in. It really ads that extra zing. For those of you who are not big on sour flavours, skipping the lime is recommended.
The Choice of Noodles
When it comes to noodles, we recommend rice noodles. Choose a thickness that you enjoy most, we personally prefer thick ones.
If you are feeling lost, feel free to consult this guide, so you can choose the perfect noodles for you.
One thing to be careful about if you’re in a hurry (speaking from experience) is to really cook the noodles in boiling water all the way through.
Don’t just pour the boiling water over them and wait, because the cooking time may get extended a lot. Of course, it depends on the cooking time of the noodles themselves. Follow the instructions on the package for the best result.
The Veggies
When it comes to choice of vegetables for this recipe, we personally prefer a minimalistic approach.
We find that the combination of chopped scallions and thinly sliced carrot works best. But you do you!
If you want to add half a pantry of vegetables, go ahead. If you find a combination you really enjoy, do let us know in the comments below, so we can give it a try, too! 🙂
Now without futher ado, here is our favourite recipe for vegan pad thai.
How to Make Vegan Pad Thai
Ingredients for 2 people
Stir Fry:
– 1 packet of noodles
– 2 scallions
– 1 large carrot
– 1 tbsp peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
– 1 cup peanuts
– juice of 1 lime
– 1 tbsp oil
– (optional: 1 block of firm tofu, cubed)
Sauce:
– half a cup soy sauce
– half a cup sesame oil
– 2 tbsp brown sugar
– 1 tbsp rice vinegar
– 1 or 2 tbsp peanut butter
Total Time: 15 minutes
Chop and slice the veggies
Wash the scallions and chop them. The white and light green parts should be finely chopped, while the dark green leaves should be roughtly chopped into larger pieces. Peel the carrot and use the potato peeler to slice it into long slices. Set aside.
Prepare the sauce
Pour all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together until well combined.
Grind the peanuts
Divide the cup of peanuts into two halves. Pour one half into a small mixer and pulse very briefly, so you get a coarse mixture, not too fine. Leave the other half untouched and prepared to fry with the vegetables.
Cook the noodles
Boil the water and cook the noodles according to instructions on the packet. While the noodles are cooking, get started on the next step.
Fry the veggies
Heat the pan or (preferably) wok on high heat. Add oil.
Optional: If you are using tofu, first fry the tofu cubes until crispy. Set aside.
Add the scallions into the hot pan with oil and lightly mix with a spatula. After about half a minute, add the carrot slices and whole peanuts. Fry for a few more minutes, until the noodles are cooked.
Drain the noodles and add them to the pan with the veggies
Lightly mix with a spatula to combine well.
Pour prepared sauce into the pan
Pour the sauce over the noodles and vegetables in the pan, mix well and fry for a few more seconds.
Pour onto plates, add ground peanuts and a spritz of lime juice
Optionally, you can also serve the ground peanuts and lime halves separately, so people can add both according to their own preferences.
Other Recipes
So there you have it – our favourite go-to vegan pad thai recipe. For more easy and delicious vegan recipes check out our recipes section.
We’ve got some gems you should not miss, such as our:
- vegan pesto rosso recipe
- homemade vegan parmesan cheese recipe
- vegan cottage cheese recipe
- vegan cultured “goat” cheese or chevre recipe
Thanks for reading!