Plant-Based Pad Thai (Better than Takeout)
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT HERE
How to Make Delicious Vegan Pad Thai (Easy & Quick)
I love having friends and family over for dinner and cooking for everyone, so I'm always looking for delicious recipes I can make that I can eat (#plantbasedlife) and that they will love. The ultimate goal is for them to forget completely the recipe is missing what we all know makes food delicious - butter and meat!
This is THAT recipe! It's so tasty that I've made it a major staple when I cook for guests (and myself - I mean, self-care right?!?) because they truly can't tell it's plant-based. I absolutely love Asian cuisine and ate Pad Thai on the regular before going plant-based so trust me when I say this recipe is SO GOOD.
After giving a few recipes on interest a try, I've taken a few of my favorites and added in some of my own touches - I can't wait for you to give it a try and beat the need for takeout. Let me know what you think, have fun and ENJOY!
Plant Based Pad Thai
Serves: 2-4 | Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 15 Mins | Ready: 25 Mins
Ingredients:
Sauce
Rice Vinegar (6 tbsp)
Soy Sauce (5 tbsp)
Brown Sugar (6 tbsp)
Tamarind Paste (1/2 tsp)
Peanut Butter (1tbsp)
Fresh Ginger (2, 1 inch pieces)
Other
Rice Noodles (1 packet)
Green Onions (2-3 stalks)
Shallot (1 bulb)
Garlic (1 clove)
Shredded Carrots (1 cup)
Chopped Peanuts (1/2 cup)
Extra Firm Tofu (1 pack)
Chili Flakes (1 tbsp)
Olive Oil (approx 3 tbsp)
Garnish: fresh cilantro & lime
Directions:
Press water from the tofu (watch how to press tofu), and cut into bite-sized cubes. Marinade tofu in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 1 tablespoon of chili flakes.
Boil water and set aside (you will pour this over the rice noodles to soften them before adding them to the skillet).
Start prep work: peel and finely chop the shallot & garlic clove, thinly slice the green onions, roughly chop peanuts, and peel the ginger pieces.
In a bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients - soy sauce, rice vinegar, tamarind paste, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Finely grate in the fresh ginger and combine.
Pour boiling water over rice noodles and stir occasionally to avoid them sticking together.
Heat skillet over medium/medium-high heat and add tofu. Gently toss tofu until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside. Wipe out any large remaining chunks of tofu in the skillet so they don't burn.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to skillet & reduce heat to medium/medium-low. Add in shallots & garlic - stir for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned. Add shredded carrots and 1/2 of the chopped peanuts (save the rest for garnish). Saute for approx 2 minutes.
Add noodles to skillet and pour in the sauce. Turn up the heat back to medium/medium-high and simmer sauce until it thickens and clings to the noodles. Toss noodles in sauce. Service with tofu squares and garnish with fresh peanuts, cilantro, and lime.
Do you have a favorite Thai dish? Share it in the comments below!
