Vegan Pad Thai
Tangy, punchy vegan pad Thai with crispy tofu, tamarind sauce and crunchy peanuts — ready in under an hour.
This is my weeknight vegan pad Thai — all the authentic tang and chew without the eggs or fish sauce. It’s bright with tamarind and lime, sweet from palm sugar and textural from crunchy peanuts and crispy tofu.
Make it when you want a quick, flavour-packed meal that scales easily. The little pressing and soaking steps are worth the extra 15 minutes for perfectly textured tofu and noodles.
Ingredients
- 250 g dried rice noodles
- 300 g firm tofu — pressed
- 40 g tamarind paste
- 60 ml tamari — use gluten-free tamari if required
- 60 g palm sugar
- 15 ml rice vinegar
- 500 ml hot water — for soaking noodles and loosening tamarind
- 30 ml rapeseed oil
- 15 g cornflour — for coating tofu
- 60 g roasted unsalted peanuts — roughly crushed
- 150 g bean sprouts
- 3 spring onions — sliced on the diagonal
- 1 brown onion — small, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic — cloves, 2 minced, 1 crushed for sauce
- 1 red chilli — thinly sliced; optional
- 2 lime — one for juice, one for wedges to serve
- 5 ml sesame oil — to finish
- 0 ml sea salt
- 10 g fresh coriander — leaves roughly chopped, to garnish
Instructions
Press the tofu: wrap the block of firm tofu in kitchen paper and place on a plate. Put a heavy tin or small saucepan on top and leave to press for 15 minutes to remove excess water.
Make the pad Thai sauce: in a small bowl whisk together tamarind paste, tamari, palm sugar, rice vinegar, the juice of 1 lime and 100 ml hot water until the sugar and tamarind dissolve. Taste and adjust — it should be tangy, salty and slightly sweet.
Soak the dried rice noodles: place the dried rice noodles in a large heatproof bowl and pour over enough hot water to cover. Leave for 8–10 minutes until pliable but still slightly firm (they will finish cooking in the pan). Drain and set aside.
Crumble the pressed tofu into bite-sized pieces, toss with the cornflour and a pinch of sea salt so pieces are lightly coated.
Heat 1 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat. Fry the coated tofu in batches until golden and crisp, 6–8 minutes per batch. Remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper.
Wipe the pan, add the remaining 1 tbsp rapeseed oil and heat until shimmering. Add the sliced brown onion, 2 minced garlic cloves and the sliced red chilli. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Add the drained rice noodles, the prepared sauce (pour all of it into the pan), the bean sprouts, sliced spring onions and the crispy tofu. Toss continuously over a high heat for 2–3 minutes until the noodles are heated through and the sauce coats everything evenly.
Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Divide between plates and finish with a generous scatter of crushed roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped fresh coriander and lime wedges to squeeze over.
Tips
- Press the tofu well — even 10–15 minutes makes a huge difference to how crisp it gets.
- Soak the noodles until pliable but still slightly firm; they should finish cooking in the pan to avoid turning mushy.
- Make the sauce ahead and keep chilled for up to 48 hours — bring to room temperature before using.
- If you like more heat, finely slice an extra red chilli or add chilli flakes when tossing the noodles.
- Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge; reheat gently in a frying pan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
Substitutions
palm sugar → light brown sugar, same weight (60 g)
Stays closetamari → soy sauce, same quantity (60 ml)
Stays closefirm tofu → tempeh, same weight (300 g); slice and pan-fry
Noticeably differentroasted unsalted peanuts → toasted sunflower seeds, same weight (60 g) for a nut-free option
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 540
- Calories
- 16 g
- Protein
- 74 g
- Carbs
- 19 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 15 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — use a certified gluten-free tamari (the recipe uses tamari by default) and check any packaged palm sugar or tamarind paste for cross-contamination warnings.
How do I stop the noodles sticking together?
Soak to just pliable, drain well, and toss in the hot pan immediately. High heat and constant tossing prevents sticking. If they seem dry, add a splash of hot water or extra sauce.
Can I make this nut-free?
Yes — swap the peanuts for toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds; they give the same crunch without peanuts.
Can I prepare elements in advance?
You can make the sauce and press the tofu ahead (sauce up to 48 hours, tofu pressed and refrigerated for a few hours). Fry tofu just before serving for best texture.
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