Homemade Vegan Pad Thai Recipe (Gluten-Free)
This vegan pad Thai with tofu recipe has rice noodles, tamarind, lime juice, vegan fish sauce, sprouts, and crushed peanuts on top—all the delicious flavors of the classic version made completely vegan and vegetarian.
Ingredients
- 2 servings flat rice noodles
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large shallot sliced
- 1-2 thai chili peppers minced
- 2 garlic chives green parts, julienned
- 2 tbsp dried preserved radish
- 1 cup baked tofu or vegan chicken
- sauce
- 2 tbsp vegan fish sauce
- 1 tbsp tamari or gluten free soy sauce
- 3 tbsp tamarind purée
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar
- to garnish
- 1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts
- dried chili flakes
- fresh lime to serve
Instructions
- First, soak or prepare your rice noodles according to the package directions.
- In a large pan or wok, sauté shallot, garlic, and chili peppers over medium-high heat until fragrant. Then add radish, garlic, chives, and either tofu or plant-based chicken and sauté again.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the pad thai sauce ingredients, add into the pan, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Drain cooked noodles and add to the pan, tossing to coat.
- Once ready, serve noodles with roasted crushed peanuts, mung bean sprouts, chili flakes, and fresh lime.
Video
@veggiekins Reply to @linneaskarlsson a childhood fave of mine 🙂🇹🇭 #vegan #glutenfree #foodontiktok #healthyrecipes #veganrecipes #dinnerparty #homecook #tofu
♬ Over the Moon - The Marías
Notes
Expert Tips
- Protein: Typically, pad thai is made with egg and chicken or seafood as the primary protein. When making vegan pad thai, I like to use a super firm or dried tofu, however, if you'd like to choose from a plant-based meat alternative, vegan chicken or vegan shrimp make great stand-ins! You can also use tempeh, seitan, or other plant-based proteins.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add additional veggies, such as julienned carrots, onion, green onion, bell pepper, etc.
- Sourcing Ingredients: You can find tamarind at Southeast Asian and Indian grocery stores if there are any near you. You might also check Asian grocery stores or the Asian/International section of conventional grocery stories. If all else fails, you can find tamarind online! If looking for a substitute, I recommend using date syrup, as it's similar (minus the tang).
- Vegan Fish Sauce: Many Asian grocery stores carry vegan fish sauce alternatives, but it is trickier to find a vegan fish sauce that is gluten-free friendly. I like to use this gluten-free, soy-free vegan fish sauce.
Serving Tips
- Serve your vegan pad thai with roasted crushed peanuts, mung bean sprouts, chili flakes, and fresh lime wedges!
- You can serve this as a full meal or alongside additional dishes such as Pad See Ew, Takeout Style Fried Rice, Peanut Curry with Smoked Tofu, stir-fry, and more!
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat over the stove or in the microwave.