A vegan Pad Thai recipe that actually tastes like Thailand. This Pad Thai recipe is authentic, delicious, and easy to make from home.
So this recipe definitely goes out to my sister, (MICHELLE, where you at!) since she had to beg me for weeks to post this. Pad Thai is one of her all time favorites, and every vegan Pad Thai recipe we’d try online just didn’t have the same vibe as the stuff in the restaurants.
This Pad Thai recipe is as authentic as vegan Pad Thai gets. I even found vegan fish sauce for it!
The primary flavors behind what you taste in real Pad Thai are tamarind, palm sugar, and tangy fish sauce. Top it with some fresh squeezed lime, peanuts, and beansprouts, and your tastes buds are scooped up on a magical journey to Thailand.
Honestly, I can’t think of a single person that doesn’t love Pad Thai.
And so, this also goes out to all the other vegans out there looking for a good vegan Pad Thai recipe… I don’t want you to have to order take out and worry about whether or not the stuff is covered in salty fish juice.
And I feel like half the time, Thai restaurants don’t think of the fish sauce in their Pad Thai sauce when you say you want it made vegan… Oh baby, they slather those noodles in salty fish juice. Alas, you can’t blame them for not being brushed up on veganism. They’re just there to bang out some mad tasty Thai food.
So inevitably, I just stopped ordering Pad Thai from restaurants for a long time. I felt like they never really understood this, and if they did, well, I wound up with completely sauce less noodles. (not even joking, haha)
Tamarinds and vegan fish sauce are sooo important
To speak a little bit more on tamarind and what it is for those of you that don’t know: To me, it’s like a sweet sticky syrup with a tart bite like lime.
It’s realllyyy good!
Tamarind fruit are like over sized bean pods, and the beans are the part used in making tamarind paste and puree.
You’ll definitely want to use tamarind in your Pad Thai. It’s a must! Tamicon is the most popular brand I know of for this, and they have it on Amazon, which is amazing! Trying to find this stuff in the Asian market always seems to be a nightmare for me… Even the clerks don’t know where to find it.
So save yourself the struggle and buy a little jar online. You won’t regret it, I promise.
These ingredients are crucial
And also: fish sauce! Fish sauce is so, so important to achieve the right Pad Thai flavor. It has a savory, tangy, umami flavor that is honestly pretty hard to replace.
The one I use and have pictured above honestly doesn’t bring enough fish sauce flavor for me (not that it’s bad). Plus, it’s way more expensive than this one by 24Vegan. 24Vegan is owned by Vietnamese women, and I will definitely be buying it now that I’m almost out of the Tofuna fish brand since it also has better reviews. (And is literally $7.00 cheaper, oof)
And no, they aren’t sponsoring me or anything to say that. (But I’m here @24Vegan when your ready, haha)
I haven’t succeeded in finding the 24Vegan fish sauce in any stores near me yet, so until I do I can only recommend ordering it online.
Lastly, “>here’s a link to palm sugar before I forget. You can usually find this in most Asian markets. If you’re not looking to go shopping right now and still need your Pad Thai fix, use brown or coconut sugar instead.
Rice noodles are not spaghetti
Another important topic to talk about: rice noodles. No, they are not all created equal. Some clump more than others. Some require soaking, and some don’t.
You gotta get yourself a legit brand that works for you.
Asian Best is a very good brand, and they have them on amazon for the best price I’ve found. You can also look for Three Elephants brand, they’re good too.
Rice noodles are usually prepared by soaking them first for awhile, and then finishing them in some boiling water for 1-2 minutes. However, there are brands where you only need to soak them.
Temperatures also vary per brand, so I would do a little research before you get started. It definitely took me some trial and error.
It’s also important to add some kind of protein to your noodles for a more well rounded meal. I like to add these tofu eggs, but you can also just add the tofu cubed if eggs aren’t really your thing.
I also use my homemade vegan oyster sauce for some added savory umami flavor in the Pad Thai sauce. You can leave it out if your trying to save on time.. BUT, it’s not very hard to make and does add a bunch of flavor. (so you should do it)
Give this a try and let me know what you think!
I noticed there was a problem with the comments not posting, but I’m pretty sure I’ve fixed it now. Feel free to drop a message below and say hi. If your having any trouble, please let me know so I can fix it some more.
Who knew I’d wind up having to become technical support when all I cared about was food… Sigh… It’s a learning process.
Love you all! Hope you have a happy Monday and a great week ahead.
Vegan Pad Thai
Ingredients
Noodles & Veggies
- 1 14 oz bag of L (5mm) rice sticks
- 2 medium shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1½ cups beansprouts
- 1/3 cup finely chopped roasted peanuts
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
- 1 ea lime (for garnish)
- 1½ cups vegan scrambled eggs (I have a recipe link right above for this)
Pad Thai Sauce
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste/puree
- 4 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- 90 grams palm sugar or 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegan fish sauce
- 3 tbsp vegan oyster sauce (I have a recipe link right above for this)
- 1 tbsp salt (I know it seems like a lot, but this makes up for the lacking "salty fish sauce")
Instructions
Prep
- Remove rice noodles from bag and place in a large bowl. Cover with warm water and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. (these can just sit in this bowl of water until we're ready to use them)
- Chop and roast peanuts at 400°F, stirring every 2-3 minutes until desired golden color. This usually takes around 10 minutes.
- Slice shallots length wise into strips and finely mince garlic.
Pad Thai Sauce
- Combine all Pad Thai Sauce ingredients into a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce has slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside for later.
Pad Thai
- Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
- In a separate large saucepan or wok, add a couple tablespoons of water (or oil if you prefer) and heat over medium until sizzling. Add shallots and garlic and cook 3-5 minutes, or until translucent and fragrant.
- Meanwhile, remove rice noodles from water bath and drop into the pot of boiling water. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Strain over a colander placed in the sink. Rinse only lightly. Immediately add to pan with garlic and shallots.
- Add the Pad Thai Sauce from earlier to the noodles, tossing to coat. Next, add the beansprouts, peanuts, tofu eggs (if using, check for recipe above), and chili flakes.
- Serve immediately with some fresh lime wedges, peanuts, and bean sprouts.
Notes
- Don’t over cook the rice noodles and don’t rinse them thoroughly after they’re done cooking. Too much cooking will make them gummy and lumpy, and rinsing them will remove the starches that helps the sauce cling to the noodles. I find rinsing them just a little is perfect to keep them from being to gummy and starchy while also allowing the sauce to stick.
- Not all rice noodles are created equal. Aim for some that are thinner and have the best reviews in your area. A good rice noodle makes all the difference!
- Yes, Tamarind paste is a must for pad thai. The vegan fish sauce is a big plus, but you might be able to get away without using it. I have to add vinegar to give it more of that tangy taste anyways since the vegan fish sauce just isn’t there for me. Let me know if there is another vegan fish sauce brand you’ve seen and like, because I’m open to trying more!
Other recipes used in this vegan Pad Thai:
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