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Vegetable Pad Thai

Classic Thai street food made vegetarian with rice noodles, crispy tofu, fresh bean sprouts, and a tangy tamarind sauce. Topped with crushed peanuts and lime for the perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy.

Prep Time 20 min
Cook Time 10 min
Serves 2
Difficulty Medium

Mise en Place

Get everything ready before you start cooking

Ingredients

  • 200g dried rice noodles (5mm wide)
  • 200g firm tofu, pressed and cubed
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 eggs (optional, omit for vegan)
  • 150g bean sprouts
  • 3 spring onions, cut into 3cm pieces
  • 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
  • Fresh coriander and lime wedges (to serve)
  • Sauce: 3 tbsp tamarind paste, 3 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce), 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp chilli flakes

Equipment

  • Wok or large frying pan
  • Large pot for noodles
  • Spatula or wok turner
  • Sharp knife
  • Cutting board
  • Small bowl for sauce

Cooking Steps

Follow these steps in active cooking mode

1

Soak rice noodles in warm water for 15-20 minutes until pliable but still firm. Drain and set aside.

⏱ Soak for 15-20 minutes
For this step
200g rice noodles
2

Mix together the tamarind paste, fish sauce (or soy sauce), brown sugar, rice vinegar, and chilli flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.

For this step
Sauce ingredients: tamarind, fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, chilli
3

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok over high heat. Add the tofu cubes and fry until golden and crispy on all sides.

⏱ 5-6 minutes
For this step
2 tbsp oil, 200g tofu cubes
4

Remove tofu to a plate. Add remaining oil and garlic to the wok. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.

⏱ 30 seconds
For this step
1 tbsp oil, 3 cloves minced garlic
5

If using eggs, push the garlic to one side of the wok. Crack the eggs into the empty space and scramble until just set, then mix with the garlic.

⏱ 1-2 minutes
For this step
2 eggs (optional)
6

Add the soaked noodles and sauce to the wok. Toss everything together over high heat until the noodles are coated and have absorbed most of the sauce.

⏱ 2-3 minutes
For this step
Soaked noodles, prepared sauce
7

Add the crispy tofu, bean sprouts, and spring onions. Toss for 1 minute until the bean sprouts are just wilted but still crunchy.

⏱ 1 minute
For this step
Cooked tofu, 150g bean sprouts, 3 spring onions
8

Serve immediately topped with crushed peanuts, fresh coriander, and lime wedges on the side. Squeeze lime over before eating.

For this step
1/4 cup peanuts, coriander, lime wedges