Thai is a quintessential Thai dish. It is the perfect comfort food, filled with tender noodles, sweet and salty sauce with just a little acidity. And it gets a little scrambled egg. Thai noodles also known as Pad Thai hits several food groups while also satisfying all of the requirements for a good pick-me-up meal. This recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make, so jump in!
Thai noodles are often prepared with shrimp or chicken, but this meatless version is made using tofu instead! A lot of people are nervous to start cooking with tofu, as it is a totally new ingredient to them, but actually tofu is pretty easy to cook. It is edible raw, so there is no danger in undercooking it, and it absorbs the flavor of whatever you sauce or season it with, so it is easy to make it delicious!
Why You'll Love This Tofu Pad Thai
- Dinner in 30 – This recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, and it is one of those dishes that gets faster and easier the more you make it. The ease of preparation combined with the lovable flavor will definitely have you adding this Pad Thai to your weekly rotation.
- Leftover Friendly – I think there is something so wonderful about leftover Pad Thai. You can eat it straight out of the refrigerator and it is just as good. It also handles freezing pretty well, so it is a good option to meal prep.
Ingredients For Pad Thai
- Tofu – Tofu is so versatile and healthy! If you have never used it in your cooking before, you need to know that there are different varieties of tofu. For this recipe, we want the extra firm variety.
- Olive Oil – You will just need a little olive oil to sauté your onion, garlic, and tofu.
- Onion – You need half of one small onion for this dish. You will get a nice oniony element from the chives, so you can choose a mild, sweeter onion for this step.
- Garlic – We want a strong garlic flavor in our Pad Thai sauce, so opt for 2 cloves of freshly minced garlic.
- Rice Noodles – Rice noodles have such a lovely texture. They are inexpensive, easy to prepare, and naturally gluten free. You should be able to find some labeled for Pad Thai, but if not, go for a thick, flat noodle.
- Fish Sauce – Fish sauce is another one of the strong flavor components in Pad Thai You will need both fish and oyster sauce!
- Tamarind Paste – Tamarind is a sour, sticky fruit, and using the paste adds that element to the sauce. If you don’t have any tamarind paste, you can substitute a little ketchup.
- Soy Sauce – You can use either light or dark soy sauce for this recipe.
- Coconut Sugar – Pad Thai needs something to sweeten it. You can use light brown sugar, or coconut sugar. I like coconut sugar for its vitamin, mineral and antioxidant contents.
- Lime Juice – You need 2 tablespoons of lime juice for your sauce. You may wish to squeeze your own lime juice and slice some additional lime wedges for garnish.
- Oyster Sauce – You will need both fish and oyster sauces to make up your Pad Thai sauce. You can find these in an international market, or in the international section at your grocery.
- Eggs – Pad Thai has fluffy scrambled egg mixed in. It is so delightful! 2 eggs will be enough for the whole pot of noodles.
- Bean Sprouts – Bean sprouts offer vitamin c, calcium, and folate. If the health benefits aren’t enough, the taste will be. They have a unique bite that is both crisp and delicate, and their flavor is light and absorbs the sauce around it.
- Chives – Chop up ¼ cup of chinese chives, garlic chives, or green onions to add the final layer of flavor to this dish!
- Peanuts – Pad Thai is traditionally topped with crushed peanuts. You can use any kind of peanuts you might have lying around. It doesn’t take much, so you can even use a little snack bag if you’ve got it. Plain peanuts are great, but I have also had fun with honey roasted peanuts, or spicy varieties.
- Optional Garnishes – You may wish to garnish with additional lime wedges or red pepper flakes.
How to Make It
- Press the tofu to remove excess water. A good method is to wrap the tofu in a kitchen towel and lay a skillet on top of the wrapped tofu, for about 10 minutes. Cube the tofu then set aside.
- In a large heat safe bowl, pour boiling hot water completely over the rice noodles and let them sit for 8-10 minutes. Do not exceed 10 minutes. When tender rinse with cold water, drain and set aside. In a small bowl whisk together the fish sauce, tamarind paste, dark soy sauce, coconut sugar, lime juice and oyster sauce. Set aside.
- In a large, raised edge side skillet, over medium high heat, sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes in the olive oil.
- Add the tofu cubes and continue to saute for 3-5 until the edges begin to brown.Push the contents of the pan to one half of the pan and pour the eggs into the empty half. Cook until done and stir everything together.
- Toss the noodles, bean sprouts and sauce into the pan and gently fold until all ingredients are sauced. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Remove lid and top with chives and peanuts. Garnish as desired and serve warm with extra bean sprouts and lime wedges.
Step by Step Instructions
First, press your tofu. If you aren’t familiar with pressing tofu, it is really easy! Just wrap your tofu in a tea towel and place it on top of a plate or flat surface. Place something slightly heavy on top, such as a skillet. Allow it to drain for about 10 minutes, then remove the skillet and towel. Alternatively, you can purchase a tofu press. Once your tofu has drained, cube it.
Set a pot or kettle of water to boil, and place your rice noodles in a large bowl that is capable of withstanding boiling water. Once the water is boiling, pour it over top of your rice noodles. The water should completely cover the noodles. You can use a fork to gently separate the noodles as you pour, if it makes it easier. Place a lid or plate over the bowl and leave it to sit for 8-10 minutes, or until the noodles are tender, taking care not to soak them for too long. Drain and rinse your noodles with cold water, then set aside.
Next, make your Pad Thai sauce! In a separate bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, tamarind paste, soy sauce, coconut sugar, lime juice, and oyster sauce.
Bring a large, raised edge skillet to medium-high heat. Add your olive oil, garlic, and onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add your tofu to the pan and sauté for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until edges begin to brown on both sides.
Now it is time to cook your eggs. Move the contents of the pan to one side, while you cook your eggs in the other side. Once your eggs are cooked, mix everything together.
Add your noodles, bean sprouts, and sauce mixture to the pan. Gently fold all until the sauce is evenly distributed. Reduce your pan to low heat, and cover with a lid. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Top your Pad Thai with the chives and crushed peanuts, as well as any desired garnishes. Serve warm!
Cook's Tips
- You can keep your leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals, or on the stovetop.
- This Pad Thai can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave, or in the oven at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temp of 165.
- For a fish-less version, try a vegetarian fish sauce, or make your own using mushroom powder!
FAQ:
Pad Thai is primarily comprised of fish sauce, oyster sauce, tamarind, and sugar.
When ordering Pad Thai at a restaurant, you will want to check that it can be prepared without fish sauce. If you are making it at home, you can order a “fish-less” sauce online, or prepare your own version using mushroom powder, if you cannot consume fish sauce.
This recipe is meat free! If you are ordering Pad Thai at a restaurant, it is best to check, as sometimes Pad Thai is served with chicken or shrimp.
You can get vegan fish sauce and vegan oyster sauce online and at specialty shops. Other things that can bring a similar flavor to your dish include more soy sauce, mushroom broth, crumbled seaweed, or even a combination of those things!
Looking for more Asian inspired dishes? Try these:
If you have tried this Tofu Pad Thai Noodles recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! For more inspiration follow us on Instagram or like us on Facebook to find more easy meals.
Thai Noodles Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 oz Extra Firm Tofu cubed
- 2 tbs Olive Oil
- ½ Small Onion small diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 8 oz Dried Pad Thai Rice Noodles
- 2 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 2 tbs Tamarind Paste or Ketchup
- 2 tbs Dark Soy Sauce or Light Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Coconut Sugar or Light brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Lime Juice
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 Eggs whisked together
- 1 cup Bean Sprouts
- ¼ cup Fresh Chives or Green Onions chopped
- ¼ cup Peanuts crushed
- Optional Garnish: peanuts chives, red chili flakes, lime wedges
Instructions
- Press the tofu to remove excess water. A good method is to wrap the tofu in a kitchen towel and lay a skillet on top of the wrapped tofu, for about 10 minutes. Cube the tofu then set aside.
- In a large heat safe bowl, pour boiling hot water completely over the rice noodles and let them sit for 8-10 minutes. Do not exceed 10 minutes. When tender rinse with cold water, drain and set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together the fish sauce, tamarind paste, dark soy sauce, coconut sugar, lime juice and oyster sauce. Set aside.
- In a large, raised edge side skillet, over medium high heat, sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes in the olive oil.
- Add the tofu cubes and continue to saute for 3-5 until the edges begin to brown.
- Push the contents of the pan to one half of the pan and pour the eggs into the empty half. Cook until done and stir everything together.
- Toss the noodles, bean sprouts and sauce into the pan and gently fold until all ingredients are sauced. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Remove lid and top with chives and peanuts. Garnish as desired and serve warm with extra bean sprouts and lime wedges.
Notes
Reheat by stovetop or microwave in 30 second intervals
May be frozen up to 3 months and reheated by microwave or oven at 350 F for 10-12 minutes or until internal temp reaches 165F
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