Vegan Pad Thai
Pad Thai is one of my favorite dishes when I go out to eat, but ordering it without fish sauce has led to a couple times when I was served noodles with no sauce at all. That’s when I set out to create a vegan Pad Thai recipe that was just as flavorful as the original.
Bite-Sized History
In the 1940s, Thailand faced a rice shortage due to flood-damaged rice paddies. To tackle the issue, the government promoted noodles as a substitute, leading to the creation of Pad Thai—a blend of Thai flavors and Chinese-style stir-frying that is now the national dish of Thailand.
Ingredients
Categorized for easy shopping list creation:
| PRODUCE | |
|---|---|
| Shiitake Mushrooms | 5 oz |
| Garlic | 4 cloves |
| Red Onion | 1/4 cup |
| Mung Bean Sprouts | 1 cup |
| Green Onion | 1/4 cup |
| Lime (preferably dark green but still soft) | 1 |
| DRY GOODS | |
|---|---|
| Pad Thai Rice Noodles | 8 oz |
| Peanuts | 1/4 cup |
| Tamarind Concentrate (see notes) | 1 tbsp |
| Coconut Aminos | 6 tbsp |
| Grapeseed Oil (or any neutral high-heat oil) | 1 tbsp |
| Olive Oil |
| SPICES | |
|---|---|
| Sea Salt | 1 tsp |
| Cayenne Powder or Dried Thai Red Chili Peppers | 1/2 tbsp cayenne powder or 4 dried chilis |
| Sweet Paprika | 1/2 tsp |
Step by Step Instructions
Soak the Noodles
Soak the rice noodles in warm tap water for about one hour. They should be soft but still have a bit of bite. Drain and set aside.
Cook the Mushrooms
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the mushrooms on a large baking sheet sprayed with olive oil, making sure they don’t overlap. Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and bake for another 5 to 15 minutes, until they’re browned and crispy.
Prep Ingredients
This step is critical! Prep and measure all ingredients so they are ready to be quickly added to the wok. Mix the sauce ingredients together and give it a taste—adjust for a good balance of salty, sour, and sweet.
Cook in Wok
Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add a bit of grapeseed oil (or any high-heat oil you prefer). Add the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes.
Pour in the sauce and taste again—this is how your noodles will taste so make sure you like the flavor.
Add the crispy mushrooms and bring the sauce to a boil.
Next, add the drained noodles and stir-fry until the sauce is mostly absorbed. The noodles should be slightly saucy, not dry. If needed, add water a tablespoon at a time until the texture is just right.
Taste a noodle to ensure it’s fully cooked. Once done, turn off the heat and gently fold in the bean sprouts and green onions. Folding them in at the end lets them soften slightly while staying fresh and crisp. Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes before serving.
Serve
Plate the noodles and top with crushed peanuts, lime wedges, and extra chili flakes if desired.
Cooking Tips
Be careful not to overcook the noodles. I recommend soaking them in warm tap water for about an hour. Test their texture between your fingers—they should feel al dente before being added to the wok.
For the best flavor, make your tamarind concentrate fresh using a tamarind block and water. See the recipe notes for detailed instructions.
When tasting and adjusting the sauce, aim for a balanced blend of the four key flavors:
- Sweet – coconut aminos, sugar
- Salty – sea salt, coconut aminos
- Spicy – cayenne pepper, crushed dried Thai chilis
- Sour – tamarind, juice from a dark green lime
Serve your Pad Thai with dark green, soft limes for a tangier finish—these are typically more sour than sweet.
Final Thoughts
You’re unlikely to find a block of tamarind at a standard grocery store, so you’ll need to visit an Asian market or order it online. If you have the option, look for tamarind labeled “sour” and made in Thailand.
It should look something like this:
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Vegan Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 8 ounce pad thai rice noodles
- 5 ounce shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts rinsed well
- 1/4 cup green onion green tops only, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup peanuts crushed or chopped
- 1 lime cut into wedges (for serving)
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or any high-heat oil)
- Olive oil for mushrooms
- Sea salt for mushrooms
Spicy Pad Thai Sauce
- 1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate (see notes on how to make tamarind concentrate)
- 6 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1/2 tablespoon cayenne powder (spicy! adjust to taste; optionally substitute with 4 finely chopped dried Thai red chili peppers)
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 cup water (plus more if noodles look dry)
Instructions
Soak Noodles
- Soak the rice noodles in warm tap water for 1 hour, then drain. This method takes longer, but it produces more consistent, al dente noodles. If you're short on time, you can boil the noodles according to package instructions—just be careful not to overcook them. Prep the remaining ingredients before cooking the noodles so the noodles don’t sit out too long.8 ounce pad thai rice noodles
Cook Mushrooms
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Spray a large baking sheet (no parchment paper) with olive oil.
- Spread the sliced mushrooms in a single layer without overlapping. Spray lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.5 ounce shiitake mushrooms, Olive oil, Sea salt
- Bake for 15 minutes, flip, then bake for another 5–15 minutes until the mushrooms are browned and crispy. The time will depend on how thinly the mushrooms are sliced. We want the moisture to evaporate to get a crispy mushroom. Set aside until ready to add to the wok.
Prep Ingredients
- In a small bowl, mix together the tamarind concentrate, coconut aminos, cayenne powder (or dried chilies), paprika, and ½ cup water. Taste and adjust if needed.1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate, 6 tablespoon coconut aminos, 1/2 tablespoon cayenne powder, 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1/2 cup water
- Chop the red onion and garlic and place them together in a bowl or on a plate.1/4 cup red onion, 4 cloves garlic
- Wash and drain the mung bean sprouts. Chop the green onions and place them together in a bowl or on a plate.1 cup mung bean sprouts, 1/4 cup green onion
- Crush or chop the peanuts and cut the lime into wedges—set each aside in separate small bowls or plates.1/4 cup peanuts, 1 lime
Cook in the Wok
- Once the noodles are soaked and drained, heat your wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil.1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- Add the red onion and garlic, sautéing for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned.
- Pour the sauce into the wok and taste again—this is the final chance to adjust the balance of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy. See notes on how to get these flavors.
- Add the crispy mushrooms and bring the sauce to a boil.
- Add the noodles to the wok and stir-fry for 2–5 minutes, until the sauce is mostly absorbed. Taste a noodle to check for doneness. If the noodles seem dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Once fully cooked, turn off the heat and fold in the mung bean sprouts and green onions. Let the noodles sit for a couple of minutes to allow the veggies to soften slightly from the residual heat.
- Give everything one last stir to combine. Serve hot, garnished with crushed peanuts and lime wedges.
Notes
Tamarind Paste from Pulp – Hot Thai Kitchen (hot-thai-kitchen.com)
I recommend you follow her canning instructions to save you time in the future. You’ve already bought a block of tamarind, so you might as well prep it now! *Choose between cayenne pepper powder OR dried Thai chilis. On a scale of mild-medium-hot-Thai hot, I would label this amount of spice as “hot”. *When tasting the sauce, use these ingredients to find a nice balance of flavors: Sweet-coconut aminos, sugar optional Salty-sea salt, coconut aminos Spicy-cayenne pepper powder, crushed dried Thai chilis Sour-tamarind, juice from a dark green lime
