Vegetarian Pad Thai

Name: Vegetarian Pad Thai
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: thai
Ingredients: 12 ounces flat dried rice noodles (preferably pad Thai noodles); Boiled water; 3 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes); 3 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar; 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari; 1 tablespoon tamarind paste or concentrate; 2 teaspoons white (shiro) miso paste; Vegetable oil or other neutral oil; 1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced; 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets; 7 to 8 ounces store-bought baked or extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch strips or triangles; 1 cup snow peas, sugar snap peas or green beans, trimmed; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; Salt and pepper; 4 eggs, well beaten; 1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper; 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts; 2 scallions, thinly sliced; Roasted peanuts, for serving; 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges, for serving

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published April 24, 2025

Total Time: 40 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Rating: 4(293)
Comments: Read comments

When dining out or ordering in, a vegetarian pad Thai can be hard to come by, as fish sauce is often used to attain the signature salty, savory flavors of this popular dish. While the complex umami of fish sauce can be difficult to replicate, this combination of lime juice, soy sauce, maple syrup, miso and tamarind creates a comparable sauce that effectively delivers pad Thai’s balance of sour, sweet and salty notes. The seasoning sauce keeps well, too, so it can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Soaking the noodles in boiling water softens them quickly, just enough to make them pliable enough to stir-fry without overcooking and breaking apart. The broccoli and snow peas, sugar snap peas or green beans can easily be replaced with whatever vegetables you have on hand. To make this dish vegan, simply omit the eggs.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

12ounces flat dried rice noodles (preferably pad Thai noodles)
Boiled water
3tablespoons lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)
3tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar
2tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1tablespoon tamarind paste or concentrate
2teaspoons white (shiro) miso paste
Vegetable oil or other neutral oil
1medium yellow onion, halved and sliced
1small head broccoli, cut into small florets
7 to 8ounces store-bought baked or extra-firm tofu, cut into ½-inch strips or triangles
1cup snow peas, sugar snap peas or green beans, trimmed
4garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
4eggs, well beaten
1 to 2teaspoons crushed red pepper
1½cups bean sprouts
2scallions, thinly sliced
Roasted peanuts, for serving
1lime, cut into 4 wedges, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Place the noodles in a large bowl, cover with just-boiled water and soak for 10 minutes. Using tongs, give the noodles a stir to separate the strands. They will soften, turn white and become pliable. Drain.
Step 2
While the noodles soak, make the seasoning sauce: Add the lime juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, tamarind and miso to a bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 3
Heat a wok or large 12-inch skillet on medium-high for 2 minutes. When hot, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, add the onion and toss until slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and toss until slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tofu, snow peas and garlic; season with salt, then gently toss for 1 minute.
Step 4
Add the drained noodles, the sauce and 2 tablespoons of water; toss well until the noodles are well coated and have softened and absorbed the sauce, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste the noodles for doneness: If needed, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and keep tossing until the noodles are soft enough to eat.
Step 5
Push the noodles to one side, drizzle a little oil onto the surface of the pan, and pour in the beaten eggs. Scramble the eggs, stirring and scraping until cooked through and just set, 1 to 2 minutes, then stir them into the noodles.
Step 6
Add the crushed red pepper, bean sprouts and scallions and toss until the scallions are just wilted, about 1 minute. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Step 7
To serve, top with peanuts and serve with lime wedges.

Ratings

4 out of 5

293 user ratings

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Comments

Sandy1 month ago

I followed the recipe precisely except: 1) let the noodles sit in the boiling water closer to 15 minutes to soften--they were perfect--and 2) the noodles I bought were pad thai rice noodles in an 8 ounce package, so 2/3 of the recommended amount, and it was just right. I wonder if there would have been enough sauce to stretch further. There were two of us eating and there are plenty of left overs. It was delicious!

Chuck1 month ago

If you don’t have any miso don’t worry about it, there are plenty of other exciting flavors to keep this from being bland. Capers would be completely out of place.

jmk1 month ago

Yes it is. It is the "Unami" ingredient substituting for fish sauce. You would need to substitute some other fermented product, like capers, fermented tofu, veggie worchestire etc.

Mary1 hour ago

Similar to other comments I found this surprisingly bland in taste. Also too much noodle and not e ought room in the pan to properly cook the eggs. I will look for a better Thai sauce.

Kim1 week ago

Not enough sauce and bland flavor. Wonder if it would have been better with less noodles. As is, would not make this again.

SBD1 week ago

I would recommend doubling the sauce! I added more veggies and noodles than suggested and it was definitely not enough sauce to coat everything. But overall delicious flavors!

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