Vegetarian Pad Thai
with tofu / broccoli / bean sprouts / peanuts
Master the well-loved Thai take-out dish in your own kitchen with this classic recipe for Pad Thai! The combination of textures, flavors and colors make this a dish that's easy to love and worth a special trip to buy the star ingredient - tamarind concentrate.
Smarts: Pad Thai sometimes has a red-ish hue. In Thailand it comes from shrimp paste, but elsewhere, it's often a bit of ketchup added to the sauce. If you want that red color, add a tablespoon of ketchup (for 4 servings) to your sauce.
Smarts: Pad Thai sometimes has a red-ish hue. In Thailand it comes from shrimp paste, but elsewhere, it's often a bit of ketchup added to the sauce. If you want that red color, add a tablespoon of ketchup (for 4 servings) to your sauce.
Proteins
Cuisines
Ingredients
Tofu and Vegetable Pad Thai:
- Tofu, extra-firm - 16 oz , cubed (vacuum-packed preferable)
- Broccoli, florets - 4 oz , chopped
- Bell peppers, any color - 1 , sliced
- Peanuts, roasted and unsalted - 1/4 cup , chopped
- Cilantro - 4 Tbsp , leaves torn
- Limes - 1 , wedges
- Cornstarch - 1 Tbsp
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
- Rice noodles - 8 oz
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp
- Water - 2 Tbsp
- Tamarind sauce (ingredients listed separately) - ~1/2 cup
- Bean sprouts (opt) - 1 cup
- Red pepper flakes (opt) - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind Sauce:
- Tamarind concentrate - 2 to 8 Tbsp (find this at an international market or on Amazon)
- Stock, any type - 1/3 cup
- Soy sauce, low-sodium - 2 Tbsp
- Brown sugar - 2 1/2 Tbsp
- Cornstarch - 2 tsp
Prep
- Tofu - If tofu is packaged in water, press out liquid first. Then slice into 1" (2.5 cm) cubes. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
- Make tamarind sauce - Double if making Thursday's meal. Combine tamarind concentrate (start with the low end of the range), stock, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Place pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 minute until sugar and cornstarch dissolve. Taste sauce and adjust to your preference, adding more tamarind concentrate, more sugar, some salt or some red pepper flakes if you'd like (note: commercial tamarind concentrate can vary widely in flavor, so add as much as you would like up to the upper end of the range provided). Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes more. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Broccoli / Bell peppers / Nuts - Prep as directed. Combine vegetables in one container. Store nuts separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Cilantro / Lime wedges - Prep as directed. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
- Tofu - Combine cornstarch (the portion for the Pad Thai), salt and pepper. Add tofu and toss to coat.
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Make
- Soak noodles in warm tap water (it should feel quite warm but not hot) until tender and pliable but still have a bite, 8 to 10 minutes. (To test if they are ready, twist a single noodle around your finger. It should wrap easily but not break.)
- While noodles soak, heat a wok or saute pan with first part of cooking oil over medium-high heat.
- Add tofu and saute until tofu is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Set tofu aside and return pan to heat.
- Add second part of oil to heated pan and then add broccoli and bell peppers with some salt. Season with some salt and pepper and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour water over vegetables and reduce heat to medium. Cover with a lid or foil and steam vegetables until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
- When vegetables are cooked, add noodles and sauce (remember to save half if doubled for Thursday) to pan and saute until noodles are heated through and tender, 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Remove pan from heat and add bean sprouts and tofu to vegetables. Toss until ingredients are well combined.
- Divide noodles between serving bowls and top with peanuts, cilantro, lime wedges and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
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