If you want Pad Thai like a restaurant, look no further than this delicious Vegetable Pad Thai. The sauce is epic, and tastes just like takeaway.
Pad Thai is probably the first dish you tried in a Thai restaurant (well it was for me, anyway), and for that reason, it always carries a certain sense of nostalgia.
When a Thai restaurant opened up near my high school and it was a revelation - the food was so delicious, and it was so fresh and colourful and so tasty. Until then the only takeaway we’d eaten regularly was Chinese or Doner Kebabs (this was a different time, sushi hadn’t even become mainstream yet), and Thai food served steaming on massive plates was a taste sensation.
I remember that particular Thai Restaurant, Simple and Irresistible Thai (it’s still there), as the best Thai food I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve tried many times to recreate that taste at home. But for ages I just couldn’t get the sauce right. It would be too watery, or too sweet, or not sweet enough. I’m proud to say after much experimentation, this sauce hits and recaptures those memories of after school treat Thai time.
And if you're looking for some other takeaway at home options, you have to try our Crying Tiger Beef, or our Kung Pao Prawns, or Mongolian Lamb.
Jump to:
Vegetable Pad Thai Ingredients
- Brown sugar
- Fish sauce
- Vegetarian oyster sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Firm tofu
- Sesame oil
- White pepper (opt.)
- Rice stick noodles
- Red capsicum
- Yellow capsicum
- Shallot
- Broccoli
- Coriander
- Green onion
- Lime
- Roasted peanuts
- Peanut oil
- Eggs
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Vegetable Pad Thai
1. Place a saucepan of water on the stove to boil.
2. In a bowl combine brown sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar and soy sauce.
- 1.5 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
3. Cube tofu then drizzle over soy sauce, sesame oil and sprinkle white pepper (opt.). Set aside.
- 400g firm tofu
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon white pepper (opt.)
4. Once water is boiling, add rice noodles and give them a stir so they don’t stick. Take off the heat and sit for 4 minutes, then drain and add a few drops of sesame oil to keep them from sticking. Noodles should still be a little tender to bite, we’ll cook some more in the stir fry.
- 200g rice stick noodles
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
5. Time to prepare our veggies. Thinly slice capsicum. Peel and slice shallot into quarters lengthwise. Slice florets from broccoli, then chop the stem. Chop coriander leaves.
- 1 red capsicum
- 1 yellow capsicum
- 2 shallots
- 1 broccoli
- ½ bunch coriander
6. Trim and finely slice the green part of green onion on an angle. Cut lime into wedges. Roughly chop peanuts.
- ⅓ bunch green onions
- 2 limes
- 40g roasted peanuts
7. Place a wok or deep frying pan on high heat. Add oil. Stir fry shallots and capsicum for a minute, then add broccoli and cook for another minute.
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 2 shallots
- 1 red capsicum
- 1 yellow capsicum
- 1 broccoli
8. Make a well in your pan between your veggies and crack in egg. Use your spoon to gently mix the yolk and white, (trying to keep it in the centre of the pan), then once starting to firm up, mix through the veggies.
- 2 eggs
9. Add noodles, sauce and tofu and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
10. Serve heaped bowls of Pad Thai topped with peanuts, lime wedges, coriander and green onion. For little ones, skip the toppings, and chop noodles up if needed.
- 40g roasted peanuts
- 2 limes
- ½ bunch coriander
- ⅓ bunch green onions
Substitutions
- Alternative proteins - You could add sliced chicken or prawns to this meal, simply cook before you cook the veggies, and set aside until the end. You could also swap tofu for more egg.
- Vegetarian - This dinner is vegetarian.
- Gluten Free - Swap soy sauce for tamari.
- Dairy Free - This dinner is dairy free.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- Skip the white pepper on the tofu.
- Skip the lime, coriander, green onion and peanut toppings.
- Option to chop up noodles before serving.
Equipment
You will need a saucepan, a stovetop, a wok or a deep frying pan.
Top tip
A couple of tips to make your Pad Thai, Pad Tastic.
Noodles - you don’t want to overcook these in the boiling water, because we’re going to cook them AGAIN in the stir fry. So once your water is boiling, just pop them in, give them a stir (so they don’t stick), and take the saucepan off the heat. Set aside for 4 minutes only.
When you drain them, you will add just a few drops of sesame oil to them and make sure they’re all coated. This will stop the noodles sticking together as they dry.
Another tip is to not overcook your veggies. Just a minute or two more at each stage. They’ll cook faster than you know it and you don’t want soggy broccoli at the end (I have to admit, mine went slightly too far on the soggy side). The good news is you can cover any number of sins with some fresh coriander, green onion and peanuts.
Recipe
Vegetable Pad Thai
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Stovetop
- Wok or deep frying pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- Soy sauce 3 tbsp
- 400 g firm tofu
- Sesame oil 2 ¼ tsp
- ½ teaspoon white pepper opt.
- 200 g rice stick noodles
- 1 red capsicum
- 1 yellow capsicum
- 2 shallots
- 1 broccoli
- ½ bunch coriander
- ⅓ bunch green onion
- 2 lime
- 40 g roasted peanuts
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 2 egg
Instructions
- Place a saucepan of water on the stove to boil.
- In a bowl combine brown sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons soy sauce.1.5 tablespoon brown sugar, 3 tablespoon fish sauce, 3 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce, ¼ cup rice vinegar, Soy sauce
- Cube tofu then drizzle over 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil and sprinkle white pepper (opt.). Set aside.Soy sauce, 400 g firm tofu, Sesame oil
- Once water is boiling, add rice noodles and give them a stir so they don’t stick. Take off the heat and sit for 4 minutes, then drain and add about ¼ teaspoon sesame oil to keep them from sticking. Noodles should still be a little tender to bite, we’ll cook some more in the stir fry.200 g rice stick noodles, Sesame oil
- Time to prepare our veggies. Thinly slice capsicum. Peel and slice shallot into quarters lengthwise. Slice florets from broccoli, then chop the stem. Chop coriander leaves.1 red capsicum, 1 yellow capsicum, 2 shallots, 1 broccoli, ½ bunch coriander
- Trim and finely slice the green part of green onion on an angle. Cut lime into wedges. Roughly chop peanuts.⅓ bunch green onion, 2 lime, 40 g roasted peanuts
- Place a wok or deep frying pan on high heat. Add oil. Stir fry shallots and capsicum for a minute, then add broccoli and cook for another minute.1 red capsicum, 1 yellow capsicum, 2 shallots, 1 tablespoon peanut oil, 1 broccoli
- Make a well in your pan between your veggies and crack in egg. Use your spoon to gently mix the yolk and white, (trying to keep it in the centre of the pan), then once starting to firm up, mix through the veggies.2 egg
- Add noodles, sauce and tofu and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve heaped bowls of Pad Thai topped with peanuts, lime wedges, coriander and green onion. For little ones, skip the toppings, and chop noodles up if needed.½ bunch coriander, 2 lime, 40 g roasted peanuts, ⅓ bunch green onion
Leave a Reply