This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclaimer.
This Tofu Pad Thai uses a combination of carrot noodles and rice noodles as a base, is topped with crispy baked tofu, green onion and peanuts and is coated in honey and soy sauce that's sure to please the whole family!
Tofu pad Thai might just be the perfect dinner for Meatless Monday! I don't participate in "Meatless Monday" every week, but I try to incorporate 1-2 plant-based dinners into our weekly rotation. It's a fun way to add more veggies into a meal, and experiment with different forms of protein.
TOFU PAD THAI INGREDIENTS
Tofu: Tofu is the star of this recipe, mostly because it's a great way to add a plant-based protein into your weekly dinner menu.
Rice noodles: You can use either regular rice noodles, or brown rice noodles like I did. Whatever you have in your pantry is fine!
Veggies: This pad Thai is full of veggies like red pepper, green onion, bean sprouts, and carrots. In this recipe, I opted to spiralize the carrots to create carrot noodles, which mix perfectly with the rice noodles. If you don't own a spiralizer, you can simply slice the carrots and sauté them with the rest of the veggies.
Honey/Fish sauce: Both honey and fish sauce are key ingredients to the sauce used in this tofu pad Thai. However, if you want to keep this recipe 100% vegan, simply use maple syrup instead of honey, and completely omit the fish sauce. Yes, it will taste slightly different, but still very delicious.
HOW TO MAKE TOFU PAD THAI
Start by baking the tofu. While there are a few different methods for making crispy tofu, baking is probably my favorite because it uses very little oil and it isn't messy. I share my method for baking tofu in this post, so be sure to check it out and start with this step since it takes the longest.
Begin making the rest of the pad Thai once the tofu has about 15 minutes left on the timer. To make life easier, I recommend having the eggs already whisked and in a bowl, along with the sauce ingredients whisked and in a separate bowl. At this point, you should also run the carrot through your spiralizer so the carrot noodles are ready to go when you need them.
Start by adding the red pepper, green onion (white part only, but reserve the green part) and garlic to a wok or large skillet and sautéing for 3-5 minutes or until the pepper is soft. Then add the bean sprouts and cook for 1-2 minutes, then use your spoon or spatula to create a hole in the center of the mixture, then pour in the eggs and scramble them until they're well-done.
Now, add the carrot noodles and use kitchen tongs to add them to the mixture. NOTE: If the carrot noodles are super long, use kitchen shears to cut them so they're shorter/easier to eat.
Then, add the cooked rice noodles and stir to combine, then pour in the sauce and again use the tongs to combine everything together. Add in the baked tofu, and that's it! You can (and should!) top the entire thing with chopped cilantro, peanuts and the green part of the green onions.
MORE PLANT-BASED DINNER RECIPES
Tofu Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 1 block super firm tofu baked (see notes)
- 1 red pepper diced
- 5 green onions (white part) sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup bean sprouts
- 2 eggs
- 1 large carrot spiralized
- 8 oz. rice noodles (white or brown)
for the sauce:
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Cook the rice noodles over the stove according to the package instructions. Spiralize the carrot and set aside. Whisk 2 eggs together in a bowl and set aside, and in a separate bowl make the sauce and set it aside as well.
- Add red pepper, the white part of the green onion and the garlic to a wok or large skillet, then sauté with 1 teaspoon olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Then, add bean sprouts and cook for 1 more minute. Use a spatula to create a hole in the middle of the wok, then pour the eggs into the center and scramble them.
- Now, add the carrot noodles to the wok and use tongs to toss for 1-2 minutes or until the noodles are slightly soft, then add the cooked rice noodles and stir everything together.
- Pour sauce over the mixture and toss to combine, then add the baked tofu.
- Top the dish with cilantro, the green part of the green onions and peanuts and enjoy!
Cassie @ Almost Getting it Together says
I seriously cannot wait to make this!!!! That's all I have to say about it. Tofu is one of my favorite things!!
Vanessa says
Sorry to be that guy, but honey technically isn't vegan. It's not that big of a deal, as some vegans do eat honey, and it's certainly easy to sub your sweetener of choice, but fyi.
Jess @ In Pursuit of Simple says
I LOVE tofu but am so intimidated by making it at home. Maybe this will be the first thing I actually make!
Whitney Carney says
I love tofu. They key is to season it right and this looks so delicious! 🙂
GiselleR @ Diary of an ExSloth says
I actually really like tofu, but I try to stay away from soy for health reasons, so I don't eat it very often. Also, my dining hall experience was the worst. The only palatable things in there were the cookies. Needless to say, freshman 15 was way too real for me...
Catherine @ foodiecology says
I went to a small, private college, so I can relate. I didn't eat that healthy, and on the weekends after sleeping late after an "event" (code for being hungover), it was pretty much cereal or some mishmash of whatever looked good. During Lent on Fridays, it was fried catfish, all.the.time. Tofu, cooked well, would've been a nice change!
This looks soooo tasty! I need to cook tofu more often.
Dani @ DaniCaliforniaCooks says
Love the easy ingredient breakdown! And I actually really enjoy tofu in my pad thai.
Brie @ Lean, Clean, & Brie says
I loved the food at my college dining halls and I think it had to do with it being such a big school that they can accommodate different dietary restrictions and preferences. There was always something delicious to eat (which I miss now living in an apartment sometimes!), but the one thing they did not do well was tofu. They cooked everything else perfectly, but for some reason could not nail down tofu!
lindsay says
oh how i miss tofu! i can eat the sprouted sometimes, but have to limit it. Tempeh i can do though! i shall make this with that! yes!
Holly @ EatGreatBEGreat says
Mmm...this looks amazing! Need to try asap!
Monica says
I'm still dying to try tofu! My dining hall usually has it but I just cant bring myself to do it.. one of these days!