Last Updated on July 11, 2022 by Share My Kitchen
I have found the recipe for Vegetarian Pad Thai that you’ve been searching for! You can use this simple method to create a turmeric noodle variation.
Pad Thai is a crowd-pleaser almost every time. It’s the kind of food that is good even when it’s not. Honestly, everyone loves stir-fry made with noodles. Moreover, rice noodles are used, so gluten-free people can enjoy this recipe as well. This recipe combines a Thai heart with a California spirit. Traditionally, hot water is used to soften rice noodles. Then, you can enhance the water with plenty of turmerics, and the noodles drink it up until it turns a hot yellow color. This is also usually a one-dish dinner, so it must have a substantial green component: broccolini.
Vegetarian Pad Thai: The Set-Up
Just like any other stir fry, you should prepare all the ingredients, and let your noodles soak before you start cooking. Things will go quickly once you get started cooking. This recipe requires that you first cook the broccolini, then remove it from the pan, and continue with the recipe. Keep in mind that this is a one-pan meal.
Bean sprouts are the other wildcard. Sometimes, however, they are not available in the shops within walking distance. So, you may use dice celery instead, which is perfect! It has lots of crunch and flavor. Hope you enjoy it!
Vegetarian Pad Thai Variations
- You may use regular broccoli, and add in peppers and carrots that you have lying around to give it some crunch.
- Add some celery and sprouts along with the regular broccoli to increase the vegetable content.
- Another option is to use broccoli, cashews for peanuts, and brown rice noodles.
You must also know that there are many thicknesses of rice noodles. For this vegetarian pad Thai recipe, it calls for the 1/4 inch ones. Then, for sugar, you can use coconut, brown, or palm. Or, you can opt for granulated sugar. There is also an option to omit the egg to make it vegan. It’s still delicious! Do you want to keep things gluten-free? Use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.
Vegetarian Pad Thai Recipe
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time | Servings |
| 15 mins | 10 mins | 25 mins | 4 |
Ingredients
- 6 ounces dried rice noodles
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetarian “fish” sauce or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 bunch of broccolini, trimmed
- 6 ounces extra-firm tofu, crumbled
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup bean sprouts or diced celery
- 1/3 cup roasted peanuts
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
Instructions
- First, fill a large bowl with boiling water, then stir in the turmeric and the noodles. Swish the noodles around with a fork until they are soft and flexible. This will take about 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and place them aside.
- Whisk together the sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a different small bowl.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat just before you are ready to eat. Add the broccoli, cover, and let it cook for a couple of minutes, or until the broccoli is bright green, but not al dente. Take it out of the pan, and set it aside. Then, stir in the tofu, and cook for a few minutes or until it starts to brown. Add in the noodles and sauce, then constantly stir until noodles absorb the sauce. This takes about a minute or so.
- Lastly, push the noodles on the side of the pan or wok, add the egg, whisk and break it up using a spatula. Then, let it sit for 10 to 20 seconds. Break it all up, and toss the egg with your rice noodles. Add the bean sprouts, peanuts, and scallions. Transfer the stir-fry to a large platter, and serve your vegetarian pad Thai with the lime wedges and broccolini on top.
Notes
The inspiration for this pad Thai recipe can be found in Kris Yenbamroong’s Night + Market Cookbook. This book is great as it also does not leave home cooks behind. For instance, the book affirms that it is okay to use white vinegar and sugar in place of palm sugar, which is more difficult to find, and white vinegar.
