Real Vegetarian Pad Thai (Popular Thai Noodle Recipes)

An authentic Pad Thai recipe for real vegetarian Thai food lovers, or those who want a lighter noodle dish without the meat. This Pad Thai recipe offers lots of protein in the form of eggs (or soft tofu for vegans), and ground nuts. And because it's made with rice noodles, Pad Thai can also be made gluten-free. Although vegetables are not strictly part of traditional Pad Thai, I've added some bok choy which tastes yummy with the noodles and makes this dish even more nutritious. Try it - you'll love it!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. dried Pad Thai rice noodles, OR enough for 2 people (linguini-width)
• 2 eggs (vegans can substitute 1/2 cup soft tofu - see instructions below*)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot (OR 1/4 cup purple onion), finely chopped
• 3-4 "heads" of baby bok choy, or other Chinese cabbage, roughly chopped
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/3 cup fresh coriander/cilantro
• 1/4 cup ground (or well-chopped) peanuts (OR substitute cashews or slivered almonds)
• PAD THAI SAUCE:
• 3/4 Tbsp. tamarind paste (available at Asian/East Indian food stores)
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 3+1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce (or gluten-free soy sauce)
• 1/2 to 2 tsp. chili sauce (to taste), OR 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced
• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
• OTHER:
• 3-4 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying
• 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable or faux chicken stock
• lime wedges for serving

Preparation:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and remove from heat. Soak noodles in the hot water for 6-10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Tip: Noodles are ready to drain when they are soft enough to eat, but still firm and a little bit "crunchy". The noodles will finish cooking when they are fried.
2. Dissolve tamarind paste in the hot water. Add the other pad thai sauce ingredients and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add as much or as little chili sauce as you prefer, but don't skimp on the sugar (you need it to balance the sourness of the tarmaind). Set aside.
3. Place your wok (or large frying pan) over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil plus the garlic and shallot. Stir-fry 1 minute to release the fragrance.
4. Add the bok choy plus the stock. Stir-fry 2 minutes, or until bok choy is bright green and slightly softened.
5. Push ingredients aside and add 1/2 Tbsp. more oil to the center of the wok/pan. Add the eggs (if using) and stir-fry briefly to scramble them.
6. Push eggs aside and add a little more oil to the middle of the wok/pan. Now add the drained noodles and 1/3 of the sauce. Stir-fry everything together for 1 minute using 2 utensils and a tossing motion (like tossing a salad).
7. Add a little more sauce and continue stir-frying in the same way for 1-2 more minutes, or until the noodles begin to soften and become sticky. Reduce heat to medium if they begin to stick and burn.
8. Add the bean sprouts plus the remaining sauce. Stir-fry to incorporate everything together for 1-3 more minutes, or until noodles are done. Noodles are cooked to perfection when they are soft but still deliciously chewy and a little bit sticky.
9. Remove from heat and taste-test, adding more vegetarian fish sauce or soy sauce if desired for more salt/flavor.
10. To serve, scoop noodles onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with the green onion, coriander/cilantro, and ground nuts. Add wedges of fresh-cut lime on the side. Serve immediately and ENJOY!. (Thai chili sauce can also be served on the side for those who likes their noodles extra spicy).

Pad Thai Tip: When I make this recipe, I like to double the sauce. Then I keep adding more as I fry the noodles until I'm happy with the taste (I like the flavor strong).
*If using soft tofu instead of egg: Add it when you add the noodles. It will break up into small bits and be distributed throughout the dish, just as egg would.