This easy vegan pad thai recipe is one of my favorite recipes of all time. I make it almost every week (sometimes two or three times) because it’s that good. It checks all the boxes: it’s budget-friendly, it’s far healthier than the pad thai you find in restaurants, and most importantly, it’s super delicious.
Better yet, you can easily modify this pad thai recipe depending on what veggies and other fun ingredients you have on hand (like tofu or vegan meat). I’ve made this with carrots, broccoli, kale, frozen peas, frozen spinach, tofu, and beyond. Any vegetables in my kitchen that need to be used up get tossed in! These are the pad thai noodles I use—but any will do.
I love a meal that’s easy to throw together but feels like a treat, and this one checks all the boxes. It’s:
Seriously, once you’ve got the base recipe down, you’ll be whipping this up on autopilot.
Let’s talk about what goes into this cozy bowl of deliciousness:
You can also swap in other proteins like air fryer tempeh, vegan chicken, soy curls, or edamame. Whatever your heart desires!
This comes together in under 30 minutes and it’s mostly just soaking noodles and stirring sauce. Here’s the rundown:
Step 1: Soak the noodles. Throw your brown rice pad thai noodles in a big bowl of hot water and let them hang out for about 15 minutes (or follow the package directions).
Step 2: Sauté the veggies. Heat up the olive oil in a big pan and cook the broccoli, carrots, garlic, and any other veggies you’re using until tender but still bright.
Step 3: Mix the sauce. In a bowl, whisk together the water, soy sauce, peanut butter, lemon or lime juice, sugar, and Sriracha. Taste and adjust—make it yours!
Step 4: Combine it all. Drain the noodles and add them to the pan with the veggies. Pour the sauce over and stir everything together. Let it cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce is absorbed and the noodles are soft.
Step 5: Garnish and serve. Load it up with your favorite toppings and dig in!
Since pad thai is a very filling dish, you may find yourself with leftovers! Pad thai will keep for up to three days in the fridge but may become soggy due to the noodles absorbing the sauce.
Freezing is especially not recommended for this dish as the texture will be greatly affected, so try to make only what you plan to eat!
Yep! Swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter and skip the chopped peanut topping.
It can be! Just use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and make sure your noodles are gluten-free.
Totally. Tofu is my go-to—either pan-fried, air-fried, or baked. Edamame would also be great tossed in at the end.
That’s up to you! I like a solid tablespoon of Sriracha in the sauce and a little extra on top, but you can scale it back if you’re spice-sensitive.
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Yummy looks too good!
Looks so simple and yummy!
This is one of my favorite quick and easy meals! Kids love it!
This vegan pad Thai is one of our most made vegan dinners! My hubby makes the sauce and I made the rest. Teamwork! We mix it up with whatever veggies we have on hand.
Best vegan pad thai recipe I’ve tried! Love the combination of flavors. I loved adding snow peas to mine!
SO tasty!
I love a good pad thai recipe! So easy and delicious 🙂