I love putting a fresh twist on takeout classics, and this vegetarian Pad Thai is bright, satisfying, and fully plant-based (skip the egg and it’s vegan!). Think tangy, sweet, savory noodles without the fish sauce or dried shrimp.
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"One of the best recipes for Pad Thai we've ever had. Your link for ways to prepare tofu took the fear out of air frying tofu for me. Everything was excellent!"
- Francesca N.
This recipe is quick, flavorful, and easy to make at home. The homemade sauce strikes the perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and savory, without using fish sauce or shrimp. You can keep it fully vegan by skipping the egg, or add it in for extra richness.
It’s made with simple pantry ingredients, comes together in about 30 minutes, and is completely customizable with your favorite veggies or protein. Whether you use store-bought sauce for convenience or make your own, this dish is guaranteed to satisfy your Thai food cravings.
If you enjoy plant-based Thai dishes, don’t miss my Thai basil fried rice and Thai Panang Curry recipes, too!
Top 3 Tips For Best Pad Thai
- Use authentic rice noodles made with just rice, water, and tapioca starch—no extra fillers or additives.
- I love making my own vegan Pad Thai sauce at home with simple pantry ingredients like soy sauce, tamarind paste, brown sugar, water, and chili garlic sauce. I have included the exact measurements in the recipe card notes. When I’m short on time, the store-bought Maesri Pad Thai Sauce is my go-to.
- Don’t skip the toppings! Peanuts, lime, scallions, and cilantro add texture and brightness to every bite.
How to Make Vegetarian Pad Thai
- Prep all the ingredients - Start with soaking the rice noodles. I like to soak them in hot water for 10 minutes, but you can also follow the package instructions. Bake the tofu and reserve it. Cut the vegetables.
- Sauté the Veggies – Start by cooking the minced garlic in a bit of oil until fragrant. Then add the vegetables and sauté for a couple of minutes; just enough to keep them crisp and vibrant.
- Add the Egg (Optional) – Once the veggies are slightly tender, push them to one side of the pan. Crack the eggs on the empty side and scramble them until just cooked. Then mix it in with the vegetables before moving on to the next step.
- Add noodles, sauce, and tofu – Add the soaked and drained rice noodles to the pan, followed by the prepared Pad Thai sauce and tofu. Toss everything together using tongs or a spatula, making sure the noodles are evenly coated and the tofu is well mixed in.
- Garnish - Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until everything is heated through and the flavors come together. Turn off the heat and stir in fresh bean sprouts for crunch. Garnish generously with chopped scallions, crushed peanuts, and fresh cilantro just before serving.
Serving
Serve Pad Thai hot, straight from the pan, for the best texture and flavor. Plate it in shallow bowls, then top generously with chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro, and scallions. Add a handful of bean sprouts for crunch and a wedge or two of lime on the side—squeezing fresh lime juice right before eating really brightens up the dish.
How to Store Pad Thai
Let the Pad Thai cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When reheating, warm it in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water to loosen the noodles and bring back their soft, slightly chewy texture.
Microwaving works too. Just cover and heat in short bursts, stirring in between, and add a little water if needed.
Note: If you've garnished with fresh herbs, peanuts, or bean sprouts, it's best to store those separately and add them just before serving for the best texture and flavor.
★ Tried this recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and let me know, or snap a quick pic and upload it—I love seeing your creations. If you’re on Instagram, tag @ministry_of_curry so I can check it out. Your feedback means so much to me and makes all the time I spend perfecting each recipe totally worth it. Thank you!
Recipe
Vegetarian Pad Thai
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 14 oz Extra Firm Tofu baked
- 8 oz rice noodles A Taste of Thai linguini rice noodles
- 5 cups water
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 bunch scallions
- 1 small red pepper
- 1 small yellow pepper
- 2 eggs whisked
- 6 oz Pad Thai Sauce **
- 3 cups bean sprouts
- ½ cup peanuts roasted and coarsely chopped
- ½ cup cilantro finely chopped
- ½ lime cut into 4 wedges
Instructions
- Bring 5 cups of water to a full boil. Place the rice noodles in a bowl and pour hot water over them. Mix with a fork so the noodles separate and not stick to each other. Soak for 10 minutes. Drain the noodles and reserve. Note: Follow instructions on the package if you are using a different variety of rice noodles.
- While the noodles are soaking, prep the vegetables. Cut the white portion of the scallions and chop into thin strips. Dice the green part of the scallions and reserve. Thinly slice the peppers, ½ cup each of red and yellow.
- Heat half of the oil in a large wok over high heat. Add garlic, white scallions, and peppers. Cook for 2 minutes as the garlic gets aromatic. Move the veggies to one side of the wok and add the remaining oil in the middle of the wok. Add eggs and scramble them as they start to cook.
- Next add the cooked noodles, baked tofu, and the Pad Thai Sauce. Mix well with a pair of tongs, tossing the noodles well in the sauce and all the other ingredients. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the noodles are heated through.
- Add bean sprouts. Add half of the chopped green scallions, half of the peanuts, and half of the cilantro. Mix everything together. Serve hot topped with the remaining scallions, peanuts, cilantro, and with lime wedges.
Notes
- Our favorite Pad Thai sauce is from the Maesri brand. It's available in Asian grocery stores and on Amazon. It comes in a 9 oz jar and you can add more to taste.
- The second choice for store-bought sauce would be Thai Kitchen Pad Thai Sauce. It's a bit on the sweeter side but you can add 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste to balance the sweetness.
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
Holly says
Thank you!!! I don’t know how many “vegetarian” recipes I combed through that included fish and shrimp My daughter will be thrilled.
Krishna says
Thanks Archana! The Thai Kitchen Pad Thai Sauce (your #2 recommended sauce) has Fish sauce in it.
Archana says
That is correct, Maesri sauce would be a good option if you do not like fish sauce.
Lynn Keller says
Recipe was great. I used the Maesri brand of the Pad Thai Sauce and found it a bit hot to the taste, so I added some maple syrup and some soy sauce to make it less hot. BE CAREFUL: the Thai Kitchen Pad Thai Sauce suggested in the recipe is NOT vegetarian. It contains fish. Because I do not eat eggs, I omitted them. And to add more crunch to the Pad Thai, I added cauliflower and carrots to the wok. The result was yummy. Squeezing the Tofu is always a challenge for me. But it baked well. I had a vegan Japanese stir-fry sauce in my fridge that I coated the Tofu with prior to baking. Thanks for this recipe!
Archana says
I agree Maesri Pad Thai Sauce is my most recommended vegan sauce for this recipe.
Prasanna Raja says
Thank you Archana for this delicious vegetarian Pad Thai. We love Thai cuisine took me so long to try this restaurant favourite! As always your recipes are so easy to follow yet bursting with flavours.
I made with linguini which turned out great, omitted the eggs, will try with bean sprouts next time. Air fried tofu gave all the crispiness and enjoyed every bite. Used Maesri Pad Thai sauce. The outcome was much better than restaurant and quicker than a take out. Leftovers tasted even better the next day !
This will certainly be one of our favourites from your blog.
Archana says
Thank you!
Sywyrd says
This recipe was on point.
I used fresh noodles from the refrigerator section. Only has dark brown sugar for the sauce so used what I had.
Keep in mind tho when you're shopping that some tamarind paste has seeds. I bought mine in a brick at the Asian market and don't know what I was getting into. I fished out the larger chunks of fruit and seeds from the sauce, which was absolutely delicious. I only used 1tbsp of chili garlic because my kid doesn't have a tolerance for heat. It was perceptible, but not "hot". Added a bit of bok choy to amp up the veggies and followed the rest of the recipe to a T. Fantastic, will make again.
Archana Mundhe says
Thank you for the detailed review. Def a dish to add to rotation.
Francesca N. says
One of the best recipes for Pad Thai we've ever had. Your link for ways to prepare tofu took the fear out of air frying tofu for me. Everything was excellent!
Archana Mundhe says
Thank you for your feedback!
Kim says
Can I use bean sprouts in a can? Unfortunately not many stores in my area carry fresh bean sprouts.
Archana Mundhe says
Yes, you can use canned bean sprouts if fresh ones aren’t available. Just make sure to drain and rinse them well