3tbspvegan 'fish' saucestorebought or homemade - see recipe
3tbspbrown sugaror sub another sweetener
3tbspvegetable brothsub water if you don't have broth on hand
2tbspwhite vinegar or rice vinegar
2tbspsoy sauce
1+tspchili pastemild, such as sambal oelek
1tbsptomato paste or tamarind pasteoptional
Pad Thai
200gthick rice 'stick' noodles
1bell pepperany colour
1/2onionmedium
1large carrotor use 2 medium
2cupsgreen vegetableschoose broccoli florets, bok choy, chopped zucchini, snap peas, etc.
1/2cuploosely packed herbsThai basil (sub for regular basic, green onion and/or cilantro
1/2cupchopped toasted nutspeanuts or cashews are my favourite
2+tbspoil
Instructions
Soak dry rice noodles in plenty of water for about 30 minutes to soften - until they are limp but still firm to the touch. (You can skip this step if using fresh noodles)
While the noodles are soaking, prepare veggies by chopping fine - into stir-fry cuts.
Shake up sauce ingredients in a jar.
Add oil to heating pan and stir-fry veggies for about 3-5 minutes (depending on veggie types), until softening a bit.
Drain noodles and add them to the veggies, along with the sauce.
Cook until noodles soften but are not over-cooked. The noodles will have a darker appearance from soaking up the sauce and will break when pressed between two fingers.
Garnish with herbs and crushed nuts. Serve with stir-fried veggies and optional baked tofu.
Notes
This recipe works best when cooked in a wok. If you don’t have one, use the widest sauté or frying pan that you have.This recipe does not easily double. If making more than 1X recipe, cook in batches for best result.Use leftover ‘fish’ sauce in any recipe that calls for fish sauce. Makes a great savoury marinade for tofu for this or many other recipes. You can also freeze it in ice cube trays and pop 2 ‘fish’ sauce ice cubes into your next Vegan Pad Thai or other stir-fry.
Serving Information
Dish out the hot noodles and garnish with crushed nuts, herbs and a wedge of lime. Serve fresh.