Vegan Pad See Eew with Tofu Recipe (also Gluten-Free)

In late 2016, Sarah Jansala and her mom, Renoo, opened the first vegetarian Thai restaurant in Portland to great success. Now they’re sharing many of their popular vegan and gluten-free recipes in Vegan Thai Kitchen: 75 Easy and Delicious Plant-Based Recipes with Bold Flavors. This Vegan Pad See Eew recipe is a delicious sample from their collection, and a perfect way to kick start your plant-based menu this week!

Vegan Pad See Eew makes Thai Cuisine Quick, Easy & Delicious

Renoo Jansala ran a restaurant in Thailand before immigrating to the United States many years ago, and she has passed her love of food onto her daughter. Sarah is the owner and chef of The Pear Juice Bar and Cafe, and works alongside her mom in the kitchen at Kati Portland, their Thai restaurant.

As chefs, the Jansalas know how to cook flavorful food fast, and it shows in Vegan Thai Kitchen. Their culturally-inspired recipes boast speedy preparation, relatively short ingredient lists, and vibrant results. Did I mention that this is a gorgeous full-color cookbook? The recipes are beautifully showcased, and the book includes history and insights into each of the dishes. You can read the introduction and try the vegan pad see eew recipe below to get a feel for their style.

I chose this particular vegan pad see eew recipe to feature from this cookbook because it naturally contains a combination of vitamins and minerals that support bone health, like calcium, vitamin K, and magnesium.

Special Diet Notes: Vegan Pad See Eew

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, vegan, and vegetarian.

Vegan Pad See Eew With Tofu

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

11 mins

Total time

21 mins

Pad see eew is a Chinese-influenced stir-fried noodle that is commonly served in Thai restaurants. This dish is basically pan-fried rice noodles with your choice of protein and vegetables, usually Chinese broccoli. It is tossed in a nice and dark sweet and sour sauce. You can always add chile pepper powder to bring up the spiciness of this dish. Many Thai people enjoy eating it with peppers pickled in a vinegar sauce. If you can’t find fresh or frozen noodles that are ready to cook, buy dried noodles and soak them in room temperature water covered for 1 hour, then drain.

Author: Sarah Jansala and Renoo Jansala

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: Thai

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

6 tablespoons (90 ml) gluten-free tamari
6 tablespoons (83 g) brown sugar
1 1⁄2 tablespoons (23 ml) apple cider vinegar
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons (90 ml) + 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, divided
8 ounces (228 g) firm tofu, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) squares
2 teaspoons (6 g) minced garlic
12 shiitake mushrooms, halved
1 cup (128 g) sliced carrot
20 oz (560 g) flat rice noodles, fresh or frozen
10 stalks Chinese broccoli, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) lengths

Instructions

To make the sauce, combine the tamari, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt and black pepper in a small bowl and stir until well combined and the sugar has dissolved.
Heat 6 tablespoons (90 ml) of the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the tofu and fry on each side for 3 minutes, until all the sides are lightly browned, then remove from the pan and drain well.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of oil to the pan and place over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry until golden brown, 10 seconds, then add the mushrooms, carrot and rice noodles and stir for 2 minutes to make sure the noodles are not lumping together. Add the sauce, toss well and let it simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the noodles caramelize a little. Add the Chinese broccoli and cook for 30 seconds (if using regular broccoli, cook for 1 minute).

Notes

This recipe is reprinted with permission from Vegan Thai Kitchen by Sarah Jansala and Renoo Jansala, Page Street Publishing Co. 2019. Photo credit: Toni Zernik.