This super easy tofu pad thai recipe takes just about 30 minutes, is healthy, gluten-free, and vegetarian. It tastes like takeout, but without any junk!

Okay, I'm literally SO excited for today's recipe. I've been wanting to create a healthy pad thai for you for years, but just hadn't nailed it until now.

And this time? We NAILED it.

This tofu pad thai is a cinch to make – only 30 minutes! – and it's naturally gluten-free and vegetarian. It also tastes like traditional pad thai but is a bit healthier. Oh AND, I made this for my family and they absolutely loved it – that's a major win!

What's In Traditional Pad Thai?

Traditionally, pad thai is made with rice noodles, some form of protein (most commonly chicken), egg, bean sprouts, veggies, and pad thai sauce. Pad thai sauce is what can be kind of tricky to make. It uses tamarind paste, fish sauce, dried shrimp powder, and lime, among other ingredients.

Pad thai is also usually stir-fried in a bunch of oil – typically vegetable oil – which actually makes it not so healthy.

What's in our Healthy Tofu Pad Thai

We kept things fairly traditional with the recipe, but I did end up changing up the sauce slightly to make it a bit more accessible ingredient-wise.

Here's what we're using in our healthy tofu pad thai:

• Rice noodles: I like to use stir fry/pad thai noodles since they have the most classic structure.
• Tofu: to keep this vegetarian, we're using extra firm tofu which I quickly saute first to get a little crust on the outside.
• Bean sprouts: I found mung bean sprouts, but any bean sprouts you can find are fine.
• Carrots: these are the most traditional and I really like them. I end up thinly slicing them.
• Garlic: to give the dish some extra flavor and punch.
• Green onions: we have thinly sliced about 4 – 5 green onions – they add so much flavor and a nice little pop of color in this mostly brown dish.

And then for our healthy pad thai sauce, we're using:

• Tamari: I like using a gluten-free tamari because it's a bit more naturally gluten-free (less wheat, more soybeans)
• Fish sauce: this gives the dish a really unique flavor. If you are vegetarian completely, you can use this vegan fish sauce.
• Rice vinegar: adding in acid to the sauce really helps to balance the flavor and boost the overall dish.
• Coconut sugar: pad thai does have some sugar and I like to use palm sugar because it's a little less sweet but has a robust flavor.
• Peanut butter: to add even more peanut flavor, the peanut butter helps elevate that.

And we're finishing this dish off with some cilantro, chopped peanuts, and red pepper flakes.

How to Make Pad Thai

There are a few things to balance as you're making this dish, but overall, it's super simple to make. Here are the steps to follow:

STEP ONE: The Noodles

Start by cooking your noodles according to the package instructions. While they're cooking you can move onto the next step.

STEP TWO: The Tofu

We'll first quickly saute the tofu. Like you would chicken, we're going to sear the tofu so it has some crispiness.

STEP THREE: The Veggies

Transfer the tofu to a plate and add the pan back to the heat. Then you'll add your veggies and garlic and quickly saute it until they're softened. Push them aside and then cook your eggs.

STEP FOUR: The Sauce

While the veggies are cooking, whisk together your sauce. Should take about 30 seconds.

STEP FIVE: The Whole Dish

And lastly, combine it all together! Add the (drained) noodles, the sauce, the tofu, and our extra goodies. Then serve it up!

What Else to Add to Pad Thai

My tofu pad thai is on the basic side, but you can totally add in more ingredients if you'd like!

• Veggies: feel free to add whichever veggies you want – broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, etc.
• Protein: not a fan of tofu? Swap out the tofu with chicken, shrimp, scallops, meat, etc.
• Peanuts: if you don't like peanuts or allergic, you can swap the peanuts with almonds and almond butter

And if you have anything else you'd like to add, go for it! This dish can be totally your own ❤️

How to Make Vegan Pad Thai

And lastly, if you want to make this recipe completely vegan, you can!

Swap the fish sauce with vegan fish sauce. For the egg, just leave it out. Or if you have access to a vegan egg replacement, you can do that as well.

It's super easy, it's healthy and it's absolutely delicious!

More Healthy Thai-Inspired Dishes

• Vegetarian Tofu Red Curry
• 30-Minute Red Curry Noodle Bowls
• Easy Vegan Green Curry
• Green Coconut Curry Lentil Soup
• Quinoa Pad Thai Salad

30-Minute Tofu Pad Thai

This super easy tofu pad thai recipe takes just about 30 minutes, is healthy, gluten-free and vegetarian. It tastes like takeout, but without any junk!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 632kcal

Print Pin

5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

for the noodles:

• 14 oz rice noodles (preferably stir fry/pad thai style)
• 14 oz extra firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2 cloves garlic , grated or minced
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup green onions
• ½ cup cilantro
• ½ - 1 whole lime
• ½ - 1 tsp pepper flakes
• ¼ cup chopped peanuts

for the sauce:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• ¼ cup coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• Sliced hot pepper (optional)

Instructions

• Begin by cooking the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain once cooked.
• While the noodles are cooking, cut the tofu into cubes. Heat the oil in a large pan and place the tofu in the pan. Sear for 2 - 3 minutes per side. Once the tofu is seared, transfer it to a plate.
• Into the same skillet, add the bean sprouts, carrots, and garlic. Cook until the carrots have softened, about 3 minutes.
• While those are cooking, quickly whisk together the sauce.
• Once the veggies are done, push them to the side of the pan. Crack both eggs in the pan and scramble them. Combine with the veggies.
• Add the tofu, drained noodles, green onions, cilantro, lime, pepper flakes, and sauce. Toss to combine.
• Plate the pad thai and top with additional cilantro, chopped peanuts, sliced hot peppers, and a spritz of lime (if desired). Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 632kcal | Carbohydrates: 104g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 1816mg | Potassium: 597mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 6071IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 4mg