Enter your email & we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Hurry the Food Up. The origin of pad thai is somewhat disputed; some argue that it was created by Thailand’s prime minister in the 1930s to develop a sense of national unity, while others suggest it was developed due to a shortage of rice during the Second World War. Either way, it remains Thailand’s national dish, and has been voted one of the world’s tastiest foods – compelling reasons to give this tofu pad thai recipe a spin!
Health benefits of this easy vegan pad thai
Tofu has been shown to help lower levels of LDL (or ‘bad’) cholesterol, making it a great food for keeping your heart healthy and aiding weight loss. Tofu has a protein content ranging between 4.8 g to 17.3 g per 100 grams serving and is a complete protein because it contains all nine essential amino acids. Feel free to use your favourite type of tofu in this pad thai recipe, but remember the firmer the tofu, the more protein it contains as the soy is more densely packed. On top of this, the spring onions and garlic in this vegan pad thai recipe help to support a strong immune system, and have a similar effect as tofu in lowering high levels of LDL cholesterol. The numerous health benefits of this vegan pad thai make it a great segue to our vegetarian weight loss meal plans!
How we veganised this easy, authentic pad thai recipe
Vegan pad thai recipes are so popular and simple that you would be forgiven for thinking the dish is naturally vegan. But this isn’t the case. Traditional pad thai noodles are usually fried with egg to bind them and add protein. Instead, for this easy vegan pad thai, we’ve added cubes of delicious tofu for protein and cornstarch for that hearty texture (vegan tofu dishes are a great way to get in the protein). Most non-vegan pad thai recipes also contain fish sauce and dried shrimp, but we’ve added tamarind paste to our vegan pad thai and find that it gives the same sweet and tart flavour without any of the animal product! For more vegan noodle recipes, try this easy, creamy peanut sauce stir fry, or this vegan lo mein.
