Tofu Pad See Ew

Tofu pad see ew is a delicious Thai stir fry made with wide rice noodles, crispy tofu, veggies and an aromatic soy sauce. It's a quick and easy recipe to try for dinner instead of ordering in!

Pad see ew is a delicious Thai dish that boasts big flavours while being super easy to make. It's a very popular street food in Thailand, and the good news is that you can easily make it at home.

Crispy tofu adds loads of protein and texture to this vegan pad see ew, and you can add as many veggies you want for an extra nutritious Asian-inspired meal.

Pad see ew is made with wide, flat rice noodles that set it apart from many other noodle dishes. They're just the best for this sauce but if you can't find them, use any other rice noodles available.

Why you'll love this tofu pad see ew

• It's very easy to make in just 25 minutes — quicker and definitely tastier than takeaway!
• You can easily customise it and use just about any veggies you want.
• The flavours are rich yet balanced, so the whole family is likely to enjoy it.

Ingredients and substitutions

Tofu — Use your favourite extra firm tofu for this recipe. You'll need to press it for at least 30 minutes, even if it's extra firm because that's how it becomes crispy.

Rice noodles — Pad see ew is typically made with wide rice noodles. They may be a bit difficult to source from supermarkets, but most Asian stores should have them.

Sesame oil — You can substitute this with avocado oil or canola oil.

Pak choi — You can also use Chinese broccoli or shredded cabbage instead of pak choi or mixed with it.

Carrot — Grated carrot gives sweetness, and a bit of crunchiness to this pad see ew. You can also use other veggies here.

Soy sauce — I used a light soy sauce here but feel free to use your favourite. A low-sodium soy sauce is always a good idea if you're looking to reduce your salt intake.

Hoisin sauce — Feel free to add more hoisin sauce if you want a thicker sauce.

Sriracha — Red chilli sauce is a good substitute if you don't have sriracha.

Rice vinegar — This is optional, and you can simply add more lime juice instead.

Lime juice — Freshly squeezed lime juice adds zest and brightness to the sauce.

Brown sugar —Coconut sugar is a good substitute for brown sugar.

How to make vegan pad see ew

Start by making the tofu. You can do it in the air fryer or in the oven. To make in the air fryer, follow my recipe for crispy tofu in the air fryer.

To make it in the oven, follow the same steps for the air fryer recipe but cook the tofu in the oven for 20 minutes at 200°C (400°F).

Prepare the noodles according to the instructions on the package and drain. It's best to coordinate and have them ready right before using them.

Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil over medium heat in a large pan or wok. Add the pak choi and carrot and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and stir fry for another minute. Next, add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sriracha, rice vinegar, lime juice and brown sugar. Simmer for 1 minute until the sauce thickens a bit.

Stir in the noodles and toss well. Add the crispy tofu, stir again to combine and serve topped with chopped spring onions and peanuts if you like.

Recipe notes and tips

• Pad see ew is best served immediately and I don't recommend reheating it. The noodles will likely break down, and the dish will be too dry.
• You can use any kind of veggies you want in this Thai pad see ew recipe. Ideas include mushrooms, bell peppers, bean sprouts, baby corn and snap peas.
• If you want more sauce for your noodles, double the quantities mentioned in the recipe. Remember that noodles will continue to soak up liquid as they sit.
• I like to serve this tofu pad see ew with chopped peanuts and spring onions on top for extra crunchiness.

If you liked this tofu pad see ew, you might also like some of my other easy vegan Thai recipes:

• Thai Mango Curry with Chickpeas
• Thai Coconut Chickpea Curry
• Vegan Thai Yellow Curry
• Vegan Tofu Thai Red Curry
• Vegan Thai Peanut Curry

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