Vegan Pad Thai

Step 1

Drain tofu and wrap in a clean tea towel (or several paper towels). Set something heavy on top (like a cookbook or pan) and let sit for 20 minutes. Once the tofu is pressed, dice into small cubes.

Step 2

Heat a skillet to medium and add 1 tbsp sesame oil. Add tofu and cook until slightly crispy on all sides, stirring often. Don't worry if it starts to break up a bit – the key part here is getting those crispy brown bits to add texture. Remove from pan and set aside.

Step 3

Cook rice noodles according to package directions and drain as soon as they are al dente. Set aside.

Step 4

Heat the remaining sesame oil in a large pot. Add the scallions and garlic and sauté until tender and fragrant (about 5 minutes).

Step 5

Add the mushrooms and sauté until they cook down and start to brown. This takes about 5-8 minutes.

Step 6

Add 1/4 cup of the tamari, 2 tbsp of lime juice, coriander, red pepper flakes, coconut sugar, sriracha and peanut butter. Stir well to make sure there are no clumps of peanut butter. You can also whisk together all of those ingredients before adding into the pad thai.

Step 7

Add in the cooked rice noodles, the remaining tamari and lime, chopped peanuts, cilantro, chives, spinach and sprouts (if using). Use tongs to coat the noodles with the sauce.

Step 8

Let cook on low for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice noodles have mostly absorbed the sauce. Add back in the tofu and stir.

Step 9

Taste and add more sriracha and/or red pepper flakes if you prefer spicier. Top with more crushed peanuts, fresh herbs, thinly sliced radish and/or sprouts and a wedge of lime.