Vegan Pad See Ew
If you’ve ever ordered Pad See Ew at a Thai eatery, you know that it always comes with a choice of meats, so here I offer various choices of plant proteins—it’s always good to have options! Try using a different kind each time you make it.Rice noodles quickly absorb this sauce and can become a bit dry if the dish stands for a while. To perk up leftovers, simply stir in a little water to moisten, then adjust seasonings to taste.Oyster sauce is used in the traditional recipe, but of course we need to skip that here. Black bean sauce and hoisin sauce are both fine substitutes, and both give the rice noodles the brown gloss that makes the dish so appealing. I hope you enjoy this easy homemade version of Pad See Ew as much as we do in our house, where it’s earned a spot in the semiregular rotation.
Ingredients
Plant Protein Options
- Tofu nuggets (such as Hodo)
- Plant-based chick’n chunks or strips
- Plant-based fish fillets
- Plant-based shrimp
- Seitan
- Baked tofu diced
FOR THE SAUCE
- ¼ cup black bean sauce or hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons natural granulated sugar
FOR THE NOODLES
- 8 ounces extra-wide rice noodles or 1 (11-ounce) package fresh precooked rice noodles
- 1 tablespoon safflower or other neutral vegetable oil
- 8 to 11 ounces plant-based protein (see options up top) cut into bite-size chunks or strips
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 to 8 ounces Chinese broccoli broccolini, broccoli rabe, or 1 large broccoli crown, cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ cup grated carrot
- 3 scallions cut into 1-inch lengths
- Sriracha or other hot sauce to taste, plus more for the table
- Soy sauce to taste
GARNISHES
- Crushed peanuts
- Lime wedges
- Fresh cilantro leaves or thinly sliced fresh basil
Instructions
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk. Set aside.
- Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large stir-fry pan. Add the protein of your choice and cook over medium-high heat until golden on most sides. When nearly done, toss in the garlic and continue to stir-fry for another minute or so.
- Add the broccoli and grated carrot and continue to stir-fry until both are just crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the noodles, sauce, and scallions and cook just until everything is well combined and hot. Add hot sauce and additional soy sauce.
- Top individual servings with any or all of the suggested garnishes and pass extra hot sauce at the table.
Notes
If extra-wide rice noodles are unavailable, use the regular kind of wide
rice noodles (though not rice vermicelli). These noodles are super long, so once
they’re cooked, you may want to cut them here and there to shorten them a bit. The instructions on packages of precooked rice noodles often say to add them directly
to the stir-fry. However, I find them a bit too al dente right out of the package; I recommend microwaving them for 2 minutes with a bit of water in a covered dish or combining them with hot water in a bow. Excerpted from the book PLANT-POWERED PROTEIN: 125 RECIPES FOR USING TODAY’S AMAZING MEAT ALTERNATIVES by Nava Atlas. Copyright © 2020 by Nava Atlas. Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.
rice noodles (though not rice vermicelli). These noodles are super long, so once
they’re cooked, you may want to cut them here and there to shorten them a bit. The instructions on packages of precooked rice noodles often say to add them directly
to the stir-fry. However, I find them a bit too al dente right out of the package; I recommend microwaving them for 2 minutes with a bit of water in a covered dish or combining them with hot water in a bow. Excerpted from the book PLANT-POWERED PROTEIN: 125 RECIPES FOR USING TODAY’S AMAZING MEAT ALTERNATIVES by Nava Atlas. Copyright © 2020 by Nava Atlas. Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.