Tempeh Rainbow Pad Thai
Tempeh Ingredients
1-200g package of tempeh, sliced lengthwise into strips
⅓ cup vegetable stock
2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp soya sauce or tamari
1 tsp sesame oil
Rice Ingredients
3 tbsp vegan fish sauce or regular fish sauce (optional, but the taste will be different without it; sub for more soya sauce if you don’t have any)
3 tbsp sweetener of choice
½ cup vegetable stock
¼ cup soya sauce or tamari
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1.5 tbsp sesame oil
Pad Thai Ingredients
4 sprigs green onion, chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
½ crown of broccoli, chopped into small florets
½ medium zucchini, grated
2 medium (or one large) carrots, grated
1 package of rice stick noodles (brown or white works)
4 tbsp of high heat oil (coconut, avocado, Flax, etc.)
⅓ cup water
Chopped cilantro or Thai basil to serve
Crushed peanuts to serve
Instructions
Soak rice noodles in warm water in a large bowl or dish. Ensure that they are covered completely in the water.
Start by slicing your tempeh block into evenly sized strips. Place in a rectangular or square shaped tupperware or glass container (ensure it has a lid). Add all the marinade ingredients, seal with the lid, and shake to coat. Let this sit while you prepare the rest of the meal, flipping the container upside down halfway through marinating.
Add all of the sauce ingredients to a medium sized bowl, whisk, and set aside.
While you chop up the vegetables, cook the tempeh strips over medium heat for 7-8 minutes a side in a large non-stick skillet, ensuring there’s no overlap. Set tempeh aside when crispy and cooked through.
In the same pan you used to cook the tempeh, add sesame oil and green onions and sauté on low/medium heat for 3 minutes, or until onions are soft.
Add the peppers and broccoli and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the remainder of the veggies and sauté for another 3-5 or so minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, but not overcooked. Set the veggies aside in a bowl.
In the same large non-stick pan, add oil and water, then add the soaked and drained rice noodles. Using tongs, stir around the noodles until they’re coated in oil/water. Cover with a lid and steam for 3 minutes, watching to make sure the noodles don’t stick. Uncover and stir frequently, adding more oil as needed to prevent noodles from sticking to the pan as they cook*.
Next, add the sauce and stir, cooking for 30 seconds. Add vegetables and stir to combine.
Serve with crushed peanuts and cilantro or Thai basil.
Notes:
* Traditional pad thai is loaded with oil (we’re talking upwards of a 1/3 cup), but we try to keep it to a minimum without causing the noodles to stick. You can experiment with what works best, but from experience, we’ve found the water/oil combo is perfect because the noodles cook but don’t stick as much.