20 minute veggie pad thai recipe

Get the taste of your favorite thai dish with a vegetarian twist in this easy veggie pad thai recipe. It’s ready in just 20 minutes and will give you the extra dose of veggies you need for a filling and flavorful dinner recipe.

Well I had a whole intro to the post pre-written all about why I love 20 minute meals and how the tagline of THM is “where healthy meets living” because health is generally not the centerfold of my life – but none of that seems relevant right now. Health is something that we’re all prioritizing right now, not just for ourselves but for our entire society. There isn’t a whole lot of living right now. And that’s important. It is a season (or maybe several) and sometimes we need to go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate. Right now this season is about self-isolating and taking care of ourselves and the people we love.

That being said, we can still eat well – and quickly! This 20-minute veggie pad thai is no exception. So whether you’re ordering your groceries in or taking a small outing to the store, this recipe is for you. The whole family will love it and it’s packed full of veggies. Not to mention the pantry staples you can also keep on hand. So stay home, stay healthy and eat well friends! Thinking of you all.

What you Need for this Recipe:

rice noodles
sesame oil or peanut oil (can use coconut oil or olive oil if you don’t have)
yellow onion
garlic cloves
4 cups of veggies (broccoli, bell pepper, broccolini, bok choy etc…)
large eggs
sweet chili sauce (use more if you like extra spicy)
soy sauce (or tamari)
fish sauce
tamarind puree
lime
coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)

What is Tamarind Puree?

You probably noticed a strange ingredient on the list: tamarind puree. I wanted to make a note of this because this ingredient should not be skipped. Traditional pad thai recipes always use tamarind puree or paste. Many americanized versions skip this and use ingredients like ketchup instead. While I totally get it can be hard to come by, trust me when I say that this veggie pad thai recipe is sooooooo much better with tamarind puree.

You can buy it at most Asian grocery stores and even Whole Foods has it! You can also order it online here. Sometimes it comes as a brick of paste rather than a puree. If that’s the case, scoop off a tablespoon of the paste and mix it in with a 1/4 cup of hot water. Use this in place of the 2 tablespoons of puree that this veggie pad thai recipe calls for. It also lasts a long time so you can make this recipe many times. I promise you that it will make all the difference!

How To Customize This Recipe:

You’ll see that this veggie pad thai recipe calls for 4 cups of veggies. I left this open to customization because I really love making this recipe when I want to use up veggies in the house. I’ve probably made it with just about every type of veggie, but if you’re looking for inspiration, here are a few ideas:

broccoli
bell pepper
broccolini
bok choy
cauliflower
bean sprouts

I also sometimes add tofu or chicken to this recipe. This adds time to it so more often than not I just go for eggs but feel free to pan fry chicken or tofu or use leftovers and add directly to the recipe.

A few other swaps you can make: tamari or even coconut aminos for soy sauce, brown sugar for coconut palm sugar and you have a couple different options for oils, though personally I prefer sesame oil.

As for toppings, sky’s the limit! Crushed peanuts make it feel more authentic but feel free to also add green onions, cilantro, extra lime juice or chili flakes for a spicy kick.

Most importantly: get creative and have fun! Let your time in the kitchen be enjoyable rather than a burden. Trust me, it will change your life.