Name: Vegan Pad See Ew Recipe (Thai Stir-Fry Rice Noodles)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil; 7 oz Dried wide rice noodles( 200g) (or fresh flat rice noodles 22 oz(620g)); 1.5 oz Dried Yuba( 40g); 4 clove Garlic( approx 20g); 8 oz Chinese broccoli( 22s0g) ( Note1); 2 Tbsp Dark SoySauce; 2 Tbsp Vegan Oyster Sauce; 2 tsp Light soy sauce; 2 tsp White vinegar; 2 tsp Organic sugar; 2 Tbsp Water; ½ Tbsp Toasted White sesame seeds; 1 ea Sliced Red chili( optional)

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Last Updated on June 13, 2024

Vegan Pad See Ew is made with flat rice noodles, crispy yuba, Chinese broccoli, and a sweet and tangy stir-fry sauce. Pad See Ew is one of the most popular Thai noodles. Stir fried fresh ingredients in the wok and will be ready in less than 20 minutes!

Check out another popular Thai street food Vegan Thai Basil Stir Fry

Vegan Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew (a.k.a Pad Siew, Pad Siu, or Phat Si-Io) is a stir-fried noodle dish that sold by street vendors all over Thailand. The word ‘Pad’ means stir-fry and ‘See Ew’ means soy sauce. This dish is Chinese influenced dish (similar to Chow Fan), where the noodle stir-frying technique was brought.

It’s a popular Thai dish made of rice noodles and vegetables stir-fried in a sweet soy sauce. A very quick and easy meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights.

What does Pad See Ew taste like?

Pad See Ew is sweet, salty, and sour with a lightly charred flavor( from the wok hei). Caramelize the noodles and soy sauces in the wok during high-heat stir-frying.

This delicious Thai vegan food consists of light and dark soy sauce with Chinese broccoli (a.k.a. Gai Lan.) without any herbs. Pad See Ew also provides a bouncy, rubbery texture due to its wider rice noodles.

If you’ve never had Pad See Ew before, you’re in for a treat. This dish is packed with flavor and has a unique sweetness that comes from soy sauce. And while it may look like it’s complicated to make, it’s actually quite simple.

Pad Thai vs Pad See Ew

There is no doubt that everyone has heard of Pad Thai. What is the difference between Pad Thai and Pad See Ew?

Pad Thai is also a popular Thai dish around the world. The dish is made with protein and flat rice noodles. Pad Thai, however, is made with a tangy tamarind sauce and rice stick noodles, while Pad See Ew is made with wider rice noodles and a soy sauce-based sauce.

Pad See Ew vs Pad Kee Mao

Pad See Ew and Pad Kee Mao are both popular Thai dishes. They are both stir-fried noodles, but there are some key differences. Pad See Ew is made with wide rice noodles, while Pad Kee Mao is made with thin rice noodles.

They also use different sauces for their flavor. Pad see ew is made with dark soy sauce, while pad kee mao is made with fish sauce.

The dark soy sauce gives the noodles a sweet and savory flavor, while the fish sauce adds a touch of saltiness to the dis

Ingredients for Vegan Pad See Ew

To make this classic vegan stir fry noodles, we need the following ingredients:

Rice Noodles – Pad See Ew is Thai wide rice noodles –here I use dried rice noodles labeled as “Pad Thai” Rice Noodles, they’re the perfect substitute for wide fresh rice noodles.

Yuba (Dried tofu skin)– It’s low-calorie, nutrient-dense vegan protein. Yuba is mild, chewy in texture, and nutty in taste. It readily soaks up flavorings and takes well to dressings and sauces ( Rehydrate Yuba tofu skin in hot water with 1 tsp baking soda before cooking).

Chinese Broccoli/Gai Lan – This is a key authentic ingredient in this dish. Chinese broccoli is also as known as Gai Lan or Kai Lan. If you can’t find it, just sub with broccolini, it tastes good too!

Garlic– peeled and finely chopped.

Stir Fry sauce

Light soy sauce –for the saltness and a bit of flavor.
Dark soy sauce – the main ingredient gives the noodles a dark brown color. Feel free to check out this article to find out: Is soy sauce vegan?
Vegan Oyster sauce – It gives the dish a umami flavor with complexity.
White Vinegar – just a dash! To balance the sweet and savory.
Organic Sugar – For sweetness.
Water

Check out this article about my favorite sauces in the kitchen: The magic ingredients in my vegan cooking.

How to make Pad See Ew

Preparation:

1. Break Yuba (Dried tofu skin) into smaller pieces(approx. 2 inches long), placing them in a bowl. Pouring the hot water to fully cover the yuba and add 1 tsp baking soda. Soak for 20 minutes then drain.

Peel and finely chop garlic.

Chinese Broccoli– washed and air-dried. Trim the ends, cutting them into 3 inches pieces. Also, cut the thick stems in half vertically, making all the stems look even-sized. Separate leaves from stems.

Wide Rice Noodles – Soak them according to the packet instructions and then drain. Rehydrating the rice noodles just right before cooking – if you leave the rehydrated rice noodles lying around, they tend to easily break while stir-frying in the wok.

2. Mix the ingredients (light, dark soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, sugar, white vinegar, and water) for the stir-fry sauce in one bowl ready for cooking.

3. Heat up a wok(or a large skillet) with 1 Tbsp cooking oil over high heat, add drained yuba, fry until yuba becomes golden crust on the surface then remove it from the wok and set aside.

4. Add Chinese broccoli stems into the wok, stir and cook for a couple of minutes.

5. Add Chinese broccoli leaves and finely chopped garlic in and stir around, cook for 30 seconds to wilt the leaves, then take them out and set aside.

6. Make sure there aren’t food residues on the surface of the wok (or skillet) -if yes, use a paper towel wipe it down. Add some cooking oil (1 tbsp, this dish needs a bit of oil) into the wok over high heat, then toss the wide rice noodles in, stir-frying for a minute to get rid of excessive moist in the rice noodles. Then add yuba, garlic, and Chinese broccoli back to the wok and stir-fry for another minute.

7. Pour Pad See Ew stir-fry sauce into the wok, toss as few times as possible to disperse sauce, and make edges of noodles caramelized for a minute. Garnish with sesame seeds and red chili( optional) then serve.