Classic 30-Minute Vegetable Pad Thai Recipe for Noodle Lovers!
Home » COOK » Recipes » International Recipes » Thai Recipes »Vegetable Pad Thai is a classic Thai dish and with this fantastic recipe, you can recreate your take-out favorite at home.
The recipe celebrates the following stunning ingredients: rice noodles, carrot, red bell pepper, roasted peanuts, limes, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, peanut butter, and chili sauce.

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Vegetable Pad Thai
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading all the way through for any tips or substitute suggestions, to ensure that you have any specialized ingredients and equipment required and that you understand the steps and timings involved.
Pad thai is a stir-fried rice noodle dish commonly served as street food and at most restaurants in Thailand as part of the country’s cuisine. It is typically made with rice noodles, chicken, beef or tofu, peanuts, a scrambled egg, and bean sprouts, among other vegetables. The ingredients are sautéed together in a wok, which creates even heat distribution. Once the dish is completed it is tossed in pad thai sauce, which gives the dish its signature tangy salty flavor with a hint of sweetness. – Wikipedia
While our recipe is a vegetable pad thai, it isn’t actually vegetarian because of the Thai fish sauce that is used in this dish (and in many dishes from Thailand).
However, you can leave it out and use soy sauce (or one of its substitutes) and turn this into a vegetarian-friendly version.
This recipe does contain eggs, so unfortunately isn’t vegan-friendly, however, you could make it without egg, and I’m pretty positive it will be just as tasty.
I had my very first pad thai at a local Thai restaurant, and it made me fall in love with this cuisine. It is simple and flavorful, and the sort of food that you always want more of!

Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients (and equipment) needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It does not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, and pepper, as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen already. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Fresh Produce – Shallot, Green Onions (Spring Onions/Scallions), Carrot, Red Bell Pepper, Cilantro (Coriander), Limes.
- Rice Noodles
- Sesame Oil
- Roasted Peanuts
- Honey – try to buy locally produced honey when possible.
- Thai Fish Sauce – known as ‘nam pla’ is a sauce used often in Thai cuisine, both in cooking and as a condiment.
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Peanut Butter – use the creamy/smooth kind.
- Garlic Chili Sauce
- Soy sauce or Tamari or Coconut Aminos – see below.
Depending on your dietary requirements you may want to use one of the following in this recipe:
- Soy Sauce – the regular stuff made from fermented soybeans and roasted grains.
- Tamari – a gluten-free soy sauce (but always check the label) if this is a concern for you.
- Coconut Aminos – a soy-free, soy sauce made with coconut tree sap and salt, and popular in Paleo, Keto, and Whole 30 communities.
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).

More Recipes Using Noodles
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is noodles, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Korean-Style Beef Noodles
- Beijing Braised Lamb & Noodles
- Hoisin Duck Stir-Fry with Vegetables & Noodles
More Asian Recipes
Looking for more Asian dishes to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Fast & Delicious Cashew Pork Stir-Fry Recipe
- Spicy Chicken Satay Recipe with a Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Asian Salmon

Recipe Tips
- Although they aren’t used here, bean sprouts are commonly found in many Pad Thai recipes.
- Replace the fish sauce with soy sauce to make this dish vegetarian.
How Do I Make Vegetable Pad Thai?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.

Vegetable Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 8 oz 225g box rice noodles
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- ½ medium shallot finely chopped
- 3 large green onions sliced, white and green parts separated
- 1 medium carrot cut into matchsticks (as shown)
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced
- 2 large eggs whisked
- ½ cup roasted peanuts chopped and divided
- 3 Tbsp cilantro leaves chopped
- 2 large limes cut into wedges
- Crushed red pepper flakes optional, to serve
For the Sauce
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 1 Tbsp garlic chili sauce
Instructions
- Prepare rice noodles according to package instructions. Rinse under cool water and set aside.
- While waiting for the water to boil for the rice noodles, add the sauce ingredients to a small skillet set over medium-low heat. Stir continually for 3-4 minutes until the peanut butter is melted and the sauce is heated through. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add the sesame oil to a large non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Add the shallot, white part of the green onions, carrots, and red bell pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are crisp tender and develop some color.
- Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet with a spatula. Add the whisked eggs to the other side. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring and chopping frequently with the spatula, until the eggs are cooked through and broken into very small pieces.
- Add the prepared rice noodles, one-third cup chopped peanuts, and the warm sauce to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Transfer to individual serving dishes and top with the remaining roasted peanuts, green onion tops, and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired, on the side. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Full Meal
You’ve made the main dish, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a dinner party or special occasion:
- Appetizer: Easy Chinese Boiled Pork Dumplings
- Soup: Chicken & Mushroom Miso Soup
- Salad: Asian Cabbage Salad with Warm Spicy Peanut Dressing
- Beverage: Jasmine Iced Tea
- Dessert: Hong Kong Egg Tarts – Chinese New Year Recipe
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.