Few things in life are as comforting as a steaming bowl of noodles. From Ramen to Pad Thai, noodles are a culinary sensation, and Thai Drunken Noodles are no exception!
Drunken Noodles may not get you as tipsy as the infamous vodka pasta or a cold beer, but they will leave you slurping up every last bite.
Pad Kee Mao or Drunken Noodles, as it’s mostly known, is a delicious Thai noodle dish. It’s been a fan favorite in Thai cuisine for centuries, and it’s now a popular street food.
The best thing about this Thai noodle dish? It can be made vegetarian and vegan, and we’ve got the best vegan recipe for you!
If you’ve ever ordered Thai takeout, chances are you’ve come across Drunken Noodles or Pad Kee Mao, but this Thai recipe is even better than takeout!
Before we dive into the ins and outs of making Vegetarian Drunken Noodles, let’s run through some of the most popular questions about this vegan and vegetarian-friendly recipe.
Do Drunken Noodles have alcohol in them?
Despite their name, Thai Drunken Noodles do not actually have any alcohol in them. Not even a drop! But what Drunken Noodles lack in alcohol they more than make up for in tastiness!
No one knows why these noodles have been dubbed ‘drunken’, and there are many different theories! One theory is that it has to do with their spiciness. It’s believed that the spicy noodles and hot sauce are so delicious they’ll leave you feeling intoxicated and endlessly craving more.
Are Vegetarian Drunken Noodles Healthy?
It may be difficult to believe that something as tasty as Drunken noodles could be healthy, but they are!
This vegetarian Drunken Noodles recipe has all the makings of a healthy balanced meal. You can also add as many of your favorite veggies as you would like!
This Thai noodle dish also uses fresh wide rice noodles, which are low in fat and have a range of micronutrients. Fresh rice noodles, which are traditionally made from rice flour and water are also naturally vegan and vegetarian-friendly!
As rice noodles are low in fiber, to make your Drunken Noodles a bit more nutritionally dense, you can add a few extra vegetables like broccoli or carrots that are high in fiber.
Are Drunken Noodles Vegetarian?
Traditionally, Thai Drunken Noodles are made with chicken. However, the traditional Thai recipe for this noodle dish can be adjusted to make it vegetarian and vegan-friendly!
There are a few main ingredients that will need to be adapted to make traditional Pad Kee Mao vegetarian and vegan friendly.
Let’s take a closer look at these ingredients:
Protein Source:
Pad Kee Mao, as mentioned, is traditionally made with chicken, but it can be made with tofu or a plant-based chicken alternative of your choice.
For this vegan Thai Drunken Noodles recipe, we would recommend using extra firm tofu, which is a staple in Thai dishes. Not only is tofu highly versatile and the perfect companion for a spicy sauce, but it’s also high in nutritional benefits.
Tofu is one of the few vegan protein sources that contain all nine amino acids, making it a complete protein source. Tofu also contains many essential vitamins and nutrients like magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and calcium to name a few.
Pro tip: if you opt to use tofu, be sure to use extra firm tofu and press your tofu with a tofu press before cooking.
The Sauce Ingredients:
The secret to making these Thai Drunken Noodles is absolutely in the sauce!
Drunken Noodles have a perfectly balanced savory and spicy flavor. The trick to making a mouth-watering Pad Kee Mao sauce is to add a dash of sweetness to avoid the sauce being too bitter, which will clash with the spiciness of the chilies.
Traditionally, a Drunken Noodles sauce contains both oyster sauce and fish sauce, neither of which are vegetarian or vegan-friendly. But fear not, in this recipe we include plant-based alternatives!
Oyster Sauce
The oyster sauce is used to add an intense savory flavor to the Drunken Noodle sauce so it’s not an ingredient you want to skimp on.
Unfortunately, oyster sauce is made using oyster juice, an animal derivative. There are, however, a few great vegetarian and vegan substitutes that will still add the perfect Unami flavor to your Drunken Noodles.
Mushroom oyster sauce or mushroom stir fry sauce, which you can find at your grocery store or Asian market, is a great plant-based substitute for oyster sauce.
If you have a little extra time on your hands, you can make your own vegetarian oyster sauce using dark soy sauce, coconut sugar, mushroom powder, water, salt, and cornstarch.
Alternatively, you can also use Hoisin sauce, which has a very similar flavor palate to oyster sauce but is made from fermented soybeans instead of oysters.
Fish Sauce
Fish sauce is one of the most common ingredients in Thai food and is crucial to harvesting the flavor of the Drunken Noodle sauce.
Fish sauce contains fish and is not suitable for vegans and vegetarians. There are some excellent vegan-friendly fish sauce substitutes that you can use to make delicious vegan Pad Kee Mao though!
You can find vegan fish sauce at most supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.
Honey
The secret to a great Drunken Noodle sauce is adding a dash of sweetness, which usually comes from adding some honey. In this recipe, we suggest using maple syrup instead, which is a healthy and plant-based alternative.
You could also use agave nectar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar if you’re not a fan of maple syrup.
Recipe Notes
Before we dive into the step-by-step recipe, there are a few important notes about the ingredients you should keep in mind.
Thai Basil
Thai Basil is an essential ingredient in this spicy noodle recipe.
You may be thinking “basil is basil” but trust us, there’s something about Thai basil that really makes these delicious noodles pop!
Thai Basil has distinctive purple stems that set it apart from normal Italian basil. It also has a licorice-like flavor instead of the normal mild sweet peppery taste.
If you can’t get your hands on Thai Basil, you can opt to use Thai Holy Basil, which has a somewhat similar flavor, or Italian basil if needed.
Soy Sauce
When it comes to soy sauce, there are so many different options to consider. While they may all seem similar, there is a distinct flavor profile in each variation.
For this recipe, we suggest using a mix of both dark soy sauce and light soy sauce. Together with the mushroom oyster sauce and vegan fish sauce, this creates the perfect Unami taste.
If you would like to keep things simple, you can also use a light-sodium soy sauce instead.
Liquid aminos are also a good substitute, but we would suggest adding a dash of extra vegan-fish sauce to maintain the savory flavor of the dish.
Chilies
You can’t make Drunken Noodles without at least a sprinkle of spiciness!
We suggest using Thai Chili, also known as Bird’s Eye chili, which is extremely popular in Southeast Asian food and is found in most Thai restaurants.
You can adapt the recipe to suit your level of spice by changing the amount of chili you add.
If needed, you can substitute the Thai Chili for Serrano Peppers.
Noodles
Next to the sauce, noodles are the star of this Thai dish.
As mentioned, we suggest using fresh wide rice noodles. Rice noodles that are around 10mm thick, like the type of noodles you would use for a vegan Pad Thai are perfect. You can find fresh rice noodles at most Asian markets.
You can also use thinner rice noodles, but we suggest using more noodles if you do.
Most grocery stores also stock dried rice noodles, which are a good substitute for fresh noodles. If you decide to use dried noodles, be sure to soak them in lukewarm water for around 30 minutes first.
Vegetables
The great thing about this vegan noodle recipe is that it’s very versatile. We have listed a few vegetables in the recipe that are great additions to the dish but feel free to add other vegetables of your choosing.
The Best Vegan Thai Drunken Noodles Recipe
While Drunken Noodles may sound indulgent, the great thing about it is that it won’t leave you with a dreaded hangover and it’s a quick and healthy meal!
We guarantee that this Thai vegan noodle dish is going to be one of your go-to meals!
You can whip it up in 30 minutes, throw in any veggies you have on hand and it’s even tastier the day after!
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 servings
Main Ingredients:
(Refer to notes for substitute options)
The sauce:
– 2 tbsp maple syrup (you can use the same amount of coconut sugar or agave nectar)
– 2 tbsp vegan mushroom oyster sauce
– 2 tbsp light soy sauce
– 2 tbsp dark soy sauce (you can also use ¼ cup of regular soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce instead of adding both light soy sauce and dark soy sauce)
– 4 tbsp vegan fish sauce
– ¼ cup warm water
The dish:
– 400 grams of extra firm tofu
– 400 grams wide rice noodles
– 2 tbsp sesame oil or olive oil (alternatively you can use any neutral flavored oil)
– 2 shallots finely chopped
– 3 large gloves of garlic finely minced
– 4 green onions sliced into thin pieces
– 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
– 2 carrots cut into ribbons or chopped
– 1 zucchini cut into ribbons or chopped
– 2-6 Thai chilies de-seeded and thinly sliced (adapt based on the desired spice level)
– 1 cup of fresh Thai basil roughly chopped
– Any other vegetables of your choosing such as broccoli, baby corn, and bok choy)
Instructions:
- Prepare your rice noodles by following the package directions.
- Next, make your sauce. Combine all your sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix for 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust as necessary and then set aside.
- Press your tofu using a tofu press or by wrapping your tofu in a kitchen towel and placing a heavy item onto it to drain the excess liquid. Leave your tofu to press for 8 minutes.
- While your tofu is being pressed, begin preparing your vegetables.
- Heat a large pan or wok over medium-high heat and add the sesame oil or olive oil. Once hot, add the minced garlic, Thai chilies, green onions, and finely diced shallots. Sauté for 2 minutes or until translucent.
- Next, add in the red pepper slices, carrots, and zucchini. Cook for roughly 3 minutes until the bell pepper starts to soften.
- Once your tofu has finished pressing, cut it into cubes and add it to your pan or wok and allow it to cook with your veggies until it’s golden brown.
- When your veggies and tofu are both cooked, reduce to medium heat and add the Thai basil.
- After 2-3 minutes, once the basil has softened, add the noodles and the sauce. Stir to combine.
- Cook on medium-to-low heat for another 3-5 minutes and ensure that your noodles and all the veggies are coated in sauce.
- Serve your vegan Drunken Noodle dish and enjoy! You can also add some extra fresh Thai basil or fresh green onion and a lime wedge on top for serving.
This Thai dish is best enjoyed fresh and warm! You probably won’t be able to resist having seconds but if there are any leftovers, pop them in the fridge in an airtight container, and eat them within 3 days.
Don’t forget to leave a comment and tell us how your vegan-friendly Drunken Noodles turned out!
Disclaimer: This vegan Drunken Noodles recipe has been loosely adapted from Half Baked Harvest.
