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Vegetarian Pad Thai

A stir‑fried noodle dish with rice noodles, tofu, vegetables, and a sauce of soy, lime, and peanut oil.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 13 ingredients
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Why it works: Garlic and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,076 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓

Vegetarian Pad Thai

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the noodles

  1. In large pot, bring 3 quarts water to a boil.

  2. Add noodles, stir to prevent sticking. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes.

  3. Drain well and set aside.

Stir-fry and season

  1. Meanwhile, in large wok or skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

  2. Add garlic and bell pepper and stir-fry 3 minutes.

  3. Stir in tomatoes, snow peas and tofu and stir-fry until vegetables are just tender, about 4 minutes.

  4. Add soy sauce and lime juice and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes more.

  5. Stir in cooked noodles and cilantro.

Serve

  1. Divide noodle mixture among plates.

  2. Sprinkle with cashews, scallions, and bean sprouts and serve right away.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

742Calories
26 gProtein
32 gFat
93 gCarbs

Counts 12 of 13 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Cashew1 oz (28g / ~18 nuts)157
Peanut Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Tofu100g firm76
Pea1/2 cup (72g)62
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Limejuice of 1 lime (44ml)11
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Cilantro1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)1
Beannot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Garlic + tomatotop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together14,076 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  2. Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together17,451 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

  3. Rice + tomatotop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,065 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

  4. Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,923 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Garlic + peppertop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together27,090 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Rice noodles
Form the bulk of the dish, becoming tender when boiled and absorbing the sauce.
Firm tofu
Adds protein-rich body and a chewy texture that holds its shape in the stir-fry.
Soy sauce
Supplies salty, savory flavor that seasons the noodles and vegetables.
Lime juice
Adds acidity that brightens the sauce and balances the soy sauce.
Tomatoes
Contribute moisture and acidity that loosen the sauce as they cook down.
Cashews
Add crunch and richness as a finishing garnish.

The step that matters

Stir-fry the vegetables only until just tender. Vegetables keep their texture and color when cooked briefly over high heat. Overcooking softens snow peas and bell pepper and releases excess water, making the noodles soggy.

Swap the peas

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, peanut oil, clove, garlic, pepper, tomato, tofu):

  1. Sesamefits better
  2. Beansfits better
  3. Chickpeafits better
  4. Peasthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against rice, peanut oil, clove, garlic, pepper, tomato, tofu. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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