• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Evergreen Kitchen

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Cookbook
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Cookbook
    • Recipes
    • Resources
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Extras

    Published: Jan 17, 2018 · Modified: Feb 5, 2022 by bri · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Vegan Pad Thai Sauce (4 Ingredients)

    Homemade Pad Thai is easier than you think. This vegan Pad Thai sauce takes 2 minutes to make and only has 4 ingredients! This yummy plant-based alternative tastes like the real deal, even without fish sauce.
    Jump to Recipe
    Jar of four ingredients vegan pad Thai sauce on the counter with key ingredients like limes and Thai chilies visible

    When travelling through Southeast Asia after university, I literally ate my way through Thailand. From noodles, to curries, to mango rice puddings. YUM. And obviously, Pad Thai was heavy in the rotation. Like many Thai dishes, Pad Thai features a tried and true combination of salty, sweet, sour and spicy flavors.

    Back at home, it might seem tempting to dial up your neighborhood takeout spot when your Pad Thai craving hits. But when the noodles arrive lukewarm (at best), in a red-ish sauce (thanks to Ketchup...) and stuck together in a big blob, you know it’s not going to be quite as satisfying as you imagined. There’s a better way; and thankfully making your own Pad Thai at home is not nearly as hard as it seems!

    The sauce is perhaps the most important component of the dish. It adds most of the flavor, and since the sauce is hugging every noodle and veggie you add in...you want it to be just right. The good news is that once you’ve nailed the sauce, you can be on your way to noodle dinner dreams in 15 minutes. Traditionally, Pad Thai sauces rely on fish sauce for both the salt and umami flavor. I was determined to find a way to make it completely vegan (and vegetarian), and it turns out you can. All it takes are four ingredients - and when combined together, it’s a total flavor bomb. The ingredients are simple: tamari (for the salty), coconut sugar (for the sweet), tamarind (for the sour) and Sriracha (for the spicy).

    Ingredients for vegan paid Thai sauce like spices, tamarind paste and Sriracha on a counter before cooking process starts

    Tamarind is the key to any good Pad Thai sauce. Tamarind trees grow a pod-like fruit; and the fruit’s tart flavor and slight stickiness make it surprisingly hard to replicate. I’ve read about hacks to substituting tamarind, but honestly, I haven’t yet met a tamarind-free version of Pad Thai that I’ve truly loved. So I highly recommend you hop on over to an Asian grocery store and pick some up for yourself. It costs us $2.50 for a big container that lasts us months. For this recipe, I used tamarind paste, which comes as a thick, spoonable, sauce-like consistency. It’s usually packaged in small glass jars or larger screw-top containers like the one pictured. Look for brands without preservatives or added sugar.

    If you have trouble finding tamarind paste, then tamarind pulp is your next best option. It’s sold in condensed blocks and wrapped in plastic. While I’ve yet needed to convert tamarind pulp into paste myself, here are two good resources on how you could (see here and here). This is key to removing the thick fibers from the pulp; and rehydrating the mixture so it’s closer to the paste found in stores. If you try this method, please let me know how it goes!

    Once you’ve whipped up the Vegan Pad Thai Sauce, use it in your favorite recipe. We find that ½ cup of sauce is the amount we usually need, so that’s what’s reflected in the recipe below. If you need more, simply scale up. We usually double or triple the recipe to have extras bottled up in the fridge. Also, if you’re looking for a healthier switch-up on rice noodles, use this sauce in our Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai recipe.

    Vegan pad Thai sauce being poured into a wok as noodles and veggies are cooking

    Vegan Pad Thai Sauce (4 Ingredients)

    Homemade Pad Thai is easier than you think. This vegan Pad Thai sauce takes 2 minutes to make and only has 4 ingredients! This yummy plant-based alternative tastes like the real deal, even without fish sauce.
    Prep Time 2 minutes
    Total Time 2 minutes
    Servings 4
    Author: Bri
    Pin Recipe
    Jar of four ingredients vegan pad Thai sauce on the counter with key ingredients like limes and Thai chilies visible
    Print

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate (paste) (see note 1)
    • 3 tablespoons tamari (or liquid aminos)
    • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or dark brown sugar)
    • 2 teaspoons Sriracha

    Instructions

    • Make sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together tamarind paste, tamari, sugar, and Sriracha together until smooth. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

    Notes

    1. Tamarind Concentrate: Tamarind Concentrate is usually sold in plastic or glass jars with a screw top lid. You can find tamarind concentrate in Asian markets or in well-stocked grocery stores (usually near the Southeast Asian or Latin American ingredients). Alternatively, you can also use Tamarind Pulp, but first you'll need to turn it into paste before using in this recipe. To convert Tamarind Pulp into Tamarind Paste: Add equal parts tamarind pulp and hot water to a small bowl, soak until softened (about 15 minutes), stir vigorously to mix, pour contents into a sieve, then use a spoon to mash the pulp through the sieve. For this recipe, you'll want the smooth pulp that passes through the sieve (discard the fibers and seeds in the sieve). Replace tamarind concentrate with an equal amount of tamarind paste.
    2. Yield: One batch (1x) makes about ½ cup. Nutritional estimate assumes 2 tablespoons of sauce per serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 57kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 823mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a rating below and tag us @evergreenkitchen on instagram!

    More Extras

    • Easy Sriracha Aioli in a bowl with a spoon.
      Sriracha Aioli (3 ingredients!)
    • Whipped ricotta dip with honey, thyme, and pepper in a bowl.
      Whipped Ricotta Dip with Honey
    • Easy oven roasted chili lime pepitas in a bowl.
      Chili Lime Pepitas
    • Easy honey sriracha sauce in a bowl with a spoon.
      Easy Honey Sriracha Sauce

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      LEAVE A COMMENT Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Christina says

      July 24, 2022 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      This is amazing and easy to make. Thanks!!

      Reply
      • bri says

        August 02, 2022 at 7:48 pm

        Wonderful, so happy to hear that Christina!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Evergreen Kitchen! We're all about delicious vegetarian food you actually want to eat. Here you'll find craveable dinner recipes, meal prep ideas, healthy-ish desserts, and everyday cooking resources.

    More about us →

    Get the Cookbook!

    Evergreen Kitchen Weeknight Vegetarian Dinners for Everyone Cookbook Cover
    Learn more about Evergreen Kitchen:
    Weeknight Vegetarian Dinners for Everyone

    Spring Features

    • Vegetarian Lentil Nicoise Salad
    • Whipped ricotta dip with honey, thyme, and pepper in a bowl.
      Whipped Ricotta Dip with Honey
    • Black Lentil Salad with Feta in a bowl with a fork.
      Mediterranean Black Lentil Salad with Feta
    • Halloumi Couscous Salad with Lemon on a green plate with a fork.
      Halloumi Couscous Salad with Lemon
    • Lemon Spinach Orzo in a bowl topped with feta and dill.
      One Pan Lemon Spinach Orzo with Feta
    • Roasted veggie sandwich with avaocado and chipotle mayo on a serving platter
      Roasted Veggie Sandwiches with Peri Peri

    Fan Favorites

    • Close up of crispy breaded air fryer tofu with panko breadcrumb crust
      Crispy Breaded Air Fryer Tofu
    • Lemon dill and chickpea sandwich cut in half
      Vegan Smashed Chickpea Sandwich
    • Mushroom stroganoff in a white plate with fresh thyme and parmasen
      Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff (One Pot)
    • 12 peanut butter coconut power balls on a marble background
      Best Peanut Butter Coconut Balls
    • Close up of crispy air fryer breakfast potatoes (home fries)
      Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes (Home Fries)
    • A bowl of Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup with a piece of bread sitting on the edge of the bowl, with a white spoon and sliced lemon
      Instant Pot Bean Soup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    About

    Privacy Policy

    Contact

    Contact us

    Recipes

    Jump to Recipes

    As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Evergreen Kitchen!