Easy Vegetarian Pad See Ew (Thai Stir-Fried Noodles)

I fell in love with pad see ew at a tiny street cart in Chiang Mai — the kind of place where you point at what you want because there’s no English menu. The noodles were charred and slightly smoky, the sauce was that perfect balance of sweet and salty, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks after coming home. This is my vegetarian version that gets surprisingly close, especially if you crank the heat high enough to get that coveted wok char on the noodles.

aka The Chiang Mai Midnight Noodles

Ingredients

• 14 oz wide rice noodles (pad see ew noodles or fresh flat rice noodles)
• 14 oz extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 3 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 large eggs
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 1 tablespoon dark molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• Fresh Thai basil or regular basil, for serving

Instructions

1. Prepare the noodles: If using dried wide rice noodles, soak in room temperature water for 30 minutes until pliable but still firm — they should bend without snapping. Drain well. If using fresh noodles, gently separate them with your hands.
2. Mix the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, dark molasses, coconut sugar, and rice vinegar until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
3. Crisp the tofu: Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until the oil shimmers. Add tofu cubes in a single layer and cook without moving for 2-3 minutes until golden on the bottom. Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
4. Cook the broccoli: In the same wok, add the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil. Add broccoli and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water, cover briefly for 1 minute to steam, then uncover.
5. Scramble the eggs: Push broccoli to one side. Crack eggs into the empty side and scramble until just set, about 30 seconds. Break into large pieces with your spatula.
6. Add noodles and sauce: Add drained noodles and the sauce mixture to the wok. Toss everything together over high heat for 2-3 minutes, letting the noodles absorb the sauce and develop some char on the edges. Add the garlic and white pepper in the last 30 seconds.
7. Finish: Return the crispy tofu to the wok, toss once more, and serve immediately topped with fresh Thai basil leaves.

Tips

• The key to great pad see ew is HIGH heat. Don’t overcrowd the wok — if your pan isn’t large enough, cook in two batches.
• Dark molasses gives that deep, slightly sweet flavor traditional to the dish. Don’t substitute with regular molasses — a little goes a long way.
• Press your tofu for at least 15 minutes under a heavy pan with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Drier tofu = crispier tofu.
• If you can find fresh wide rice noodles at an Asian grocery store, use them — they’re far superior to dried and don’t need soaking.