In the late 1930s, Thailand’s prime minister held a public competition to find a new national noodle dish. The winning entry was a dish that combined rice noodles, vegetables, peanuts, shrimp and egg, and it was named “pad Thai” in a bid to promote Thai-ness. This vegan interpretation of that classic dish celebrates the brilliance of the original, while also bringing in something new in the form of purple sprouting broccoli. I’m not sure the former Thai PM would approve, but I hope you do.

Peanut butter and purple sprouting broccoli pad thai

Pad thai is best eaten with as many garnishes as possible, so feel free to customise yours with shop-bought fried shallots, pickled Thai radishes, beansprouts and crushed roasted peanuts as you wish. Buy sprouting broccoli with thin, tender stalks, rather than fat, woody ones. Rice noodles are fragile, so be gentle with them.

Prep 10 min

Cook 20 min

Serves 4

For the pad thai sauce

6 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

2 tbsp tamarind paste

3 tbsp brown rice syrup (or 2½ tbsp agave syrup)

4 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)

For the tofu and broccoli

450g purple sprouting broccoli

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 birds’ eye chillies, finely chopped

225g firm tofu, drained and cut into 1.5cm x 1.5cm cubes

250g flat folded rice noodles

Rapeseed oil, for frying

6 spring onions, finely chopped

1 handful sesame seeds, for decoration

Toasted sesame oil, for drizzling

1 small handful Thai basil leaves, shredded

1 small handful mint leaves, shredded

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

First, make the sauce by putting the peanut butter, tamarind paste and syrup in a bowl, then slowly mixing in the soy, lime juice and four tablespoons of water.



Top and tail the broccoli, and put the florets in a bowl. Chop the stalks and leaves into 1cm pieces. Put the garlic, ginger, chilli and tofu in little piles within easy reach of the hob.

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, rinse under cold water, drain, then drizzle with a tablespoon of rapeseed oil and toss gently: use your hands, because a utensil will cut the noodles.

In a large nonstick frying pan for which you have a lid, heat two tablespoons of rapeseed oil on a medium to high flame, then fry the tofu for five minutes, turning every minute, until it’s pale gold. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli, cook for two minutes, then add the broccoli stalks and four tablespoons of water, cover the pan and leave to steam for two minutes, until the broccoli is tender. Add the broccoli heads, sauce and spring onions (reserve a handful for garnish), stir to combine, then cover again and leave for two minutes.

Turn down the heat to a whisper, add the noodles handful by handful, gently mixing them in, until coated in sauce, then turn off the heat.

Distribute the noodles between four plates and sprinkle over the sesame seeds and reserved spring onions. Drizzle each portion with toasted sesame oil, scatter over the herbs and a generous squeeze of lime, and serve immediately.