I’m slightly embarrassed to admit just how often I frequented a nearby Thai restaurant when I lived in the DC area. Thai cuisine has long been a favorite of mine and it was just so easy to pop in after a long day at work. However, several moves later, and I now live in an area without a really great Thai restaurant. Which is probably a good thing as it’s forced me to start recreating dishes at home instead!
Pad see ew is one of those items that either my husband or I always seem to order when out. If you aren’t familiar, this popular dish is made of stir-fried noodles, Chinese broccoli and a sweet yet savory sauce. It also typically includes either pork or chicken, along with some scrambled eggs.
For this vegetarian version, I decided to go with portabella mushrooms to replace the meat. The mushrooms are sautéed along with some bok choy, before being quickly tossed together with cooked noodles, eggs and the sauce.
It’s easy, it’s fast, and you can absolutely customize to your own taste. Plus, in my opinion, you just can’t go wrong with a big bowl of slurpable noodles!
As easy as this dish is to make, it can be a bit difficult to find some of the ingredients depending on where you live.
Dark sweet soy sauce is the key component in the sauce. If you don’t have luck finding it at your local stores (some major grocery stores do carry it), you can order online or check out an Asian market.
As mentioned previously, this dish is typically made with Chinese broccoli. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any nearby, so I went with bok choy instead. But you can certainly substitute in the traditional Chinese broccoli if you can get your hands on some. You can also add in some tofu or even other veggies that you have hanging out in the fridge.
And finally, the noodles. If you can’t find wide rice noodles, wide lo mein noodles make for another good option.
One last note. While I normally am a huge fan of leftovers, this dish is best freshly made. So plan to enjoy the night of!
Recipe
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons dark sweet soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
For the noodles:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large portabella mushroom caps about 6 ounces, sliced
- 14 to 16 ounces bok choy ends trimmed, stems & leaves separated, then sliced
- 2 large eggs beaten with a fork
- 8 ounces dry wide rice noodles cooked according to package directions
For garnish (optional):
- Chopped peanuts
- Thinly sliced green onion
- Bean sprouts
- Lime Wedges
Instructions
For the sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
For the noodles:
- Add the olive oil to a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add in the mushrooms and bok choy stems and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, until the mushrooms have cooked down. Add in the bok choy leaves and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the veggies are all tender. Push the veggies to one side of the skillet, then pour the eggs into the other half and cook, stirring frequently, until scrambled.
- Add the noodles and sauce to the skillet and cook, tossing frequently, for about 2 minutes, until hot and well combined. Remove from the heat. Season with salt, pepper and/or red pepper flakes as desired. Serve immediately with optional garnishes.
lauren says
Where can I buy the wide rice noodles!?
Thank you!
Ashley Jennings says
Hey Lauren! I was able to find some at my local grocery store (but a lot don't carry them!). You can also try online or at an asian market.
Dana says
I got mine in the International aisle at Safeway, Pad Thai rice noodles... So excited to try this, as I am making it tonight!
Ashley Jennings says
Hope you enjoyed Dana!
Sarah says
What is dark sweet soy sauce?
Ashley Jennings says
Hey Sarah - it's a thick, syrupy sauce that is sweeter and a bit darker in color than regular soy sauce. A lot of regular stores carry it these days but you can also order online or find at an asian market!