Make Anna Jones' super simple tofu and broccoli pad thai recipe tonight

If we're ever stumped for what to make for dinner, chef Anna Jones'  One Pot, Pan, Planet  recipe book, released in March 2021, is always the first place we turn. While we wait patiently for Anna's next book (no news on it yet, but we're hopeful she'll release another tome soon!) we were pleased to learn she's teamed up with healthy meal delivery brand Detox Kitchen  to create a handful of plant-based tasty meals.

Here she shares her recipe for a vegan pad Thai that makes for the perfect 'I don't know what to eat!' dinner.

Tofu and broccoli pad Thai recipe

Using gluten-free mung bean noodles as a base, with a medley of crisp, crunchy Asian vegetables and a topping of cashews, sesame seeds, crispy onions, spring onions and herbs, this dish couldn’t be fresher or more dynamic.

Our favourite part is the delicate tamarind sauce: soy, ginger, maple syrup, rice vinegar and tamarind whisked together. As well as bursting with flavour, this will give you that burst of energy you need rather than leaving you with that heavy, sluggish feeling that usually follows a traditional pad Thai, making it perfect for both lunch and dinner.

Serves: two

Main Ingredients

250g rice noodles
250g firm tofu, chopped into 3cm cubes
250g sprouting broccoli
2 tbsp tamari sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2cm piece of ginger, minced
6 spring onions, sliced at an angle
100g bean sprouts

For the sauce

4 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp maple syrup
4 tbsp soy or tamari sauce

To serve

A handful of cashew nuts, chopped
2 tbsp pickled chillies
A handful of basil, chopped
A handful of mint, chopped
2 tbsp crispy shallots
A lime wedge

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

2. Bake the tofu in the oven with a little oil for 15 minutes, or until golden.

3. While the tofu is baking in the oven, cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions. Steam the sprouting broccoli for five to 10 minutes.

4. In a pan, heat a little oil and fry off the garlic. ginger and spring onions for two to three minutes on a medium heat. Add in the cooked noodles and tamari and stir fry for a couple more minutes.

5. Make the sauce by whisking all the ingredients together.

6. When the tofu and broccoli are done, plate up the dish by adding the noodles on the bottom, then the tofu, broccoli and beansprouts.

7. Top with the chopped cashews, pickled chillies, herbs and crispy onions and serve with a lime wedge.

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