Have you ever tried a bowl of creamy pad thai with rice noodles, crunchy peanuts and extra chili? It’s like a flavor explosion in your mouth! I wanted to create a lighter summer version of this classic Southeast Asian dish with zucchini & carrot noodles instead of rice pasta + extra greens for a mineral boost. This Pad Thai Noodle Salad turned out even better than I expected. If you love Asian flavors, you will enjoy every bite of it!
Pad Thai Noodle Salad
SERVES: 2 people (or 4 people as a starter)
EQUIPMENT: spiralizer, glass jar, large mixing bowl
INGREDIENTS:
Pad Thai Sauce (large ½ cup)
¼ cup of almond butter
2 tablespoons of tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
3 tablespoons of lime or lemon juice
½ tablespoon of maple syrup
2 teaspoons of ginger, grated
½ small clove of garlic, grated
Pad Thai Noodle Salad
2 zucchini, peeled
4 carrots, peeled
¼ large red cabbage
2 stalks of green onion
4 large handfuls of mixed greens (spring mix, spinach, kale, Romaine lettuce…)
4 large handfuls of mung bean sprouts (or other sprouts of your choice)
¼ cup of ALL GOOD teriyaki cashews, roughly chopped (or other nuts of your choice)
2 teaspoons of sesame seeds
Cilantro, finely chopped (or other herbs of your choice)
DIRECTIONS:
Pad Thai Sauce
- Combine almond butter, tamari, lime juice, maple syrup, ginger and garlic in a glass jar. Shake well.
- If your almond butter is really hard, use a blender or mini food processor to make this sauce.
Pad Thai Noodle Salad
- Use a spiralizer to create zucchini and carrot noodles.
- Shred your red cabbage with a sharp knife or a food processor.
- Finely chop your green onion.
- Combine zucchini and carrot noodles, red cabbage and green onion with the mixed greens and mung bean sprouts in a large mixing bowl. Stir well.
- Serve the noodle salad with a generous serving of pad thai sauce, roughly chopped teriyaki cashews, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and finely chopped cilantro to taste.
JULIE’S TIPS & TRICKS:
This Pad Thai sauce will stay fresh for at least 1 week in the refrigerator. I love using it as a creamy topping on quinoa salads like this Summer Quinoa Salad or this Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Avocado too!
Now I would love to hear from you! What is your absolute favorite Asian dish? I’d love to create a plant-based version of it, so let me know what is worth a try by leaving a comment down below.
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