This easy and supremely tasty dish uses raw ingredients and therefore knocks it out of the park in the nutrition stakes. It is also free from added refined salt, oil, and sugar and can be made gluten-free. Get as creative as you want with this recipe—there really are no veggies that are off limits. If you like them—chuck them in!
Pad Thai Ingredients:
3 medium courgettes (zucchini)
3 large carrots or butternut squash
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup bean sprouts
Optional:
Other sprouts, such as radish or broccoli
½ cup crushed peanuts
½ cup chopped fresh coriander leaf (cilantro – USA)
Sauce Ingredients:
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup almond butter (or cashew butter, peanut butter)
¼ cup tamari (gluten-free, if needed)
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger root, grated
Optional:
You can add a sweetener to taste, if desired. I prefer medjool dates, which I chop and soak for about half an hour in a little hot water so they get really soft and gooey.
1. Use a spiralizer, if you have one, to make the noodles from the carrot/butternut squash and courgette, or use a mandoline or vegetable peeler to create noodles. Place them in a large mixing bowl and top with the other vegetables.
2. Whisk sauce ingredients in a bowl. The sauce will be thick, but will thin out after it’s mixed with the vegetables.
3. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and toss.
Prep time: 15 mins, Serves: 3
Top Tips:
This is wonderful served with extra lime wedges to squeeze over your pad thai—it’s traditional!
If you make the dressing first, and then toss the veggies on top, this is a one-pot meal.
You can make this in advance and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight, which really enhances the flavours. Before serving, leave it at room temperature for about 15 minutes to help to soften up the veggies and combine the flavours.