Vegan Pad Thai

March 17, 2020

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Written by PAM ROCCA

I used to run a meal prep company where I would help thousands of people prep healthy meals for the week. This Vegan Pad Thai was on of the hands down absolute favourites. People often emailed me or messaged me to say they can’t believe how much of a crowd pleaser this recipe was with their family. If that doesn’t get you fired up to try this recipe I don’t know what will, it is better than take out.

Yesterday we made this dish for dinner, feel free to use whatever veggies or protein source you have in your fridge or whatever your family enjoys. This recipe is really versatile in that it doesn’t overly matter what veggies you toss in but we love to include bok choy it is delicious and not something we pick up each week. Bok choy packs a nutritional punch it contains, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin C, Vitamin E, selenium and it is part of the cruciferous vegetable family. These veggies are great for helping the body naturally detoxify, they are anti-inflammatory, high in antioxidants and help to protect against cancer. It is high in nutrient density and low in calories, it shrinks down when you cook it so add way more than you think you need.

If you don’t want to use rice noodles due to the calorie content you can substitute for zucchini noodles instead, simply add them in last minute.

I love to serve up educational information with each recipe so you can make empowering choices when it comes to food. In this recipe you will see that we used coconut sugar. If you don’t have coconut sugar you can use brown sugar or any sugar. We use coconut sugar because it’s less processed than traditional sugar. Coconut sugar is a ntural granulated sweetener derived from coconut palm tree sap. Unlike white sugar coconut sugar keeps it’s natural brown colour and essential nutrients such as iron, zinc and calcium, potassium and a fibre called inulin which has less of an impact on blood sugar rates. It has a caramel or molasses flavour and does not taste like coconut. It’s also more sustainable and uses less resources than sugar cane which is an environmental win as it uses minimal water and fuel to grow. Swap it for any sugar in recipes with a 1:1 ratio. We use it sauces and baking, but also like to use maple syrup and apple butter.

Now let’s get to this delicious, creamy Vegan Pad Thai recipe!

The Recipe

Vegan Pad Thai

Makes: 4-5 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

8 oz rice noodles

1 tablespoon avocado oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 inches ginger, freshly grated

1 cup shredded carrots (1 large carrot)

4 cups bok choy, can sub for green cabbage, broccoli or snap peas

1/3 cup edamame

1/2 package tofu, drained, pressed and cubed

Sauce

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar

½ cup cup all natural peanut butter

5 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Sriracha

2 tablespoons lime juice, half a lime juiced

1 inch ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. In a small sauce pan over medium to low heat add garlic and ginger cook for 1 minute stirring frequently until fragrant and golden, add in remaining sauce ingredients water, peanut butter, coconut sugar, Sriracha and lime juice. Keep stirring until sauce thickens remove from heat and set aside.

2. In a large non-stick skillet bring 1 tablespoon avocado oil over medium heat. Add in garlic and ginger, carrots, edamame, tofu and bok choy. Cook until the carrots and bok choy are soft.

3. At the same time place noodles in a large bowl, boil enough water with kettle to cover noodles. Cover with water and stir let sit for 2-3 minutes until noodles are cooked.

4. Add noodles and sauce to large skillet and mix all ingredients together. Serve with desired toppings – chopped peanuts, lime slices, and fresh cilantro

Recipe Tip – if sauce thickens up to much add a splash of water to thin it out. You can make this nut free by omitting peanut butter and adding 1/4 cup fish sauce and 2 tablespoons sesame oil. If you don’t have coconut sugar you can use any sugar source (honey, maple syrup, brown sugar etc).