A light, healthy take on pad Thai that uses raw vegetable noodles instead of rice noodles! Daikon, zucchini and carrot ribbons tossed in savory peanut sauce makes this salad-y dish irresistible. This meal is gluten free and easily made vegan.
Ingredients:
- ¾ pound daikon radish, peeled
- 4 medium carrots, peeled½ pound zucchini (or replace with an additional ½ pound bean sprouts)½ pound (8 ounces) bean sprouts
- 4 green onions, finely sliced (white and green parts)
- 12 to 14 ounces organic extra-firm tofu, drained and very gently squeezed of excess moisture
- 1 small handful cilantro leaves, chopped, plus extra for serving
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, preferably black, plus extra for serving
- 4 small wedges of lime, for serving
Peanut sauce
- ½ cup peanut butter or almond butter
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons tamari or other soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- About 3 tablespoons water, to thin
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the vegetable noodles: Use a julienne peeler, mandoline, spiralizer or regular peeler to create noodles out of the radish, carrots and zucchini, if using. Transfer the noodles to a large serving bowl. Add the bean sprouts, onions, chopped cilantro and sesame seeds to the bowl.
- Slice the tofu: Halve your slab of tofu lengthwise through the middle so you have two large, 1-inch thick slabs. Stack the slabs on top of each other and slice them into 4 columns lengthwise, then turn the tofu and slice across the columns to make ¼-inch wide squares of tofu. Gently transfer the tofu to the serving bowl.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary—the sauce should taste very bold at this point. (I added an extra little splash of tamari.)
- If you will not be serving all 4 portions immediately, portion off the amounts of vegetable/tofu mixture you need for now. Drizzle in enough dressing to coat the portioned amount. Use your hands to gently toss the mixture until every single strand is coating in dressing. Serve pad Thai with a wedge of lime and a sprinkle of extra chopped cilantro and sesame seeds. Store leftover vegetable/tofu mixture separately from the dressing and dress just before serving.