Oh my, this cold and saucy Pad Thai Zucchini Noodles Salad wow-ed me and I thought I can’t surprise myself anymore. Somehow, for the longest time I thought bean sprouts would go so well together with zucchini noodles, and I was right. Crunchy and fresh veggies, combined with lightly browned tofu, scrambled eggs, sweet shrimp, roasted peanuts and “drowning” in healthy version of Pad Thai sauce.
And this Pad Thai Zucchini Noodles Salad got even better the next day! This is a must try for a hot summer day with a lot of leftovers that you might be fighting for. Ladies, don’t give up!
I used local in season produce. For protein, I added West Coast small shrimp (I try to stay away from Indonesian farmed shrimp), eggs (egg whites would work) and organic firm tofu (soy has to be organic for me). You can use chicken, skip tofu and/or shrimp for vegan or vegetarian versions of this salad.
What I loved about this salad is that it’s a full meal with variations to suit your family’s taste. Google “pad thai” and get a million of ideas for add-ons. Radishes would be great too but I forgot.:)
Zucchini noodles are all the rage these days. Frankly, I wasn’t sold on them until I tried zucchini noodles with chicken and stovetop zucchini noodles lasagna. They are mild tasting, low in calories and hit that pasta spot. You know what I mean?! It’s like cauliflower pizza crust recipe -> the most popular recipe on my blog for a good reason -> kills the craving on a Friday night.
To make zucchini noodles, use mandoline, spiralizer or a vegetable peeler. The last one is bit more time consuming and yields less perfect noodles but is a cheap alternative. Who cares, right?!
The day I made this Pad Thai Zucchini Noodles Salad, Alex suggested we go to the lake after work. I packed it in individual plastic containers, along with reusable forks (which I wash and re-use by the way), a few gorgeous peaches and sparkling club soda. Kids had a pasta dish and Quinoa Granola bars I will be sharing in a few weeks.
We had an amazing dinner on the beach and even grabbed a few dozens of eggs on our drive through “the boonies”. The eggs made my kids totally ecstatic by being real: covered in chicken poop, with a few feathers stuck to them and completely different shape, size and colour. They kept asking me what is wrong with the eggs. OMG, kids of the 21 century…
Anyways, this salad is truly amazing! And the sauce can be used for many other Thai dishes. Enjoy!
Pad Thai Zucchini Noodles
Pad Thai Zucchini Noodles Salad Recipe with zucchini pasta, healthy peanut sauce, shrimp or tofu and half amount of calories in under 20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Pad Thai Dressing:
- 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter, unsalted
- 1/4 cup water, warm
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (I used Bragg liquid aminos)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (sub with soy sauce if necessary)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 lime, juice of
Salad:
- 3 eggs, large (egg whites are OK)*
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil
- 12 oz package firm tofu, cut into small cubes**
- 7 oz shrimp, cooked*
- 2 medium zucchini, made into “noodles” using a mandoline, a spiralizer or vegetable peeler
- 1 large red bell pepper (I used 2 medium Romeros)
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 1/4 cup peanuts, unsalted
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
- Dash of salt
- Cooking spray (I use Misto)
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, add Pad Thai Dressing ingredients and process until smooth. Set aside.
- Preheat large skillet on medium heat, spray with cooking spray and make scrambled eggs. Transfer to a large salad bowl.
- Wipe clean or rinse the skillet, return to medium – high heat and add coconut oil. Add tofu and salt, cook until somewhat golden brown, stirring occasionally and watching closely not to burn. Transfer to the bowl with eggs along with remaining Salad ingredients.
- Pour dressing over the salad, mix gently and serve cold.
Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 2 days.
Notes
*Omit for vegan or vegetarian version. **You can skip tofu or substitute with cooked diced chicken.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
Loved this! I made extra for mine and my husband’s lunch but it was so good, we both went back for another half serving each so no lunch for him tomorrow, only for me ?
Didn’t like the look of the bean sprouts so I omitted them and substituted with radishes for the crunch. Will definitely be making again, thanks Olena!
★★★★★
You are welcome, Isabelle.:)
Thai noodles but zucchini? Amazing!
★★★★★
This pad thai was awesome! I used tofu as we are vegetarians.
★★★★★
This looks so delicious! I’ll have to give it a try. I use the WP ultimate recipes plug-in for my blog, but I don’t like how it looks. It’s also not user-friendly. Would you mind sharing what plug-in you use?
PS – I pinned your recipe to my breakfast recipes board 🙂
Breakfast?! Hm… Okeeeey 😀
Hi Lynn. I use Ziplist plugin. It is older and not updated anymore because Ziplist has dissolved as a brand, but it is simple and works.:) Thanks for pinning.:)
What a great idea. This salad looks so fresh and delicious. I love this type of meal that is easy to transport. I’m definitely going to make it. Thanks for sharing.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe. I will definitely be making this more often.
Glad you liked it, Natasha!:)
This sounds fantastic im going to do it tomorrow thanks
Hi Olena, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the recipes and awesome info/resources you provide on the site! I plan on trying this recipe this week and I will be cooking tofu for the first time. Should I marinate the tofu in the pad thai dressing first? Thank you!
Hi Melissa. Oh my goodness, I’m blushing. Thank you! Yes, you could marinate it and then dump the leftover marinade in to the salad (don’t throw it out). Or you don’t have to marinate. Tofu will get coated with dressing anyways. Depends how much time you have. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t.
Perfect! Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. grocery shopping has always been therapeutic for me (I know, sounds crazy LOL) but these recipes and info you share makes me excited to cook and shop! Thanks again!
LOL not at all. Because I work from home I do not need much clothes, shoes and handbags. I LOVE grocery shopping, especially in winter months when there is not much to do outdoors. I too find it therapeutical – it makes me feel good feeding my body good food and discover new health products. I only need so many pairs of sweat pants and tank tops LOL. Plus Lululemon is expensive and it is my fave. So, grocery shopping it is. Second is house stuff shopping. You are welcome.:)
This is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I’d love it even if I wasn’t dieting!!!!
You should not be dieting but rather eating healthy forever!!! 🙂
Question, would this work as a hot dish with the noodles cooked / heated in some way? Thanks 🙂
You guys love to challenge my brain, love it!:) Yes, you could saute the noodles a bit like in this recipe, and then add remaining ingredients to the skillet just enough to warm through.
Thanks! 🙂
Yummo!!! Made and devoured last night by myself and my husband. It was amazing, thank you. Your blog is awesome and much appreciated!!!
Hi there, question about the coconut oil. I am not vegetarian nor do I follow a Paleo life style. Can I just skip the coconut oil or is there a substitution that I can use? Thanks for posting the WW points as I am watcher.
Hi Ali. Coconut oil is used only for frying the tofu. You can use any other oil or cooking spray.
Hi! Just had to post and say thank you. This was so delicious and gave me hope that healthy food can taste amazing! Great post!
This is very interesting, You are a very skilled blogger.
I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your excellent post.
Also, I’ve shared your web site in my social networks!
We LOVE Pad Thai and Zoodles in our household. Plus, I always need idea that pack well for my hubs’ lunch…you just saved my life. Pinned!
Yep. I love big meals with enough leftovers for the same reasons as yours. Thank you for pinning, my dear.
this is an awesome idea to use zucchini instead of pad thai noodles.. will be recreating this recipe for my vegetarian household. love it!
This salad is so versatile, you could make it completely vegan if you wish.
I am going to make this with almonds. Super yummy! And I love all the protein in it.
That sounds intriguing! Have you ever made thai food with almonds?