Pad Thai Zucchini Noodles

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!

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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

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Pad Thai Zucchini Noodles Salad Recipe with zucchini pasta, healthy peanut sauce, shrimp or tofu and half amount of calories in under 20 minutes.

• Author: ifoodreal.com
• Prep Time: 12 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 22 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

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

1. In a blender or food processor, add Pad Thai Dressing ingredients and process until smooth. Set aside.
2. 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.

2765 g822.2 mg16.2 g12.3 g22.6 g155.5 mg

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