Healthy Pad Thai Recipe (with Fettuccine)
Today we are making a healthy Pad Thai recipe! Ask me if I want Thai food and this is at the top of my list! Please tell me you’ve tried this oh-so-popular Thai dish before? It is only ever served at EVERY thai restaurant, as well as all over Instagram and the web. No? Well, let me tell you … *rubs hands together vigorously.* Pad Thai is a Thai noodle dish that usually consists of the perfect balance of rice noodles with a stir fry tofu, meat, beaten egg, peanuts and vegetables (like green onions, fresh bean sprouts, snow peas, peppers, thin strips of red bell pepper) in a soy-based sauce (an authentic pad thai sauce uses fish sauce). It also uses fresh cilantro, peanuts and lime wedges to serve!
This soy sauce uses, well, soy sauce to begin with. Then it mixes in rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar, or tamarind paste for a tangy taste). Add to that some sweetener and optionally, peanut butter. That’s usually it, and it takes 20 minutes to come together for a great dinner idea! Oh, and if you’d like to see what original non-vegan traditional pad thai uses, you can check out an original recipe at this link!
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Pad Thai Recipe
Ready in Less Than Half an Hour: Although this recipe is usually not vegan, it can easily be veganized like I’ve done. There are a ton of variations depending on the vegetables you like to add, or whether you want (or don’t want) peanut butter in your sauce. Same with changing the ingredients to make it suitable for those looking for a gluten-free or soy-free option. This recipe is also an easy way to meal prep!
Make it Gluten-Free and Soy-Free: This recipe is not originally gluten-free or soy-free. Soy sauce is soy-based, and so is its reduced sodium counterpart, tamari. However, coconut aminos, an even further reduced-sodium version of soy sauce, is soy-free! Substitute coconut aminos if you’re looking to avoid soy. To make it gluten-free, use rice vermicelli noodles. These are also the original noodle that is in Pad Thai recipes. You can even try brown rice noodles! I love that there are now so many options available at the grocery store now (for example, I didn’t know coconut aminos existed until about two years ago)!
Fusion Dish: I love fusing other food from different countries! It makes for a flavour-filled dish, and something different than the dishes I’m used to eating. This recipe uses fettuccine noodles (Italian noodles) with a Pad Thai recipe (hailing from Thai cuisine)! I’ve tried it with the original vermicelli noodles as well, which is the gluten-free option too for those who want to skip the fettuccine!
Substitutions
Fettuccine Noodles: Substitute rice vermicelli noodles for a gluten-free option. For a raw version, use spaghetti squash noodles or zucchini noodles!
Rice Wine Vinegar: Substitute white wine vinegar.
Tamari: For a soy-free version, use coconut aminos. If you don’t have tamari on hand, use light soy sauce or dark soy sauce instead. Adjust the salt in the recipe accordingly (soy sauce is saltier than tamari, which is saltier than coconut aminos). If substituting the tamari, here are some tips depending on what you are substituting it for.
Using soy sauce: use less than the amount of tamari. If using coconut aminos to avoid soy: don’t use more coconut aminos to up the sodium – this adds too much liquid in the sauce. Instead, add a pinch more salt into the sauce. Or, if using coconut aminos for the reduced sodium, the recipe will taste bland without the added salt (beware the bland noodle)!
Coconut Palm Sugar: Substitute brown sugar. It is sweeter than coconut sugar so if you use this, reduce the amount to 4 tbsp first, then add more as desired.
Peanut Butter: This should be 100% natural peanut butter with no added oil or sugar. If it does have added ingredients, you’ll need to reduce the sugar and tamari that you add into this sauce. Taste test the sauce before adding it into the noodles if you make any changes to the ingredients used!
Sesame Oil: For the tablespoon of oil, use avocado oil or refined coconut oil instead.
Healthy Pad Thai Recipe Notes
- To crisp up the tofu before using it, coat it in cornstarch and cook it with a little bit of oil first. Then add it into the recipe. I didn’t do this, but you can check out how this extra step is done at this link. Make sure to use extra firm tofu for the crispiest option!
More Savoury & Healthy Recipes
If you make this Healthy Pad Thai Recipe, leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
Healthy Pad Thai Recipe
Equipment
- Stovetop Pan
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 green onions ends cut off, smashed with the flat side of a knife, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- ¾ large red bell pepper, sliced lengthwise
- ½ 14 oz. pack of firm or extra-firm tofu cut into rectangles
- ½ 454 grams pack of uncooked fettuccine noodles or rice vermicelli noodles for a gluten free (and closer to authentic) pad thai
- ¼ cup dry roasted peanuts add more as desired
For the Sauce
- 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter see substitution notes for types of peanut butter
- 4 tbsp tamari soy-free substitute: coconut aminos
- 5 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1½ tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
For the Topping
- lime slices
- fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- First cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package. This will take around 10 minutes, but it depends what type of noodles you are using. Once they are cooked, drain the water out of them and set aside.
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside first.
- Now in a stovetop pan over medium heat, add in the sesame oil.
- When it's hot, add in the onions, garlic and ginger. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
- Then add in the pepper and tofu. Stir these around for 2 minutes, until the tofu is browning.
- Add in the noodles and stir to combine.
- Then add in the peanuts and the sauce over top. Stir to combine again. If you'd like it a little creamier without changing the flavor, add a splash of plant-based milk (eg. oat milk because of the neutral taste. Or if you are heating up leftovers, you can add in a bit of milk to make them creamy).
- Stir around for 3-4 more minutes, until everything is incorporated well.
- Then turn off the stove and serve it hot! Garnish with lime slices and cilantro.
Notes
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Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
