Vegetarian Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai
Try this Vegetarian Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Vegetarian Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 garlic clove minced
- for the sauce:
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts
- 1/2 tbsp peanut oil (or oil of choice)
- 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 2 medium zucchinis blade c
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (or hoisin sauce if you're strict vegetarian)
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp chili sauce (i used thai chili garlic sauce)
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped cilantro + whole cilantro leaves t
- Carbohydrate 15.2321875030759 g
- Cholesterol 423 mg
- Fat 26.1936150002467 g
- Fiber 4.47105614323742 g
- Protein 18.8596618781332 g
- Saturated Fat 12.1952965000322 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (220g)
- Sodium 264.6728750073 mg
- Sugar 10.7611313598385 g
- Trans Fat 2.62346050011491 g
- Calories 353 calories
Step-by-step
- Scramble the eggs and set aside.
- Place all of the ingredients for the sauce into a bowl, whisk together and set aside.
- Place the peanuts into a food processor and pulse until lightly ground (no big peanuts should remain, but it shouldn't be powdery). Set aside.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add in oil, garlic and shallots. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots begin to soften. Add in the sauce and whisk quickly so that the flour dissolves and the sauce thickens. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until sauce is reduced and thick.
- Once the sauce is thick, add in the zucchini noodles and cilantro and stir to combine thoroughly.
- Cook for about 2 minutes or until noodles soften and then add in the scrambled eggs and ground peanuts. Cook for about 30 seconds, tossing to fully combine.
- Plate onto dishes and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges.
Traditional pad thai relies on dense rice noodles that absorb heavy quantities of tamarind sauce, whereas zucchini ribbons introduce a high moisture content that fundamentally changes how the dish comes together. Raw zucchini releases water rapidly upon heat exposure. Controlling this liquid release requires a hot skillet and swift reduction techniques to prevent the sauce from diluting. Whisking coconut flour directly into the liquid ingredients creates a stable emulsion that clings to the slippery vegetable strands. Cooking the shallots and minced garlic for precisely two minutes in peanut oil builds aromatic depth without burning the delicate alliums. Adding the spiralized squash at the very end preserves a crisp texture and stops the zucchini from turning limp. Scrambling the eggs separately ensures they retain distinct curds instead of dissolving into a murky puree. Pulse the roasted peanuts until uniform to distribute crunch evenly across every bite without introducing hard fragments. Scaling this preparation up for a larger group requires working in separate batches because overcrowding the pan traps steam and promotes excessive water release from the squash.
Balancing the Table with Complementary Dishes
Pairing zucchini noodles with the correct accompaniments balances the low starch content and high water volume of the vegetable base. Steamed jasmine rice provides a neutral starch contrast that absorbs any residual sauce left on the plate. Fresh cucumber salad tossed with rice vinegar cuts through the rich peanut and coconut oil profile. Spicy garlic green beans offer a contrasting crunch that mirrors the chopped peanut garnish. Avoid heavy fried appetizers because the dish already contains significant fat content from the peanuts and eggs. Fresh lime wedges placed on the rim allow diners to boost the acidity right before eating.Scaling and Execution Parameters
Doubling the ingredients demands a wider skillet rather than a deeper pot to maintain maximum surface area for evaporation. Keep the heat source at medium-high when reducing the sauce to drive off excess moisture efficiently. Consume this preparation immediately upon cooking because zucchini continues to purge water as it sits, turning the sauce watery within fifteen minutes. Store leftover components separately in airtight containers for up to two days if meal prepping.
