Make Pad Thai Zoodles

Make Pad Thai is a delicious meal, but it can be heavy on the carbs if you are watching them. Fortunately, you can still enjoy a bowl of Pad Thai without omitting the noodles. All you have to do is use some zoodles instead! Zoodles are simply spiralized zucchinis and are a great substitute for noodles. Whether you choose to make Zoodle Pad Thai with shrimp or tofu, you are in for a treat!

Ingredients

Shrimp Pad Thai

• 3 to 4 large zucchinis
• 1 large carrot
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) canola oil
• ½ lamb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup (cc grams) green onion pieces, sliced (optional)
• ¼ cup (30 grams) unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons (45 grams) dark brown sugar or honey
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) fish sauce or Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Sriracha or chili garlic sauce

Serves 4

Vegetarian Pad Thai

• 8 ounces (226 grams) extra firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) cooking oil, divided
• 2 eggs, beaten (omit for vegan)
• 1 stalk green onion, cut into 2" lengths
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 cup (122 grams) matchstick cut carrots
• 3 large zucchinis
• 1 lime, halved (use 1 half for step 5, cut other half into wedges for serving)
• ¼ cup (30 grams) chopped peanuts
• Sprigs of cilantro, minced

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) hoisin sauce
• ½ tablespoon (7.5 milliliters) soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey (or avage for strict vegans)

Serves 4

Steps

Making Shrimp Pad Thai

1. Spiralize the zucchinis and carrots. You can do this with a spiralizer, a julienne peeler, or a mandoline. You can peel the zucchinis beforehand or leave it unpeeled.
2. Drain the zoodles. Place the zoodles on top of a paper towel. Lightly salt it, then cover it with another paper towel. Pat it down with your hands, wait 20 minutes, then roll the zoodles up in the paper towel. Wait 30 to 60 minutes, then unroll the zoodles and place them into a bowl.
   • If the top paper towel is soaked through before you roll up the zoodles, replace it with a fresh one.
   • You do not need to drain the carrots. Carrots don't have as much moisture in them as zucchinis do.
   • This step is not absolutely necessary, but it will help soak up any excess moisture and prevent the zoodles from turning too soggy.
3. Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour the soy sauce into a small bowl. Add the brown sugar, fish sauce, fresh lime juice, and Sriracha. Stir everything together with a fork or mini whisk, then set the bowl aside.
   • If you are a strict vegan and don't have honey or brown sugar, try agave nectar instead.
4. Sauté the shrimp and garlic. Heat a heavy-duty pan over high heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of canola oil into the pan, then add the minced garlic and the shrimp. Cook them until the shrimp start to turn pink, stirring often with a wooden spoon or spatula. This will take about 2 minutes.
5. Add the sauce, green onions, and zoodles, and continue sautéing. Add the sauce, green onions, and zoodles into the pan. Stir everything to combine, then cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the zoodles, or they will turn soggy.
6. Serve the zoodles while they are still hot. Divide them between four bowls. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon (7.5 grams) of chopped peanuts. For extra color and zest, add some chopped fresh basil or cilantro/coriander.

Making Vegetarian Pad Thai

1. Spiralize the zucchinis. You can do this quickly with a spiralizer. If you don't have one, use a julienne peeler or a mandoline.
   • You can peel the zucchinis or leave them unpeeled.
2. Drain the zucchinis. Place the spiralized zucchinis on top of a paper towel, then lightly salt them. Cover them with another paper towel, then pat them down with your hands. Wait 20 minutes, then roll up the paper towel. Wait another 30 to 60 minutes, then unroll the paper towel and place the spiralized zucchinis into a bowl.
   • Replace the top paper towel if it gets too soggy.
   • You don't have to do this, but doing so will help soak prevent the zoodles from getting too soggy.
3. Prepare the Pad Thai sauce. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of freshly squeezed lime juice into a small cup. Add 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of hoisin sauce, ½ tablespoon (7.5 milliliters) of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of chili sauce, and 1 teaspoon of honey. Stir everything together with a fork or mini whisk. Set the sauce aside for later.
   • Use agave nectar if you are a strict vegan.
   • Save time by preparing the sauce while the zoodles are draining.
4. Press the tofu between two paper towels. Place the tofu down on top of a paper towel. Cover it with another paper towel, then press down on it with a plate or cutting board. This will help remove any excess moisture.
5. Cube the tofu, then brown it in a hot wok. Toss the tofu with 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of cooking oil, then place it onto a hot wok. Brown the tofu on all sides (about 1 to 2 minutes), then transfer it to a plate.
6. Wipe the wok clean, add more oil, then scramble the eggs. Wipe the wok clean with a paper towel first. Turn down the heat to medium-high. Pour in ½ tablespoon (7.5 milliliters) of cooking oil, and swirl it around. Add the eggs, then scramble them with a spatula. Once the eggs are set, transfer them to the plate with the tofu.
   • Skip this step if you are vegan or don't like eggs.
7. Sauté the green onion, garlic, and ginger with the rest of the oil. Pour the remaining ½ tablespoon (7.5 milliliters) of cooking oil into the wok. Swirl it around, then add the green onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté them for about 15 seconds, or until they turn fragrant.
8. Sauté the carrots and the zoodles. Add in the carrots first. Fry them, stirring often, for 1 minute. Toss in the zoodles, and cook them for another minute.
9. Stir in the prepared sauce, tofu, and eggs, and continue cooking. Start with three tablespoons (45 milliliters) of the sauce first. Add in the tofu and the eggs. Toss everything together and cook for 2 minutes. Give the Pad Thai a taste, then add more sauce, if needed.
10. Serve the Pad Thai. Divide the Pad Thai between four plates. Add a squeeze of lime juice on top, along with some chopped peanuts and cilantro. Plan on using 1 tablespoon (7.5 grams) of chopped peanuts per dish.

Tips

• If you don't have any fish sauce, hoisin sauce, or Worcestershire sauce, you can use more soy sauce instead.
• If you can't find any zucchinis, or if you don't have the time or means to spiralize them, use packaged broccoli slaw (minus the dressing) instead.
• Try it with chicken instead! Cut a chicken breast into cubes, then sauté it in some olive oil before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Things You'll Need

Making Shrimp Pad Thai

• Spiralizer
• Small cup
• Fork or mini whisk
• Plate
• Heavy-duty pan
• Spatula

Making Vegetarian Pad Thai

• Spiralizer
• Small cup
• Fork or mini whisk
• Plate
• Wok
• Spatula

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make a Coconut Bombay Stir Fry
• Make Noodle Salad
• Make Greco Roman Ravioli
• Make Egg Noodles Using a Food Processor
• Cook Pasta
• Make the Perfect Cheesy Pasta
• Make Orzo
• Make Ravioli
• Make Soup With Noodles Like Ramen
• Reheat Leftover Pasta Without It Separating or Drying Up

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