Pad Thai is just about everyone’s favorite noodle dish at Thai restaurants. Many vegans have to give up Thai food after going vegan because most Thai restaurants use fish sauce. In The Abundance Diet, Somer McCowan shares a Raw Pad Thai recipe with a super-tasty sauce that is fish-free. This dish makes a perfect light summer dinner. If you want to eat this in the cold of winter, feel free to briefly stir-fry the vegetables and lightly warm the sauce. The dish will no longer be raw, obviously, but will still be nutritious. Look for tamarind paste in the Asian section of your grocery store, in Asian markets, or online.
Raw Pad Thai
Makes 4 servings
Raw Noodles and Vegetables
- 4 medium zucchini, shaved into very thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler, cut into matchsticks, or spiralized
- 4 medium carrots, shaved into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler, cut into matchsticks, or spiralized
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 2 cups small broccoli florets
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint
- 1 small bunch scallions, cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 1 small jalapeño, minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped raw cashews, for topping
Pad Thai Sauce
- 1/4 cup raw tahini
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 cup date paste
- 1/4 cup tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
- 3 tablespoons finely minced ginger
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup tamarind paste, optional
Preparation
- Arrange the zucchini, carrots, red cabbage, broccoli florets, red bell pepper, bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, mint, scallions, and jalapeño on 4 dinner plates or large shallow bowls. Sprinkle with the cashews.
- In a blender, combine the tahini, orange juice, lime juice, date paste, tamari, ginger, garlic, and tamarind paste, if using. Blend the ingredients until fully combined and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Evenly drizzle the sauce over the vegetables and serve immediately.
Recipe from The Abundance Diet, © 2015 by Somer McCowan. Photo by Ann Oliverio. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press LLC.
Printable Raw Pad Thai recipe:
- 4 medium zucchini, shaved into very thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler, cut into matchsticks, or spiralized
- 4 medium carrots, shaved into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler, cut into matchsticks, or spiralized
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 2 cups small broccoli florets
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch slices
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh mint
- 1 small bunch scallions, cut into ¼ inch slices
- 1 small jalapeño, minced
- ¼ cup finely chopped raw cashews, for topping
- ¼ cup raw tahini
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ cup date paste
- ¼ cup tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
- 3 tablespoons finely minced ginger
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup tamarind paste, optional
- Arrange the zucchini, carrots, red cabbage, broccoli florets, red bell pepper, bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, mint, scallions, and jalapeño on 4 dinner plates or large shallow bowls. Sprinkle with the cashews.
- In a blender, combine the tahini, orange juice, lime juice, date paste, tamari, ginger, garlic, and tamarind paste, if using. Blend the ingredients until fully combined and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Evenly drizzle the sauce over the vegetables and serve immediately.
