Homemade Pad Thai

Pad Thai is an incredibly delicious, authentic Thai dish that I have always been a huge fan of. From restaurants, to fast food, to homemade from the box, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed this meal any of those ways.

So, considering how delicious it is, it only felt right to try and make my own version from scratch. In comes my homemade pad thai recipe.

The beauty of this recipe is that as long as your sauce stays consistent, you can make it your own by adding whatever kind of protein and veggies your heart desires. I have personally done this recipe with chicken, shrimp, and tofu. I can’t pick a favourite… Sorry.

I like to make my pad thai with a combination of rice noodles and zucchini noodles, I find it really adds depth to the meal as well as added health benefits. (more veggies yay!)

This meal is easily thrown together in a matter of thirty minutes, which makes it one of my favourite weeknight meals when you are in a pinch but still want to eat a wholesome, nutritious meal. No take-out on the menu tonight!

Health

What makes this homemade pad thai better than take-out? Besides the fact that it tastes exceptionally delicious, this pad thai recipe is on the healthier side compared to what you order from a restaurant. Pad thai sauce often has a lot of unnecessary added sugar for sweetness. In this recipe all I use is two tablespoons of maple syrup to give it a little punch of sweetness without overpowering all the other sauce ingredients.

There are lots of good nutrients in the veggies of course, and the reason I add zucchini noodles is not to make the dish “lower carb” or lighter in calories, I find it simply gives a nice added texture to the dish, and feels lighter to eat mixed in with the rice noodles! Do NOT worry, I am pro carbs.

Toppings

Just to take this meal up yet another notch, I highly recommend topping your padthai with some crushed roasted peanuts, fresh cilantro, bean sprouts, and if you are really up for a five star meal, make a little bit of peanut sauce to go along with it. My peanut sauce recipe is linked in with the ingredients!

Homemade Pad Thai Recipe

Yield: 4-5 Servings Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Total time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 1/3 C Soy Sauce*
• 1 tbsp fish sauce**
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• Juice of one lime
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 3-4 tbsp rice vinegar
• optional: 1 tsp chili paste OR top with chili flakes

*Use coconut aminos for a soy free option instead of soy sauce.

**If you do not have fish sauce sub for a little extra soy sauce if desired

For the Padthai

• 3-4 servings rice noodles
• 1-2 spiraled zucchini noodle (optional)
• 2 carrots peeled and julienned
• 1 bell pepper thinly sliced
• 3 sprigs of green onion finely chopped
• 3-inch piece of ginger minced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 package medium firm tofu cubed (or other protein including shrimp or chicken)
• 1-2 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 eggs scrambeled
• Optional for topping: cilantro, crushed peanuts, Peanut sauce, bean sprouts

Method

1. Start with making your sauce by mixing all ingredients together in a medium size bowl and set aside.
2. If using tofu, drain water from package and press between paper towel to remove excess water. Then dice into small cubes.
3. Mince your ginger, garlic, and green onion.
4. Chop up all extra add-ins including carrots, bell pepper as well as spiralizing zucchini if using.
5. Prepare rice noodles according to package, drain water, and set aside.
6. Heat up a large pan to medium-high heat. Add sesame oil to the pan. Then add green onion, ginger, and garlic. Sautee for 1-2 minutes.
7. Add in carrots and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding in other ingredients.
8. Add tofu to the pan and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
9. I like to scramble my eggs in a separate pan and mix it in, however, you can also do them in the same pan with everything else.
10. Add your sauce to the pan, followed by zucchini noodles. Mix to evenly distribute sauce over all ingredients.
11. Add in rice noodles and toss everything to spread the sauce throughout. (Taste and add more soy sauce if you like it saltier)
12. Serve with a drizzle of peanut sauce, crushed peanuts, some cilantro, and bean sprouts if you please. (It is optional but these add-ons take it to the next level.)

*Note that if you are making shrimp or chicken instead of tofu to prepare in a separate pan before adding with other ingredients. Cook your protein in a frying pan with a drizzle of sesame oil, sautée ginger and garlic for 2-3 minutes and then cook your chicken or shrimp.

Nutrition

approximate per 1/5th of the recipe without toppings

Calories: 307 total fat: 14g Sodium: 1 173mg Carbohydrates: 39g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 7g Protein: 16g