I don’t know about you but I really, really love noodle dishes and am always excited to add them to the menu for lunch or dinner. Of course, they can be pretty heavy sometimes so that’s why I love to freshen them up with lots of colorful veggies and, of course, plenty of flavors!
In case you haven’t noticed I’ve been having a thing with both peanut butter and Asian foods recently. Wow, I never thought of myself as being one-track minded but maybe I was wrong. I can, however, admit to being a creature of habit and returning again and again to the same things when I find a favorite so this is one of those instances.
It’s simple and quick which are two of the first things we love to hear about a recipe, am I right? In my current Asian food craze I went for a Thai peanut sauce that’s one of my personal faves (always and forever!). When I’m writing a recipe I try to think how I can make it as adaptable as possible to fit your preferences, and that’s what I tried to do here.
You can easily replace any of the veggies with other ones you’d prefer. If you have a peanut allergy (I guess it’s very unlikely if you’ve made it this far but still) you can use any nut butter instead (almond, cashew…..). Oh, this is also really good with sunbutter or tahini. You can add tofu or tempeh…… Basically, don’t hesitate to change this up.
I hope you enjoy and if you do try it I’d love to hear what you think!
Creamy Peanut Pad Thai Noodles (Vegan+GF)
A classic Asian dish that makes for a delightful lunch or dinner any day of the week. It comes together quickly and easily, plus it's gluten free with a vegan option!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
8 ounces flat rice noodles cooked according to package
1 zucchini julienned
1 red pepper thinly sliced
2 medium carrots julienned
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 cup broccoli florets
Sauce:
2/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce if gluten free use tamari or coconut aminos
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Sriracha optional
cilantro and peanuts for garnish if desired
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, hoisen, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil and Sriracha, if using; set aside.
Add the carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, and snap peas to pan along with about 1/2 cup water. Cover and steam until water is nearly evaporated then add the zucchini and the prepared sauce and stir gently over heat for about 3 minutes. Toss in the noodles and stir well until everything is heated through, about 3 more minutes.
Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and peanuts, if desired.