Spring Peanut Pad Thai
I LOVE Thai food. It’s perhaps my favorite cuisine and almost always sounds delicious. While thumbing through my Food and Nutrition Magazine I came across a Spring-inspired homemade version of Pad Thai. As my readers know, I don’t like to spend loads of time in the kitchen. But this recipe sounded easy enough plus it looked yummy and like it would make enough for leftovers.
Photo Source // Photo by Scott Payne // Food Styling by Susan Skoog
Holy crap. It was AWESOME. Like, lick the plate kind of awesome. It was developed by a fellow dietitian Alexandra Caspero. You can check out her website Delicious Knowledge for super yummy recipes. She has a really beautiful website packed with easy to follow recipes that are brimming with flavor and nutrition. Her recipes are all vegetarian and vegan which to be honest, isn’t my typical go-to. But something to bear in mind if you browse her site.
So here is my latest and favorite spring time recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. If cooking up Pad Thai from scratch just feels a bit overwhelming, try ordering your favorite take-out version and add some roasted asparagus and Spring peas!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces flat rice noodles (brown rice preferred)
- ¼ cup low-sodium creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) hot water
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) canola oil
- ⅓ cup scallions, chopped, including white and green parts
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 8 ounces trimmed asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 large lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons / 30 milliliters juice)
- ½ cup roasted peanuts, lightly salted, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Directions
- Prepare rice noodles according to package instructions. Pour noodles into a colander and let drain.
- Meanwhile, make sauce by whisking peanut butter, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl.
- Slowly whisk in hot water and stir until sauce is blended. Set aside.
- In a large wok, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add scallions and cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in eggs and stir to scramble for about 2 minutes or until soft. Add asparagus and peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until asparagus is tender.
- Add drained noodles and sauce and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing until the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in lime juice.
- Transfer cooked noodles and vegetables to a large platter or bowl and garnish with peanuts and cilantro. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
Cooking Note
This dish comes together quickly, so be sure to chop and prep all ingredients before cooking.
