Name: Pad Thai Zucchini Noodle + Quinoa Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 medium zucchini; 1 cup shredded cabbage; 1 cup sliced red bell pepper; 2 scallions (thinly sliced); 1/4 cup chopped cilantro; 1/2 cup cooked quinoa; 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts; for the sauce:; 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (or almond butter); Juice of 2 limes; 2 teaspoons gluten-free tamari; 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (or asian hot sauce of choice); 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; Water as needed to thin the sauce

This pad thai zucchini noodle and quinoa salad is a lightened up version of a takeout staple. Clean ingredients, tons of flavor and packed with nutrients!

PAD THAI ZUCCHINI NOODLE SALAD with a creamy peanut butter sauce and quinoa for extra protein [vegan]

Today I'm remaking one of my favorite take out dishes of all time: Pad Thai!

This noodle dish is traditionally served with rice noodles, egg, some sort of protein and a delicious peanut sauce. It often might feel like a healthier option, but there's a lot of junk hiding inside. The noodles are basically pure starch with zero nutritional value. The sauce usually has sugar, fish sauce and a ton of sodium in it, and the whole thing is finished off with a high-heat saute in vegetable oil.

So…is pad thai healthy? Not really.

But with a few tweaks, we've been able to get rid of all the crappy ingredients and transform this dish into a nourishing, flavorful and veggie-packed salad that requires no cooking and takes about 10 minutes to make.

Cheaper than takeout. Faster than takeout. And healthier than takeout. That's a win in my book.

So it's time to whip out your spiralizer, slice of up some veggies and dig into this healthy pasta dish.

And if you don't have a spiralizer already, the one I'm using in today's video is The Inspiralizer — I've tested out a bunch of different tools and this one is by far the best. I talked about the features I love about it before in this post, but if you are in the market for a spiralizer, I highly recommend this one! Click here to grab an Inspiralizer.

Since I'm a big pasta lover and we're getting into zucchini season, I'm planning to use my spiralizer a lot this summer. I'll be sure to share some of my creations on the blog, but I'd also love to hear what your favorite spiralized recipe is!

Your turn…

Do you spiralize? What's your favorite veggie/recipe? Leave a comment below so we can also give each other inspiration for this amazing kitchen gadget!

And if you haven't joined the SQ community on YouTube yet, make sure you subscribe so you don't miss any of my videos (I don't always post them on the blog!)

xo Alyssa

Prep: 10

Total: 10

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
2 scallions thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
for the sauce:
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter or almond butter
Juice of 2 limes
2 teaspoons gluten-free tamari
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce or asian hot sauce of choice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Water as needed to thin the sauce

Instructions

Slice the ends off the zucchini and secure it to your spiralizer. Spiralize the zucchini into long noodles and transfer to a large bowl.
Thinly slice the cabbage and pepper, either with a knife or mandolin slicer, and add that to the bowl with the zucchini noodles, along with the scallions, cilantro, quinoa and peanuts.
In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it's thin enough to pour -- you're looking for the consistency of a creamy dressing.
Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Transfer to two bowls, sprinkle with a bit more peanuts and cilantro and enjoy!

Nutrition

cuisine: American, Thai

course: Salad

Pad Thai Zucchini Noodle + Quinoa Salad

Your turn…