To be honest, I did not have high expectations for this keto (low carb, medium protein, high fat) version of pad thai. I had amazing Pad Thai in Chiang Mai in January, and wanted to try making it keto with zuke (zucchini) noodles. But when I added them in to the stir fry pan, they looked pretty limp, brown, and gross.
Then I added in the bean sprouts, topped with peanuts and lime, and tried it. Boy, was I wrong. The crunchy fresh bean sprouts made all the difference, and it was actually so delicious that I wanted to share.
This dish was fast and easy to make. Once my water was boiled for my zuke noodles, it took about 20 minutes to put it all together, including spiralizing my zucchini (see below). I cooked a serving for just myself though, so you might need a few more minutes to spiralize more zukes. If you like to meal prep, I am not so sure how great this would reheat for a second-day serving… but I could be as wrong about that as I was about how this dish would taste.
I used the one pad thai sauce mix I could find without MSG at my local Asian grocery (Ocean Mart if you live in the south SLC suburbs – read the ingredients to know if it has MSG or not), and that sauce mix contained anchovy paste so it wasn’t vegetarian. Amazon* has a powdered spice mix you could order and try to be authentically veg.
INGREDIENTS
Zucchini for spiralizing – I use about one zuke per person and spiral them myself, but many grocers sell pre-made “zoodles” in the vegetable section and I also saw frozen ones at Trader Joe’s recently. If you’re into zoodles, a spiralizer costs about $30 on Amazon and might save you a lot in the long run, especially if you garden
Fresh Bean Sprouts – THESE ARE THE NOT-SO-SECRET INGREDIENT. Traditional pad thai definitely contains bean sprouts, but sometimes we can be lazy about finding them for homemade pad thai in the USA. Make the effort, because these made the entire dish. The zuke noodles need something to add crunch, and this is essential to a successful keto version of pad thai. Bean sprouts can be harder to find now that there have been some salmonella incidents with bean sprouts. But spinach also had some bad incidents, and I am not about to stop eating that, so just be smart about your sprouts when you find them. I get mine at my local Asian grocery noted above, It’s always a good idea to check the date and if the produce look slimy, leave it at the store
Sliced green onions – I like a lot of flavor so I put two in my last batch but would add more next time
Egg – one or two per person, omit if you want to go vegan
Firm or fried tofu – chopped into small cubes (look the fried stuff at the Asian grocery store if you want to get adventurous)
Sesame oil – for frying. You can use just about any oil but I find sesame oil gives a great flavor for this Thai dish. sesame oil has a low smoke point, which means it burns easily. Try cooking on lower than the “blazing inferno” heat setting, or you can blend with another oil if you like
Peanuts – as much as you’d like to add on top
Pad Thai spice mix – read ingredients to check for MSG and animal products if you are cooking vegetarian, check link above for vegetarian powder mix
Lime – to squeeze on top
Chili sauce – to serve, as desired
HOW TO
Boil a pot of water. You’ll cook your zuke noodles in this water, so make it big enough to fit them.
While your noodles are cooking to al dente, heat some sesame oil in a frying pan You’ll use this pan to cook everything together, so make it a big one.
Crack your eggs and whisk/mix them up, then fry up like an omelet in the hot oil. Add a little salt as they cook because a little salt makes things like eggs more delicious. As the egg cooks, break it up into pieces with your spatula. Once cooked, remove from the pan and put aside.
Strain your zuke noodles, they only need about 4-6 minutes to cook before they’ll just get mushy. Strain them well to get as much water out as you can.
Add a little more oil so things don’t stick. Add your tofu and green onions to the pan, mix them up and let them warm, and then add your cooked egg, and mix.
Add in the zuke noodles and pad thai sauce. This is where my dish started to look kinda ugly. Fret not – mix the sauce and ingredients, and then add in your bean sprouts. You’ll want a good amount since these are what gives you your crunch. Get it mixed in well, then remove from heat.
Plate your pad thai, and sprinkle with peanuts and a wedge of lime. You can get fancy and garnish with more green onion if you like, and serve with chili sauce if you like it hot.
Enjoy!
*FYI I don’t get any sort of kickback for these Amazon product links – just trying to help you find some good options! ;)