Better than take out veggie pad thai
Ok maybe not better than your favorite Thai restaurant but I swear this veggie pad thai is incredible. I was actually shocked when I tried it and realized just how good it was. This recipe is made with only vegetables, using hearts of palm noodles instead of the traditional rice noodles. As much as I love take out Thai food, I always feel weighed down after. I love that I was able to recreate my favorite flavors in this dish and skip the food coma that can come after take out.
What are hearts of palm?
Never heard of hearts of palm? I hadn’t either until just a few years ago. A heart of palm is a vegetable harvested from the inner core of palm trees. It has a very neutral taste so it is perfect in a recipe with sauce. Before I tried hearts of palm as noodles, I used to shred them and use them as a replacement for shredded chicken in recipes. Definitely give them a try. If you are buying the packaged hearts of palm noodles, definitely make sure to rinse them well before cooking!
What you need to make veggie pad thai
This recipe definitely has more ingredients needed than most of my recipes but most are fridge and pantry staples so hopefully it doesn’t seem too overwhelming. Everything I used is from Trader Joe’s but you can find everything at your local store (even the hearts of palm noodles!). If you can’t find hearts of palm or just want actually noodles, you can swap the hearts of palm for rice noodles. You can also add in tofu, shrimp, beef or chicken if you want more protein. What you’ll need to make veggie pad thai:
- box of hearts of palm pasta
- 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons of minced ginger (I used the frozen cubes)
- For the sauce:
- 1.5 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (if vegan, omit and substitute extra soy sauce or coconut aminos)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- red pepper flakes
- To garnish:
- chopped peanuts (or almonds)
- green onions
- cilantro
- lime juice
How to make the pad thai
This recipe only took me about 15 minutes to make – faster than ordering and picking up your favorite pad thai!
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- Over medium heat, sauté ginger, bell pepper and carrots. Mix well
- Add in hearts of palm. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes
- Push veggies to the side and scramble 1 egg until cooked. Mix with veggies.
- Stir in sauce, mix well and stir until well coated
- Plate and add all the toppings
- Enjoy!
Want more veggie filled meals? Try my shredded brussels sprouts, pear and farro salad or my current obsession fawaffles!
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I hope this recipe replaces your take out habit like it has for me!
Veggie Pad Thai Made With Hearts of Palm Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 Box of hearts of palm pasta
- 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons of minced ginger I used the frozen cubes
For the sauce:
- 1.5 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- red pepper flakes
To garnish:
- chopped peanuts or almonds
- green onions
- cilantro
- lime juice
Instructions
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- Over medium heat, sauté ginger, bell pepper and carrots. Mix well
- Add in hearts of palm. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes
- Push veggies to the side and scramble 1 egg until cooked. Mix with veggies.
- Stir in sauce, mix well and stir until well coated
- Plate and add all the toppings
- Enjoy!
Notes
- If you can’t find hearts of palm noodles, you can sub for another veggie noodle (like zucchini) or use rice noodles.
- If you are vegan, omit the fish sauce and add in more soy sauce or coconut aminos
- For added protein, add in tofu, chicken, shrimp or beef
amy
This is a new favorite, thank you healthyKel for introducing! Went for a lil extra peanut butter in my sauce because that’s my favorite part of a pad thai sauce. Also toasted some crushed peanuts to top and it’s delectable. Will be adding this to my lunch time rotation. 😋🥜