Say this recipe title 10 times fast and…you WIN!
Happiness and energy in a bowl. What more could you want on a Monday?
If I could summarize in a single recipe what a healthy vegan diet means to me, this bowl might just be it. It’s fresh, crisp, vibrant and heavy on the veggies with plant-based proteins throughout and a creamy and indulgent almond butter dressing. In other words – the perfect balance of this-tastes-freakin-amazing and this-makes-me-feel-freakin-amazing. I was bouncing off the walls with energy after I ate this….actually I still am. I swear it has nothing to do with overnight coffee concentrate.
Ok, maybe a little.
I know we’re only 1 week into summer, but this might just be my favourite salad of summer 2013. We’ll have to see if I can top this bad boy.
This salad is inspired by a raw Pad Thai dish I enjoyed at a restaurant called Marbles in Waterloo with my buddy Ange a couple years ago. I ended up recreating the recipe shortly after our visit, but I used glass noodles and I just wasn’t a fan. I don’t usually have texture issues with food, but those noodles were way out of my comfort zone. It’s strange because I’ve enjoyed them before in a couple restaurant dishes, but for some reason when I try them at home it’s creepville. Anyway, I decided to dig out this recipe again, this time using raw zucchini noodles. A very good decision, indeed. No creep factor. All goodness!
I decided to purchase a Veggie Spiralizer
The almond butter sauce I made is very light – using only 1/2 tablespoon of oil – but it’s still creamy and indulgent at the same time. It makes just under 2/3 cup and I found it was the perfect amount for 2 large salads. We sure didn’t have any dressing leftover.
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Rad Rainbow Raw Pad Thai
Yield
2 large servings plus scant 2/3 cup dressing
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini, julienned or spiraled
- 2 large carrots, julienned
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
- 3/4 cup frozen edamame, thawed (or try tofu)
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
For the dressing
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/4 cup raw almond butter (or try peanut butter)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2.5 teaspoons pure maple syrup (or other sweetener)
- 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Directions
- Prep vegetables. Add the zucchini, carrots, pepper, and cabbage into one or two large bowls. Toss with hands to combine.
- Prepare the dressing by processing all dressing ingredients in a mini processor (or simply whisk by hand). The dressing may seem a bit thin at first, but it thickens as it sits.
- Top bowls with edamame (or tofu), green onion, hemp seeds, and sesame seeds. Pour on dressing and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)~~~~~~
Last but certainly not least, Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians! This post was supposed to be a red & white strawberries ‘n cream pie, but of course when you plan on a themed recipe working it rarely does. I’m sporting my red & white all day regardless. I hope you have a great holiday! Oh and happy (almost) 4th of July to those of you in the US.
Hi,
My boyfriend and I made this tonight and LOVED it! I’m a fan of peanut sauces; however, my bf is not. Would you have any suggestions for another sauce.
Thanks!
Ps your blog rocks!!!
Wow! Finally got around to making this and it is awesome! My husband has requested it be added to a weekly rotation and said it’s the best and most memorable salad he’s had in a long time. Thanks for sharing!!
Just made this tonight, along with your carrot ginger soup, and it was so wonderful!! I love eating to my heart’s content when the food is just chock full of goodness. Thank you!
this salad has become a go-to. & it’s a really quick way to impress your friends. i brought it over to pal who was housebound after foot surgery & she could not get over it!
canadianinlosangeles.com
Just tried this tonight when I was looking for a new salad…oh. my.gosh!!! it was to die for. Thanks for the great recipe, Angela.
After saving this recipe on my ipad for 2 months, I finally bought everything to make it. I am amazed but I could stand to be even more amazed. I was afraid to use too much almond butter because I’ve never tried it. I was also too light on the syrup. Two mistakes I will rectify in just a moment. As it is now, it’s still the best salad I’ve ever tasted. The dressing is just so flavorful! I’m ranting, sorry. I just wanted to say thanks for the recipe and also for forcing me to buy an awesome, spiral veggie chopper.
My daughter and I had this after a hot yoga class with your chia fresca, it was sooo good! Thank you:-)
I have obsessed over this recipe ever since I found it, and my oh my it did not disappoint! Lovely colors with equally lovely taste. The dressing is really yummy! I’ll defiantly use that in the future. Thanks for sharing Angela :)
I am going to make this tonight with cold somen noodles instead of the spiraled zucchini. I know,
i know, not as healthy but still healthy!
This looks great Angela! Where did you get your spiralizer… we are in southern Ontario also but i am not sure where i can purchase one. Thanks for all you do!! Your recipes are wonderful!!
Yum! I made this last night for dinner. I didn’t find it tasted much like pad thai but still amazing all the same. I’m sure the leftovers won’t not last long!
Seriously, that looks yummy as all get out, but it’s not close to being a “Pad Thai”. It would be more suited to call it a Thai Salad.
Key components to a Pad Thai are Fish Sauce, and Tamarind Concentrate among other things. Pad is literally “Noodle” meaning Rice Noodle, and the name Pad Thai indicates Stir Fry. Stir Fry Noodle Dish. The only ingredients you have listed that are actually in Pad Thai are Lime Juice, Onion, and I’ll give you Peanut Butter, but really it should crushed peanuts.
allrecipes.com/recipe/authentic-pad-thai/
Hi Deanna, This isn’t meant to be a traditional Pad Thai, so not to worry!
Just made this yesterday evening, and it is spectacularly good! I’d seen a link to the recipe earlier in the day, and decided that I’d make it, and if I liked it, I’d order your cookbook: suffice to say that you’ve just sold another cookbook:-)
By the way, it’s nice to see someone with NB and ON roots doing so well: I spent time in Woodstock and in Waterloo some time ago……
Hello new favorite! Thank for a fantastic dinner tonight.
This was really good! I used my food processor to shred the veggies. The dressing was delicious!
Looks delicious!!!!!! does it keep well overnight? anyone? i want to make it for lunches, but i dont want it to be all wilted… cant wait to try it!
Amazing!!!!!
I’m 3 months pregnant and diabetic. My doctor told me I needed to go back to a normal diet. I did for a while and my blood sugars spiked. (I’m not on medication.) I decided to go back to eating vegan last night because frankly I felt horrible. I tried this recipe for the first time and it was amazing!!!! My blood sugar this morning was way lower. I just wanted to share and tell you how much I love your recipes. I haven’t made anything yet that I didn’t love. Thank you.
This was great! Even my three year old liked it. I will definitely be making this again. I love how there is so much flexibility in the dish.
I made this with dinner tonight and it was a HUGE hit. My teen daughter who hates veggies asked if she could have the leftovers for breakfast! She said that if all veggies tasted this good, she would be happy to eat them. 2 out of 3 kids had seconds. I couldn’t be more pleased. Awesome recipe. Easy Peasy to make. Great results. Thanks for sharing your talents with us!