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.
Made this yesterday..the dressing is to die for! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!
I love the spiralizer, it’s one of my favorite kitchen tools! Also, pad thai vegan version and raw is fabulous! Have a great weekend :)
I’ve eaten this 3 times since you posted it.
It’s amazing. And I LOVE my new spiralizer!!
Yay! :)
I totally thought of you when I tried to make a red white and blue recipe for the 4th of July and I ended up with a purple-ish concoction instead. You are so right – rarely does a holiday themed recipe ever go as planned – especially when you have plans to blog it!
awww bummer! hah, but yes isn’t that so true! Im sure it was tasty regardless :)
This is one recipe that can be correctly described as being the ultimate. The colors are incredibly attractive and the dressings are simply out of this world. I will surely like to try this out, even if I know that I will do some slight modifications, especially with the dressings, just a way to try out some novel styles in my own way.
This type of salad is the real definition of the meals that we should be loading our systems with. It is very healthy, nourishing and best of all, it is real fun in the kitchen when it is time for preparation!
I just found your blog (again!) — I followed a few years ago when I was blogging myself (about running/triathlon after getting my second chance at life after brain surgery), but I fell off the blogging bandwagon. I googled a spiralizer earlier this week after seeing someone’s post on FB, and stumbled across this post. I ordered one, and since it just arrived, I HAD to make this tonight, and I’m so glad I did! YUM! Thank you!
Hey Melanie, Glad to see you back! :) I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe so much – enjoy that spiralizer! I get so much use out of mine in the summer.
I just made this and wow wee wow! The comfort of pad thai but in salad form! Oh soooo happy! Thanks for always providing such great dishes!
Looks sooo delicious and healthy!
www.shannonheartsblog.com
I just got off of amazon to order my spiralizer JUST for this recipe – lol! I cannot wait to try it.
We just ate this salad for lunch and all you could hear around the table was, “mmmmm, yum, this is good.” Even my 6 and 8 year old children devoured it. I had to use sunflower butter due to nut allergies. Also, I do not own a spiralizer, so I just used my vegetable peeler to cut the zucchini and carrots into thin slices. Thank you for such a great and filling recipe!
that makes me so happy to hear – thanks Jessica!
This is a great recipe! We don’t have a spiralizer so I used broccoli slaw as a substitute for the zucchini. After reading the comments, I think I need to get one! We also added some soba noodles. I love that the recipe is perfect like it is, but also very versatile. Thank you for your great recipes.
Hello. I just made this salad! It is excellent! Thank you! Elise
Love that veggie spiralizer! Great recipe, Thdnks for sharing. If you have some time, check out my blog: www.lifeofthefarmerswife.com for DIY Home Projects, recipes & much more! Thanks, Marci
Just finished eating this. It was amazing! A new favorite summer meal!
What else would you make with it for a meal that the flavors blend well together? That is something I always struggle with. Thanks!
Made this for dinner tonight. Obsessed. I added parsley and ran out of almond butter so I ended up using a combo of AB and sunflower seed butter!! Thank you thank you for this gorgeous recipe!
Tried this tonight! It was really good! I was even a bit over zealous and added everything at once and mixed it minus the dressing. For the dressing I did not have raw almond butter but the roasted worked too! Thank you for another yummy recipe!
Tomorrow I’m experimenting with your Gluten Free + Vegan Chewy Crackers!
Hey Robin, Thanks for your feedback! So happy you enjoyed it. :)
It was delicious and works with seed butter!
this is the best salad ever. could eat it every day!
My spiralizer just arrived and I made this wonderful raw pad thai today! So pretty and so good! I just love eating colorful food. Thanks so much for this recipe!
YUM! I made this tonight – it was amazing. I substituted soy nut butter, since I have a nut allergy in the house, and it was delicious. I accidentally did tablespoons instead of teaspoons for the maple syrup, no harm, it didn’t seem to have an impact, I’d probably do it again. Thanks for an awesome recipe, I’m sharing with neighbors and anyone else who will listen to me go on about it.