Zoodle Pad Thai is a gluten-free, vegan-friendly, high-protein version of traditional pad Thai. Zucchini noodles and sautéed veggies covered in creamy peanut sauce.
This is a zoodle version of my popular and personal favorite Plant-Based Pad Thai.
Why make pad Thai with zoodles?? Let me tell you:
- Even more veggies than regular pad Thai
- Higher protein to carb ratio
- Use up garden zucchini (or any zucchini you have no use for)
- Zoodles are fun!
If you love a meal with tons of veggies, tons of protein, and tons of delicious peanut flavor, this zoodle pad Thai is for you! I'm honestly obsessed with this one.
And, it's especially perfect for summer, when everyone's garden is going wild with zucchini.
Jump to:
Why I love this Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai
- Dietary needs - this zoodle pad Thai is vegan/plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, and sugar-free.
- Veggie-full - there are so many vegetables in this recipe, and plenty of room to add even more veg
- Meal prep friendly - this recipe makes quite a lot of food and pad Thai reheats like a charm for a really delicious lunch for the week.
- High protein - with tofu and edamame, and sneaky protein in the sauce, this dish is packing protein to keep you full and satisfied
- Rich peanut flavor - the peanut sauce is SO flavorful. It turns basic veggies into a mouth watering meal
- Weeknight friendly - there is some prep work involved, but by cooking the veggies in order of cook time you can get the cooking started and continue chopping some of the quick-cooking veggies while the others are cooking (I regularly make this on weeknights!!)
- Extra veggies (and fun!) with zoodles - extra veggies?! use for garden zucchini?! more protein per serving?! fun with zoodles?! Yes please!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Vegetables
- Spiralized Zucchini: I used fresh zucchini and spiralized it myself, but you can also buy pre-spiralized zucchini to save time!
I recommend this list of veggies, but feel free to add or subtract veggies to your liking. Try to pair vegetables with similar cook times together, like I did in the instructions.
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Cremini Mushrooms
- Red Bell Pepper
- Edamame
Sauce
- Powdered Peanut Butter: this is a higher protein powder made from peanuts. I like how it thickens the sauce and adds a boost of protein and peanut flavor.
- Chunky Peanut Butter: I like chunky peanut butter in this recipe for some texture, but feel free to use creamy. Either way, choose a peanut butter that only has peanuts and salt as the ingredients
- Soy Sauce, Liquid Aminos, or Tamari: any of these options will work. If you are gluten sensitive, avoid using soy sauce.
- Maple Syrup: his sauce needs just a touch of sweetness. For a completely fruit sweetened sauce, use date syrup instead.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Ground Ginger
- Water: add to thin as desired
Protein
- Super Firm Tofu: I like using super firm tofu because you don't need to press it and it is naturally much less squishy than even regular extra firm tofu. If you can't find super firm, feel free to use extra firm tofu. Or choose your favorite protein like tempeh, seitan chicken, or seitan beef.
To Serve
- Peanuts
- Scallions
- Lime Wedges
- Sesame Seeds
How to make Zoodle Pad Thai
Step 1. Cook the protein. If using tofu, add the cubes to a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
Step 2. Cook the veggies. In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the broccoli, carrots, and edamame. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until starting to soften. Then add the mushrooms and pepper. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes.
Step 3. Make the sauce. While the tofu and veggies are cooking, whisk all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. I used ¼ cup of water to thin the sauce. Feel free to use more or less, depending on your preference.
Step 4. Cook the zoodles. Add the zucchini noodles and ¼ cup of the peanut sauce to a large skillet. Cook 4-6 minutes, until the zucchini is soft.
Step 5. Serve. Add the zoodles to a bowl and top with veggies, tofu, the remaining sauce, and toppings like lime juice, peanuts, scallions, and sesame seeds.
FAQ & Expert Tips
Pad Thai is a stir-fried noodle dish that's commonly served in Thailand.
Usually pad Thai is made with rice noodles, shrimp or other protein, peanuts, scrambled egg, and bean sprouts. Often, other vegetable offerings are served as condiments on the side. And all the ingredients are fried in a wok.
This zoodle version of pad Thai is a healthier, vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and veggie-forward. In my pad Thai recipes, I cook the components separately, so the ingredients aren't fried in a wok. Instead, they are tossed together at the end of the cooking process.
Pad Thai may or may not be naturally gluten free, depending on the soy sauce used. For this recipe, if you are gluten-free, be sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce, or an alternative like tamari or liquid aminos.
Don't want tofu? You can cook this pad Thai with tempeh in the exact same way. You can also add some extra edamame. Or leave out the extra protein entirely.
You can absolutely load pad Thai with veggies. It's one of my favorite things about this dish.
Feel free to throw in any vegetable you want!
Some suggestions:
- Pea Pods
- Water Chestnuts
- Green Beans
- Cabbage
- Bok Choy
I've found that almost every vegetable tastes good in pad Thai
You can totally make this zoodle pad Thai with frozen vegetables and skip all the chopping!
To avoid a super watery dish
- thaw the frozen vegetables at room temperature for several hours (ideally 8+ hours) and let them drain their liquid. Then you can cook them all at once instead of in phases as directed in the recipe.
- OR cook as instructed, but drain off any liquid before tossing with the remaining ingredients
Store any leftovers you have in an air-tight container in the fridge.
I tend to store the vegetables, protein, and sauce in three separate containers. But you can also just toss everything together.
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for this pad Thai that will nourish our bodies. We are grateful for the gift of health. Amen.
More Veggie-Forward Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Zoodle Pad Thai (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 12 Cups Spiralized Zucchini (about 3 large zucchini)
- 2 Medium Carrots sliced
- 1 Large Crown Broccoli chopped into small pieces
- 8 Ounces Cremini Mushrooms sliced
- 1 Medium Red Bell Pepper thinly sliced
- 2 Cups Frozen Edamame
Sauce
- ¼ Cup Powdered Peanut Butter
- ¼ Cup Chunky Peanut Butter
- ¼ Cup Soy Sauce, Liquid Aminos, or Tamari
- 2 Teaspoons Maple Syrup
- 1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- ⅛ Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ¼ Cup Water add to thin as desired
Protein
- 1 16 Ounce Block Super Firm Tofu cubed (or protein of choice)
To Serve
- Peanuts
- Scallions
- Lime Wedges
- Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Cook the protein. If using tofu, add the cubes to a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
- Cook the veggies. In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the broccoli, carrots, and edamame. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until starting to soften. Then add the mushrooms and pepper. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Make the sauce. While the tofu and veggies are cooking, whisk all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. I used ¼ cup of water to thin the sauce. Feel free to use more or less, depending on your preference.
- Cook the zoodles. Add the zucchini noodles and ¼ cup of the peanut sauce to a large skillet. Cook 4-6 minutes, until the zucchini is soft.
- Serve. Add the zoodles to a bowl and top with veggies, tofu, the remaining sauce, and toppings like lime juice, peanuts, scallions, and sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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