Plant-Based Pad Thai is a gluten-free, oil-free, high-protein version of a traditional pad Thai recipe. Make it in just 40 minutes!

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I made pad Thai three times in the first three weeks of quarantine. The first time, I posted it on my Instagram story and I got a request to put the recipe on the blog. I hadn't intended to make pad Thai for y'all, it was just a meal I had for dinner. But after I got a request, I knew I had to.

So I made it again a few days later. In an attempt to be quarantine-friendly, I used frozen vegetables. And it was okay, but this dish really shines with fresh vegetables.

For the third version I went back to fresh vegetables and it made the dish so much better. Of course, if you only have access to frozen vegetables or don't have time to chop up a bunch of veggies, frozen is an acceptable substitute.

BUT if you can, get all those fresh veggies for this dish!

The great thing about fresh vegetables, for this dish specifically, is that you can cook them for different lengths of time. Start with the veg that takes the longest to cook and then add the veggies with shorter cook times later. That way all your vegetables are evenly cooked.

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I can't believe I've made it this far into this post without talking about the peanut sauce. Peanut butter is one of my favorite foods. The peanut sauce in this recipe is incredible.

It's sweet and salty and spicy, with a garlic kick. Oh and did I mention the peanut butter? I used chunky peanut butter, so not only is there peanut flavor but you get all the crunch of the peanut chunks. So good.

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Plant-Based Pad Thai Ingredients

Normal pad Thai has rice noodles, but I wanted to add some protein to this dish so I used a bean-based pasta instead.

For the veggies you'll need:

• Red Onion
• Medium Carrots
• Broccoli
• Mushrooms
• Celery
• Zucchini
• Vegetable Broth (for cooking)

And the peanut sauce has:

• Powdered Peanut Butter (I use this brand)
• Chunky Peanut Butter
• Liquid Aminos
• Maple Syrup
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Water
• Ground Ginger
• Cayenne
• Salt

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How to make Plant-Based Pad Thai

Step 1. Start by chopping all the vegetables. In the recipe, you can see exact styles to chop. The goal is to have bite sized pieces that won't require additional cutting when you eat. In a sauté pan, heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable broth.

Step 2. In a separate pot, boil some water for pasta.

Step 3. Add the onions to the pan and sauté for a few minutes. Then add the carrots and broccoli. Sauté until the broccoli is slightly softened. Next, add the mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the celery and zucchini and sauté until all the vegetables are soft.

Step 4. Add vegetable broth slowly, as needed to make sure the vegetables don't stick. Don't add too much though, or the veggies will get super watery.

Step 5. Cook the pasta (according to package directions) right after you add the last of the vegetables to the pan. Reserve a cup of pasta water when draining the noodles.

Step 6. While the veggies and pasta are cooking, combine all the peanut sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Step 7. To assemble, divide the pasta, veggies, and sauce between two bowls. Add some of the pasta water as needed to keep the chickpea noodles from sticking together. Enjoy!

Recipe Prayer

Thank you God for giving us extra time in our days during this time to experiment with new foods. We are grateful for the gift of health and safety. Amen.

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Tried this recipe?

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