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Healthy pad thai with rice noodles on white plate

Healthy Pad Thai with Rice Noodles

Healthy pad thai with rice noodles, glossy tamarind sauce, shrimp, tofu, and crunchy peanuts. Lightened up Thai takeout ready in 30 minutes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Thai
Calories: 445
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz flat rice noodles pad thai style
  • 1 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 6 oz extra firm tofu cubed
  • 2 large eggs whisked
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
  • 4 green onions sliced, whites and greens separated
  • 1/3 cup roasted peanuts roughly crushed
  • 1 lime cut into wedges
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil or neutral oil
  • 3 tbsp tamarind paste
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes optional

Method
 

  1. Place dry rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with very hot tap water. Soak 8 to 10 minutes until flexible but still firm in the center. Drain and set aside.
  2. Whisk tamarind paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, coconut sugar, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes until sugar dissolves. Taste; it should be tangy, salty, then sweet.
  3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large wok or stainless skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook 3 to 4 minutes, turning until golden. Transfer to a plate.
  4. Add remaining oil, then garlic and white parts of green onion. Stir 15 seconds. Add shrimp and cook 2 minutes until just pink. Push to one side of the pan.
  5. Pour whisked egg into the empty side of the pan. Let set 20 seconds, then scramble into loose curds.
  6. Add drained noodles, tofu, and sauce. Toss constantly with tongs for 2 minutes until the noodles turn glossy and absorb the sauce.
  7. Kill the heat. Add bean sprouts, green onion tops, and half the peanuts. Toss once. Serve with lime wedges, cilantro, and remaining peanuts on top.

Notes

Soak rice noodles in hot tap water only, never boiling water, so they finish cooking in the pan. Taste the sauce before it hits the pan and adjust sugar or lime so it reads tangy, salty, then sweet. Add bean sprouts off heat to keep them crunchy.