Easy & Healthy Pad Thai Noodles (gluten free!)

It’s time for Healthy Pad Thai Noodles!

I’ve been squirrelling away this recipe for a good month now and I’m so excited to be sharing it on the blog today! Pad Thai is one of my favourite dishes and I’ve talked a lot on the blog about my love for Thai food in general. It’s definitely a favourite cuisine we make a lot in our home. This healthy Pad Thai noodles recipe is loaded with vegetables, has big beautiful chunks of crispy tofu, and has a sneaky ingredient added to the homemade peanut sauce that amps up the nutrition in this dish.

I created this recipe last month as part of Genuine Health’s Clean Collagen launch as they’ve just recently added collagen peptides to their already amazing product line. I’ve had a lot of questions about collagen since I’ve been using it myself over the last year and a half and have shared about it a lot over my social media channels.

Here’s a super simple explanation of what Collagen Peptides is (which comes in a powder form, also called “collagen powder” or “collagen protein”) (source: Rebelle Nutrition):

“Collagen peptides are short chain amino acids naturally derived from pasture-raised, grass-fed collagen protein. Unlike gelatin, these peptides are soluble in cold liquids as well as hot. Collagen peptides contain the same amino acids as gelatin which are identical to the protein found in skin, nails, hair, bones, cartilage, and joints.”

Collagen is a great ingredient to add to so many dishes for it’s health benefits and because it dissolves and blends so well into so many things. I add it to my smoothies, soups, and sauces, just like the peanut sauce I made for these healthy Pad Thai noodles! If you aren’t familiar with collagen or don’t want to use it in this recipe you can omit it altogether!

The sauce comes together wonderfully with water, natural unsweetened peanut butter, honey (for sweetness), gluten free soy sauce, sriracha sauce (for a little bit of heat), fish sauce, and lime juice. The flavours are light, fresh, and a perfect mixture of sweet and salty.

For my Pad Thai recipe I chose to add in loads of veggies (there isn’t usually vegetables in a traditional Pad Thai) and I used extra firm tofu which I toasted until crispy on the outside in a pan, making for an amazing texture with the rice noodles. I also used brown rice noodles instead of regular white rice noodles for extra fibre and used lots of bean sprouts, cilantro, and green onion to garnish!

From start to finish this meal comes together in 25 minutes which makes it perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends.

Forget the take-out, make this!

What is Pad Thai?

In case you’ve read this whole post and still aren’t totally sure what “Pad Thai” is, I’ll explain it! Pad Thai is a dish that originates from Thailand and is made with a mixture of stir fried rice noodles, eggs, and tofu along with a sauce made with tamarind pulp, fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic, red chili pepper, and sugar. There are many variations on Pad Thai that often include peanuts in the sauce instead of tamarind pulp. The dish is typically garnished with lime wedges and roasted peanuts. To summarize… It’s freakin’ delicious.

Whether you are a fan of Thai food or simply want a delicious, healthy, easy recipe idea to make on a Tuesday night, this healthy Pad Thai noodles recipe has you covered! What’s your favourite cuisine? Do you have a dish that you just love to make? I’d love to read about it in the comments below! Also, be sure to pin the photo after the recipe to save this post for later and of course, share the love!

Easy & Healthy Pad Thai Noodles (gluten free!)

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

Easy & Healthy Gluten Free Pad Thai with Peanut Sauce Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 25 mins Serves: 4

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Pad Thai:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
½ yellow or red onion, thinly sliced
2 whole eggs
1 cup cubed extra firm tofu (1” cubes)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
½ cup shredded carrot
½ cup thinly sliced red cabbage
¼ cup sliced green onion (green parts only, julienne cut)
3 cups cooked brown rice noodles (cook according to package directions)
Peanut Pad Thai Sauce:
⅓ cup natural peanut butter
⅓ cup water
¼ cup Genuine Health Marine Clean Collagen (optional, if not using add 2 tablespoons more water to the sauce)
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
½ teaspoon fish sauce
Juice from 1 lime
Garnishes:
¼ cup chopped green onion, white and green portions
2 tablespoons crushed roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup bean sprouts
1 lime, sliced into 4 wedges

Instructions

Prepare the peanut pad Thai sauce first by adding all of the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, then set aside.
In a small bowl whisk the eggs.
In a large wok or pan warm the olive oil over medium heat.
Add in the garlic, sliced onion, and cubed tofu and sauté for 2-3 minutes until tofu begins to brown then add in the whisked eggs and cook with the tofu as you would for scrambled eggs.
Continue to sauté the tofu, eggs, and onion for a few more minutes until completely cooked and lightly browned and the onions are softened.
Add in the red pepper, carrot, cabbage, and julienned green onion and sauté for several minutes until the vegetables become slightly softened (about 5 minutes).
Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions, drain, and rinse under cold water then add to the pan with the tofu and vegetables.
Pour in the peanut Pad Thai sauce and mix well with everything in the pan to coat the tofu, vegetables, and noodles and sauté until everything is heated through, about 3 more minutes.
Divide the Pad Thai between four bowls and garnish each with the chopped green onion, peanuts, cilantro, bean spouts, and a lime wedge.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy!