Vegetable Pad Thai

This is one of my daughters’ favorite dishes, frequently requested when they still lived at home, and always on the please-make-when-I-come-visit list. It is so easy to prepare, ready in less than an hour, and it feeds at least 6 people. I love to use my wok for this pad Thai, but you can, of course, use any other heavy, large pot. The key word here is ‘large’. If you don’t have a crowd to feed – perfect, you don’t have to cook tomorrow!

Ingredients:

• 16 oz (450 g) pad Thai rice noodles (I used brown rice pad Thai noodles)
• 2 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1 large or 2 small leeks, only white and light green parts, thoroughly washed and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 16 oz (450 g) broccoli, stems peeled, ends removed, cut into florets and bite-size pieces
• 16 oz (450 g) Asian mushrooms like shiitake trumpet royale, brown clamshell, maitake, oyster,… , cut or torn into bite-size pieces, not too small
• 16 oz (450 g) tomatoes, diced
• 1 oz (30 g) fresh ginger, minced (not necessary to peel if organic)
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) soy sauce, more to taste if necessary (I used gluten free)
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) unsweetened, crunchy peanut butter
• two 13.66 fl oz (400 ml) cans full fat coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional, if you like it spicy)
• 2 Tbsp Thai seasoning (I used ‘Frontier’ brand)
• 3 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
• generous 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 3 baby bok choys, halved
• fresh cilantro, chopped

Preparation:

Wash and cut all the vegetables.

Follow instructions to cook pad Thai noodles. Don’t overcook and rinse them well! Set aside.

Preheat large wok or pot on medium heat. Add coconut oil, then onion, and sauté for about seven minutes until soft. Add leeks and sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes. Turn heat on higher setting, then add broccoli, mushrooms tomatoes, and ginger. Stir until all the vegetables are well combined, then cook uncovered for another 5-10 minutes. Stir frequently.

Meanwhile, combine peanut butter and soy sauce in a small bowl and stir until smooth.

Gradually add peanut butter/soy sauce blend, coconut milk, maple syrup, the optional crushed red pepper, and Thai seasoning to the vegetables and stir well. When the sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Keep checking the vegetables, and don’t overcook!

Meanwhile, preheat a large frying pan on medium heat. Add coconut oil and salt; stir to combine. Fry bok choy halves for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to plates or serving platter, and add pad Thai noodles to the pan to heat them up.

I prefer to serve pad thai noodles and sauce separately. This way, everyone can add just as much sauce as they want and the noodles don’t get soggy. Serve with lots of cilantro and enjoy!

Notes:

• For a soy free option, swap soy sauce for coconut aminos. You have to adjust maple syrup though, because they are slightly sweet.
• If you have a peanut/nut allergy/sensitivity, try sunflower seed butter instead to achieve the creaminess. The taste will be different.
• Perfect also if served with rice instead of noodles, even though you can’t call it pad Thai anymore 😉