Low-Calorie Pad Thai (2024)

Pad Thai Sauce

• 2 Tablespoons tamarind puree
• 1 Teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 Cup fish sauce
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 Teaspoons of chili powder
• 1/2 cup water

Protein

• 10 ounces of your favorite protein combo. For this recipe I used 3 ounces of tofu and 7 ounces of chicken (I like to mix and match chicken, shrimp, tofu, and pork)
• 2 Finely diced shallots or 1/4 onion
• 1-2 Cloves of garlic

The Rest

• 1 Large carrot cut into match sticks
• 2 Eggs
• 10 Ounces kelp noodles or zoodles if these 0 calorie noodles aren't available
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened peanut butter
• 1 Large head of broccoli
• 5 Ounces of bean sprouts
• 1 Bunch of cilantro
• 1 ounce garlic chives optional
• Limes quartered to use for seasoning

• In a mason jar prepare the Pad Thai sauce. Shake together the tamarind puree, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, chili powder, and water. Warning - do not mix this in a blender, often the tamarind paste will have hard seeds in it, and if you use a blender these pieces will be too small to filter out without clogging a mesh strainer. In a few steps, we'll use the lid of the mason jar or a spoon to pour in the sauce without letting the seeds into the dish.

• Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add your protein, and cook until nicely browned and nearly cooked through. Add the shallots and garlic, and finish cooking the protein. Transfer the protein to a clean dish and return the pan to the heat.

• De-glaze the pan with the Pad Thai sauce (use the lid of the mason jar to strain out the seeds - only pour the liquid into the pan) and immediately add the carrots. Scramble in the two eggs. Once the eggs have set, add in the kelp noodles and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Add water if it is too difficult to mix in the peanut butter.

• Once the noodles have softened, add in the broccoli and bean sprouts. Quickly mix the protein back in, and cover until the broccoli turns bright green.

• Serve garnished with fresh cilantro, garlic chives, and limes.