This salad is Thai inspired – great for a lazy simple but yet healthy weekend salad, or as an idea for your Meatless Monday! This dish I am sharing with you is a simple way to start incorporating more plant-based foods into your lifestyle and it certainly does not have to be boring. Yes, it’s possible to make your own pad Thai-inspired raw vegan salad that is delicious and hearty enough to serve as a main dish.
Key is here to use all fresh ingredients including your herbs, enhancing the flavour in this dish with the fresh, quality ingredients, in particular, the cilantro. Believe me, the dried version just does not do the same, so be mindful if you’re using this version.
Toasted, crushed or chopped peanuts are traditional in pad Thai noodle dishes, however, I aim to stick to more natural ingredients like keeping the nuts and seeds within its raw natural state. This will save you time and you buy the already activated nuts and seeds from bulk stores like Scoop Whole Foods. Nuts and seeds should always be soaked and dehydrated (or bought already activated) as this allows the sprouting process to take place and allowing the minerals, proteins along with good fats to be absorbed better. It is known to reduce the phytic acid within the bits and seeds and these acids usually bind with minerals and prevent us from digesting them and absorbing all the goodness they have to offer, hence why we activate them.
Try this raw food recipe for a delicious and nutritious vegan Pad Thai salad.
INGREDIENTS
2 Large Zucchini’s
1 Cup of bean sprouts
1/3 Cup finely chopped celery
2 Small pieces of parsley freshly chopped
1/2 Cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper or yellow pepper (not into peppers and they don’t work for you, then some julienne cut carrots)
1 Tablespoons fresh ginger **optional
1 Lime juiced
1 Lemon juiced
2 Tablespoons of coconut oil
1 Teaspoon of liquid amino’s (Braggs brand) or coconut aminos
1 Tablespoon of tahini paste raw cold-pressed
FOR SPRINKLES: (Keep this separate)
2 Tablespoons of nutritional yeast
3 Tablespoons of pine nuts or nut-free sunflower seeds
1 Tablespoon of sesame seeds
1/2 Teaspoon dried chilli (kids version you can take out)
INSTRUCTIONS
Once zucchini is cleaned you can either spiralize it or use a grater.
Combine the zucchini, bean sprouts, finely chopped celery, fresh herbs, peppers, option to add a bit of chopped ginger. Then sprinkle the lemon and lime juice along with coconut oil, liquid aminos and tahini. Mix lightly with your hands in a large bowl.
Set aside, whilst the zucchini marinades you can blend the “sprinkles” in your food processor by adding the nutritional yeast, pine nuts, sesame seeds and chilli until it is a fine powder form. Use this to sprinkle on top of the salad at the end once dished up.
1-2 Portions
