This low-carb pad thai can be made vegetarian if you use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and tofu or tempeh in place of the chicken. I’m a huge fan of any kind of nut butter (in this case peanut butter, which is a hallmark of Thai cooking.) The sauce is flavorful enough to stand up to any other veggie substitutions you may decide to try, so feel free to experiment. Keep it in your own low-carb cookbook folder with other weight loss recipes and make often!
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 lb organic chicken breast tenders
1/2 package (2 servings) low-carb pasta (i.e. black bean spaghetti or mung bean pasta)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 to 1 tsp chili paste
1 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce or liquid aminos
1 Tbsp ginger-garlic puree (make your own here)
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 Tbsp cold water
3/4 tsp cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 package (10 oz) broccoli or cabbage coleslaw mix
1 large zucchini, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 package (~ 1/3 cup) sliced green onions
1/2 package (1 fistful) fresh cilantro, chopped
Optional: chopped peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, extra soy sauce or chili paste for topping
Directions
- Bake the chicken ahead of time (approximately 30-40 min in preheated 350 degree F oven.) Cool, shred, and set aside.
- Cook the low-carb pasta according to package ingredients, drain, and also set aside.
- In a saucepan combine the chicken broth, peanut butter, chili paste, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger-garlic puree, sesame oil, and black pepper. Bring to a boil.
- In the meantime whisk together the water and cornstrach in a small bowl, add to the broth mixture, and continue to boil until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Heat olive oil in a separate very large skillet on medium-high. Saute the slaw, zucchini, red bell pepper, and green onion until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add the chicken, low-carb pasta, and pad thai sauce to the skillet and cook until heated through, a few more minutes. Stir in the cilantro.
- Serve with additional toppings.
