Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles are spiralized zoodles sauteed with shredded carrots, bell pepper, and green onions, tossed in this easy peanut sauce. This 15-minute zucchini noodles recipe makes the perfect side dish, main course, or weekday salad and includes meal prep instructions.
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles]
Here’s a super nutritious way to guiltlessly slurp down ALL the noodles your heart desires.
Zoodles! They’re low carb, low calorie, and gluten-free. Basically, miracle food!
We’ll always tip our hats to the genius behind a kitchen tool that turns produce into noodles. Thanks to the spiralizer, zoodles are dominating our zucchini recipe collections.
We’re thrilled about it, especially during summer when we have zucchini for dayssss!
This zucchini noodle recipe is so fresh, a little spicy, slightly sweet, and has a scrumptious Thai peanut flavor.
Whether you’re a zoodle-noob or an old pro, you’ll love this recipe, wholeheartedly!
But first…
What’s the best spiralizer for zucchini noodles?
Countertop Spiralizer:
I have owned and LOVED this spiralizer for a few years. [not sponsored btw, just an OXO fangirl].
It does everything I need, and at $40, it has more than paid for itself many times over.
Handheld Spiralizer:
If you don’t have a countertop spiralizer, you can use this handheld Titan Vegetable Julienne Peeler and Slicer. I owned this before I got the OXO tabletop version.
It works very well and it’s built to last, but isn’t really made for large quantity zucchini spiralizer tasks.
Then there’s the Vegetti Spiral Slicer that’s handheld, and just like the Titan, works in a pinch for very small jobs. The price is great for its functionality if you only need to spiralize one zucchini, or one carrot, etc.
Vegetable Peeler:
Yep, you can also use a conventional vegetable peeler. Simply cut ribbons of zucchini lengthwise into thin strips.
When you reach the zucchini core (where the seeds are), you can save that for smoothies or stir fry…they don’t make great zoodles.
Using a vegetable peeler can take a little longer, but I LOVE this option for making wide zucchini noodles. This also works in a pinch, but again, I recommend the tabletop version if you want to spiralize large amounts of zucchini noodles into spaghetti strands.
Can you cut zucchini noodles ahead of time?
You most certainly can! In fact, we cut zucchini noodles as part of our Sunday weekly meal prep routine.
To store pre-cut zucchini noodles, simply spiralize them, store in an airtight container, and refrigerate up to 5 days. Use them exactly as you would use freshly cut zucchini noodles.
I tell you, there’s nothing like cruising into a busy week with a container of raw zoodles that can be used so many ways.
We use them in garden salads, or sauteed and tossed in sauce (like this peanut sauce – yum).
Can you freeze zucchini noodles?
No. I would not freeze raw zucchini noodles just as I would not freeze most raw vegetables.
However, once cooked, I would consider freezing them, but only in a pinch because their texture may still be weird and potentially unappealing.
How to avoid watery zucchini noodles
When cooking zoodles, there are 3 tips to keep them from becoming watery.
Tip #1) The salt trick
Once the noodles are spiralized into zoodles, place them in a mixing bowl sprinkled with a little salt for about 20 minutes.
The salt’s job is to draw the moisture out from the noodles to their surface. Your job is to dab the noodles dry with an absorbent towel (or paper towel).
To be honest, I’m too impatient for the salt trick most of the time, so I rely on the next two tricks.
Tip #2) The al dente trick
If you like your zucchini noodles springy and not soggy, only cook them al dente, leaving them slightly firm. This prevents the noodles from sitting limply in the sauce.
It’s also the optimal texture when reheating zoodles so they don’t get mushy, just like wheat pasta.
Tip #3) The sauce trick
Use ONLY use SMALL amounts of sauce or oil on cooked or raw zoodles.
Zucchini noodles aren’t starchy like wheat pasta noodles, so there is really no place for the extra moisture to go, except to the bottom of the bowl. Nobody likes that, but it makes perfect sense.
So, for this Thai Peanut zoodle recipe, or any spiralized noodle recipe, the trick is to use just enough peanut sauce to barely coat the zoodles. Otherwise, I can guarantee you’ll have extra liquid under the noodles.
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles Recipe Steps
Step 1: Prep the vegetables
Spiralize the zucchini, shred the carrots, slice the bell peppers, and chop the green onions (separate white and green parts)
Step 2: Make the 5-minute peanut sauce
Whisk the peanut sauce ingredients together. If it needs thinning, add water in small amounts to reach desired consistency. You want it to be somewhat pourable so you can coat the zoodles easily.
Step 3: Saute the vegetables
Sauté the onions, bell pepper, and carrots in a large skillet on medium-high heat.
Add the zucchini noodles and sauté for a few minutes until they’re al dente; do not overcook them.
Remove the cooked zoodles from the hot pan to prevent them from overcooking and set aside until you’re ready to dress them in peanut sauce.
Step 4: Add the peanut sauce
When you’re ready to serve, gently fold in the peanut sauce in small amounts until you reach the noodle-to-sauce ratio of your dreams.
Serve the peanut sauced noodles heated, at room temp, or chilled…your choice.
Pro tip: Bring the peanut sauce to room temperature (or briefly microwave) to soften it, making it easier to coat the noodles.
Step 5: Add toppings
- green onion tops
- chopped peanuts
- chopped cilantro
- fresh lime wedges
Meal Prep Steps for Zucchini Noodles with Easy Peanut Sauce
Step 1: Follow the recipe instructions for preparation of this dish but keep the peanut sauce separate from the zoodles until you’re ready to serve.
Step 2: Divide the sauce, cooked vegetables, and toppings into airtight, meal prep containers.
Step 3: Store portions in refrigerator up to 4 days. To serve, fold peanut sauce into zoodles, add toppings, and serve chilled or reheat to serve warm, stirring as needed.
Note: On meal prep day, allow the peanut sauce to come to room temperature if you’re not near a heat source. It will be easier to mix into the zoodles.
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles Recipe Ingredients
- avocado oil (or oil of your choice)
- green onions
- red bell pepper
- carrot
- spiralized zucchini noodles
- peanut sauce
- toppings: crushed peanuts, cilantro, lime, chili oil
Kitchen tools I use for this recipe
- chef knife and cutting board
- spiralizer
- small mixing bowl
- Microplane zester
- silicone tongs
- 10″ skillet
Grab these other healthy zucchini recipes
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles]
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Avocado Oil or any oil of choice
- 2 Green Onions thinly sliced; green and white separated
- 1 large Carrot shredded
- 1/2 Red Bell Pepper thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 lb Zucchini spiralized
- 1/3 cup Peanut Sauce
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat OIL on medium-high heat.
- Add GREEN ONION (white part only), CARROT, and BELL PEPPER; sauté a few minutes until tender.
- Add spiralized ZUCCHINI; sauté a few minutes ONLY until slightly tender (do not overcook them); remove cooked zoodles from the skillet to prevent overcooking.
- Gently fold in the PEANUT SAUCE in small amounts until desired sauce to noodle ratio is reached.
- Add toppings: green onion tops, sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, cilantro, or lime.
- Serve warm, at room temperature, or refrigerate and serve cold.
RECIPE NOTES
Nutrition
Traci Antonovich
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