Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodle Recipe]
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles are zoodles sauteed with fresh vegetables and tossed in a delectable peanut sauce. Zucchini pasta is an easy dinner recipe that can be served warm or chilled as a pasta salad for lunch.
Servings 8 1-cup servings
Calories 119kcal
Equipment
- chef knife
- spiralizer
- vegetable peeler (for the carrots)
- small mixing bowl
- 12" nonstick skillet
- airtight container
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce (makes 1/2 cup)
- 1/3 cup Natural Peanut Butter unsweetened
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce Tamari for gluten-free
- 1 Tbsp Unseasoned Rice Vinegar or lime juice
- 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 tsp Ginger finely grated
- 1 large Garlic clove finely grated
- 1 tsp sriracha or chili paste or pinch cayenne pepper
- Water as needed to adjust consistency
Vegetables and Zoodles
- 2 Tbsp Avocado Oil
- 2 Green Onions thinly sliced; green and white separated
- 1 large Carrot 1 cup shredded
- 1/2 large Red Bell Pepper 1 cup thinly sliced
- 1/4 lb Purple Cabbage 1 cup thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb Zucchini 4 cups spiralized
Instructions
Make the 5-minute peanut sauce
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together PEANUT BUTTER, SOY SAUCE, RICE VINEGAR, MAPLE SYRUP, GINGER, GARLIC, and CAYENNE until well-combined.
- Slowly add small amounts of WATER and continue whisking until sauce reaches desired consistency.
Cook the zoodles and vegetables
- In a large skillet, heat OIL on medium-high heat.
- Add GREEN ONION (white part only), CARROT, BELL PEPPER, and CABBAGE; sauté a few minutes until tender.
- Add spiralized ZUCCHINI; sauté about 2 minutes until zoodles start to soften. Turn off the heat.
- Gently fold in PEANUT SAUCE in small amounts as desired for consistency.
- Serve warm or chilled. Garnish options: green onion tops, crushed peanuts, cilantro, and lime.
Notes
Can you cut zucchini noodles ahead?
Yes! In fact, we spiralize our zucchini noodles as part of our weekly meal prep routine. Then we refrigerate them in an airtight container and use them through the week for pretty much everything we eat, like salads, wraps, stir fry, eggs, and of course, this Thai zucchini pasta recipe.
Can you freeze zucchini noodles?
No. I would not freeze raw zucchini noodles because they will become mushy once defrosted. 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
1. Don't overcook - If you like zucchini noodles springy and not soggy, cook them al dente, leaving them slightly firm.
2. Go easy on the sauce - Zucchini noodles aren’t starchy like wheat pasta, so there's nowhere for excess moisture to go, except to the bottom of the bowl. So for this Thai zoodle recipe, the trick is to use just enough peanut sauce to barely coat the zoodles.
3. Salt - Salt draws moisture away from zucchini noodles. To do this, sprinkle a little salt over the noodles and let them sit for 20 minutes. Then dab the noodles dry with a paper towel.
To be honest, I'm too impatient for the salt method, so I skip it and rely on the first two methods.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1752IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg