Once upon a time (2 years ago, almost to the day), I found myself toying with the idea of making a raw meal. I’d been daydreaming about it ever since I bought my very first raw ‘cookbook’ about 6 months earlier. The stunning photos in that book and the stories of increased vitality I’d read all over the net enchanted me. I’d tried raw pizza, nachos and desserts at PAWS, Manna and the Raw Kitchen Cafe and they were all delicious, but all the dehydrator talk and complicated recipes discouraged me from giving it a go myself.
It was hot in the city that week. Really hot. Summer rocks, but it’s not really conducive to eating hot dinners, especially not with my penchant for being heavy-handed with the chilli. Left to my own devices I would’ve happily just eaten frozen fruit for dinner, but apparently this is frowned upon past the age of three. So what was a sandgroper to do? Join the raw food movement?
Oh yes, raw food. Back then I liked to pronounce it ‘ROAR!’ to scare whoever I was talking to twice.
Friend: “You’re going to eat what?”
Me: “ROAR food! Like a tiger!” (a hot, vegan tiger, obviously).
Of course, these days I’m much more (*ahem*) mature.
Then I came across this amazing recipe! Thai food + summer + ROAR! = bliss, right? Plus it only had two steps and minimal ingredients, and we all know I’m all about that.
Well, one taste and I was HOOKED! Holy guacamole! I didn’t think raw food could ever be so decadent! If this was how all raw meals tasted, all I could say was viva la rawvolution!
Fast forward to recently. You know those delicious meals you make and fall in love with and then kinda’ just forget about? So weird.
Anyway, since it’s summer and I’m going crazy with the zucchini noodles again, I finally decided to whip up my own version of this tasty treat first inspired by the gorgeous Eden at Feed Life Starve Cancer:
Raw Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini
- 1/4 red cabbage thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves chopped
- 1 spring onion sliced
- 1/2 avocado peeled and sliced
- 12 raw almonds
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Dressing
- 1/4 cup peanut butter 100% natural with no added salt or sugar
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp tamari / salt-reduced soy sauce
- 1/2 chopped green chilli or more if you like the hot stuff!
Instructions
- Assemble dressing ingredients in a jar. Pop the lid on and shake really well to combine. I like mine nice and creamy but you can add a touch of filtered water if it looks too thick.
- Using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, remove one outer strip of skin from each zucchini and discard. Peel again, in long strips and periodically rotating the zucchini, to create ‘ribbons’ from all around the core. Discard the core or use it in another recipe (or juice it!).
- Combine zucchini ribbons, cabbage and dressing in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
- Divide zucchini mixture between two plates or bowls.
- Top with remaining ingredients and enjoy! xx
Serve it up elegantly, like this:
Or Buddha Bowl style (with added red capsicum and cherry tomatoes):
Or all tropical-like (with triple the almonds!):
Just be warned: it’s highly addictive! xx
If I lived with a man and needed to concoct meals for us, this would be on the list!!! Top of the list! In fact, it’s so COLD here, that every night, I’ve been ordering an extra super thai hot meal (15 on their scale of 1 – 10) from the thai restaurant. It’s a curry – vegetables and tofu, and it’s absolutely positively hot and divine. Not raw, of course. But vegan. And thai has definitely become my favourite ethnic food type. Love your recipe and hilarious way of presenting it!!!!!!!!!
Ohhh I adore Thai food too, Nicole Marie! Lately my favourite dish is (extra spicy) chilli and basil stir-fried tofu & veg – but I’m sure I’ll be back into the Thai curries when the temperature drops again. Love the fresh flavours! 🙂 xx
Beautiful! I love raw pad thai, and the colours make it look so vibrant and full of flavour!
Oh it’s just the best invention, isn’t it Caeli! 🙂
I just made this, delicious! I did make a few changes only because I didn’t have the ingredients on hand…. instead of mint I used cilantro, no almonds so used cashews and no chili pepper substituted with jalapeno. The avocado is soooo super good in this recipe! Will make it again. thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, Jessica! So happy to hear you loved it too! 🙂 x
What a brilliant twist on a casual indulgence! I will be making it and reading you more often.
Thank you, Vanessa. It’s so lovely to have you here. 🙂 x
This looks beautiful and delicious! Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, Liesl! 🙂 x
This is brilliant- and no need for expensive ingredients! I will try this as a salad NEXT weekend and then through the summer! Thank you so much!
My pleasure, Edie! It keeps really well in the fridge too if you want to make double portions so you can enjoy it the next day as well – just keep the salad and dressing separate until you’re ready to munch it. x
This looks so delicious! I’m really keen to incorporate more raw food into my diet but it often calls for expensive or specialist ingredients – this really looks like something I could make straight from my fridge/cupboards already which is nice to see. Like the idea of it having a bit of kick to it as well. Thanks for sharing 🙂
My pleasure, Natalie. That’s what I love about it too – it’s so quick and easy to whip up!
Flavours that linger in your mind!!.. yummy yum yum. Made this dish last night and ohh soo delic-i-ous. My husband was thinking about it again this morning and wants it again very soon!! Being vegetarians and a little gluten intolerant, we have very healthy organic diets and it’s soooo hard to come up with new and exciting foods to cook everyday. So thank you Rebecca. 🙂
Oh, my love and I are vegan + gluten-free too, Mary-Jane, so I now how tough it can be. SO happy you both loved this one as much as we do. I’m a little obsessed with it in this hot, summer weather. 🙂 xx
Holy Petunias!!!! That looks and sounds amazing, i can not wait to try this out.. Thanks 🙂
Do it, Rachael! 🙂 Love to hear what you think. x