This Pad Thai Salad is so refreshing. Think Pad Thai, but cold with fresh veggies. Julienned veggies are tossed with Pad Thai noodles and dressed in a slightly sweet and perfectly tangy sauce. The secret ingredient here is the tamarind paste. It’s key in bringing out all of the flavors. Top it off with some crispy tempeh fried in coconut oil!

Pad Thai Salad with Crispy Tempeh

4-6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 (14oz) package Pad Thai noodles

• 1 (8oz) package tempeh

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 3 large carrots, julienned (I like to use rainbow carrots)

• 1 red bell pepper, julienned

• 1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

• 2 green onions (the whole thing), finely chopped

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 1 tbsp tamarind paste

• 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger

• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar

• 1/2 tbsp Sriracha

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp water

Directions

1. Add noodles to about 4 quarts of boiling water then immediately stir to separate (this is an important step as the noodles tend to stick to each other). Boil until tender, about 5-6 minutes.

2. Drain noodles and rinse under cold water for about 10 seconds. Set aside in the fridge to cool further.

3. For the tempeh: Cut tempeh into small bite-sized cubes. In a large pan over medium heat, add about 1 tbsp coconut oil. Once melted, add the cubed tempeh and spread in an even layer. Cook for about 4 minutes, flip each cube over and cook for another 4 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Using a julienne peeler peel the carrots and bell pepper. (If you don’t have a julienne peeler, julienne with a knife - the thinner the better). Thinly slice the purple cabbage (should yield about 1 cup). Place veggies in a large bowl. Add the chopped cilantro, green onion and peanuts.

5. Add all of the ingredients for the sauce to a small bowl. Mix to combine then pour over the veggies.

6. Add the cooled noodles and tempeh to the bowl with the veggies, toss everything together and serve.