Paleo Pad Thai
Sometimes you just want a pile of something spicy-creamy-comforting… like Pad Thai. But the original dish includes rice noodles (fail), soy sauce (fail), peanuts (fail), and sugar (fail). To make it safe for dino-chow consumption, I replaced the noodles with spaghetti squash, used coconut aminos
THIS is Pad Thai you can feel good about emotionally and physically. I think it does a damn fine job recreating the taste and experience of eating the real deal. The mouth-feel of the spaghetti squash and sunshine sauce is pretty damn close to tender rice noodles – without the troublesome grain-poisons.
My recipe is based on a few already-cooked ingredients, so it’s pretty easy to throw together on a week night. I recommend grilled chicken thigh or breast because the char is a nice balance to the sweet, nutty flavors… but if all you have around is roasted chicken or even a store-bought rotisserie bird, go ahead and throw that into the pan. (This would also probably be tasty with shrimp but I haven’t tried it yet because of Dave’s allergies.) I experimented with different vegetables (broccoli, cabbage), but the snap peas were our hands-down favorite. We also thought it tasted best with regular onions cooked into the dish and scallions sprinkled on top at the end. Grab your chopsticks!
Note: The ingredient quantities listed below are for two servings, so be sure to multiply accordingly.
Paleo Pad Thai
Ingredients, serves 2
1 batch Sunshine Sauce
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons coconut aminos
2 teaspoons plus 1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup snap peas, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 cups cooked spaghetti squash
6-8 ounces grilled chicken thighs, diced
Directions:
1. Crack the eggs into a small bowl, and use a fork to scramble them with the coconut aminos. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons coconut oil to the skillet, and when it’s melted, pour in the eggs and let them spread like a pancake. Reduce the heat to medium and cover with a lid, letting the eggs cook until they’re set and beginning to brown on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and lightly brown the other side. Remove the eggs from the pan and cut into strips with a sharp knife.
2. Using the same pan, increase heat to medium-high and add 1 teaspoon coconut oil to the pan. Sauté the onion and snap peas, stirring with a wooden spoon, until they’re crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the spaghetti squash, chicken, and cooked egg to the pan and, stirring with a wooden spoon, cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the Sunshine Sauce to the pan and stir-fry until everything is well-blended and hot. Divide among two plates, sprinkle with garnishes, and dig in.
Top your Paleo Pad Thai with any or all of these:
- chopped cashews, almonds, or sunflower seeds
- chopped scallions
- chopped cilantro
- a squeeze of lime juice
Tags: chicken, dino-chow, paleo, spaghetti squash, sunshine sauce, thai
151 Responses to “Paleo Pad Thai”
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OMG, this is going to fill a major vacuum in my comfort food category!
I think you’re really gonna like it. Crispy, sweet, spicy, chewy… it’s got everything!
[...] 8, 2011 by The Foodee Pad Thai The Clothes Make The [...]
Mel!! Sean and I had Thai food on Saturday. I wish we saw this first! Definitely would have felt better eating this vs. what we had. Will have to try it soon!
Miss you!
CARLA! Hi, sweet girl. You should definitely try this recipe. SO good. Hugs to you and Sean.
LOVE the new look of your site, Mel!! Fabulous!!
Also, I think I’m going to get all the ingredients for this today and make it for the family for dinner! YUM!! Thank you!!
Hey, Snazzy! Glad you like the new look. Enjoy the pad thai! It’s really super yummo.
[...] 11.05.09 Pad Thai The Clothes Make The [...]
[...] Recipe – Paleo Pad Thai – The Clothes Make The [...]
I made this last night. I needed some food therapy. I’ve been trying to eat really well but I just wanted something filling and good. This was doubley good. It was absolutely delicious, and I felt good about eating it!
YAY, Windy! Glad it was a doubly-good food experience!
Just made this for dinner… was A-mazing! We couldn’t get spaghetti squash at such short notice here in London – but used zuccini shredded instead – was Soooooo delish! My Fiancee suggested this for supper, and I must say… I’m pretty convinced I’ll be experimenting some more with these Paleo ways! p.s. Sunshine sauce is Awesome!
Zucchini is a great substitute for spaghetti squash, but I TOTALLY recommend you find yourself one sometime so you can try it. It really is noodle-y.
And yes, sunshine sauce is one of my proudest achievements. So glad you like it!
Sending food luv from Texas to the UK!
I tried this recipe for the first time tonight. Subbed red peppers for the snap peas. Overall it was great. The sunshine sauce is key. I want to do it again and not cook my squash so long. Also, add more chili paste. This is a keeper!
Yum! I bet red peppers and snap peas together would be awesome, too. Great idea!
I’ve been trying to cook my squash more al dente lately, but most of the time, I forget it’s in the oven and it comes out pretty soft. But yeah, a little more bite to the “noodles” is good.
Glad you like it!
OH MY GOD. I thought this would be great, but when I started haphazardly throwing ingredients together in my kitchen, I began to doubt my technique.
So when I finally sat down with a steaming bowl of Paleo Pad Thai topped with chopped cilantro and scallions, and ate the first spoonful, I was blown away. Mel, this is SERIOUSLY good stuff. The creamy sunshine sauce! The chewy eggs! The sauteed snap peas!
I, too, substituted zucchini (julienned) for spaghetti squash ’cause Trader Joe’s didn’t carry squash and I was too impatient to hit up another store.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your creative, playful, and healthy recipes! I can’t wait to buy your cookbook!
HOORAY! Glad you were happy with your results. It’s pretty hard to mess it up when Sunshine Sauce is involved
Thanks for commenting! Love that you guys are experimenting.
Mel – this looks fantastic! I make a similar paleo pad thai and I love topping it with a little toasted sesame seed oil as well for an additional depth of flavor. Can’t wait to try your version!
Hey, Lindsay! I hear ya on the sesame oil… I sometimes drizzle a little on top of mine, but Dave has a strong aversion to sesame, so I didn’t include it in my recipe. What else do you do to yours? Share your secrets!
As soon as I saw this post I was drooling:D I just had to make this. Anyway made it last night but used Almond butter for the Sunshine sauce because I couldn’t find Sunflower butter made without sugar at my grocery store:( Maybe I have to do some extra searching for this. Can’t wait for lunch time so I can indulge:)
You have to let us know how the almond butter tastes. Send news!
The Pad Thai was excellent yummy:D It was great with the almond butter just in case anyone runs out of the sunbutter.
Ditto for delicious! I made the sauce this morning before CF and couldn’t wait to get home and make lunch.
I’ve never had pad thai … so I can’t compare, but this was yummy, comfort food on a cool, rainy, spring day.
Yay! I LOVE Thai noodle dishes, so I was stoked to see this. We tried a version of this at home a few weeks back but used sauteed cabbage strips and onions as our “noodles” and that was delicious. You should give that a shot too!
gasp …. this looks awesome !! can’t wait, I have had the coconut aminos sitting there – just weren’t sure how to use them !!
You are Goddess of YUM !
I will now be insufferable and refer to myself only as the Goddess of Yum.
[...] Clothes Make the Girl makes Paleo Pad Thai that looks darn [...]
Thanks, Mel. For whatever reason, I’d never made the connection between thai food and spaghetti squash. I blame the vegans…
Is it wrong that I kinda like the idea of blaming random stuff on vegans?
[...] (courtesy of The Clothes Make the Girl) [...]
thanks for the recipe! looks great. where do you get your spaghetti squash from?
You should be able to find spaghetti squash in a regular old grocery store in the product department. It looks like a yellow football in its natural state.
This was awesome and I’m adding it to my “regular” pile…not that it was regular – it was A-mazing with a capital A but it will now have a permanent home in my paleo repertoire.
Hooray! I know just what you mean: I love to add new recipes to my “frequent dinners” mix!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I just made it and it is deeee-licious! I almost couldn’t even tell it was Sunbutter, which I was very surprised about since it has a pretty strong taste. Plus with the spaghetti squash it was very filling but not heavy at all. A new favourite, thanks again!
Glad you like it! The Sunbutter is really transformed by the garlic and spicy stuff, right? Sneaky!
I love Pad Thai. I’d love a Paleo Pad Thai even more. So, where’s the tamarind paste and the fish (not soy) sauce? Those are the two essential components of a Pad Thai sauce. The Sunbutter is way off– the peanuts in Pad Thai are for crunch, not to make a creamy sauce. This sounds like a great paleo hack for peanut noodles, just not Pad Thai. I don’t know what you started with, but I’d find Chez Pim’s recipe for Pad Thai, and try to tweak that instead. I’m sure this is a great recipe, I’d just mourn if I had to call it Pad Thai.
You’re right… on the scale of authenticism, this recipe scores low, but that wasn’t my goal. My goal was to create a close-enough representation that recreates the FEEL and taste of pad thai to me… and it had to be made easily on a weeknight with ingredients that I usually have in my kitchen. For me, this recipe hits that goal.
In case anyone is curious about why I did what I did…
I eliminated the tamarind paste because it’s high in carbohydrates but doesn’t add nutritional value…
Until this week, I didn’t have access to fish sauce that didn’t include unwanted, garbage-y ingredients so I left it out. (I’ve since gotten a bottle of Red Boat Fish Sauce so I’ll be experimenting with that additional ingredient in my next batch of this recipe.)
Peanuts are OUT because they’re legumes and not healthy.
Yes, it’s always a balancing act between what’s authentic, what tastes good, and what’s healthy. I tend to err on the side of tastes good and healthy because I want to be around, eating delicious food, for a long time.
I like this recipe because it makes me feel like I’m not missing out on tastes that I can’t enjoy in restaurants anymore. Would I put this on a menu at a Thai restaurant? Nope. Am I glad it’s on the menu at my house? YES!
What do you think about trying it with kelp noodles?
Hi, Lee! I haven’t ever tried kelp noodles myself, but I bet they would word great. It you experiment with them, let me know how it tastes!
I think I’ll give it a try this weekend. Kelp noodles aren’t tooooo far removed from the real deal. I’ll keep you posted on how it turns out!
Mel, this is too freaky! I just texted M&D saying Sunshine suace + al dente spagetti squash + chopped jalapeños kicked butt tonight. I had envisioned and researched Pad Thai with SS but didnt have all the stuff. Susan suggested using Sunshine Sauce by itself. It was outstanding.
Melissa texted back that you just posted a Pad Thai using the same stuff. Great minds I guess
_
[...] Why “Unsalted”? No Damsels in Distress Five Ways to Build a Bigger and Stronger Back Paleo Pad Thai Daily inspiration, courtesy of CrossFit athlete Annie Thorisdottir May 18th, 2011 | Category: [...]
[...] I followed this one mainly: Paleo Pad Thai | Health-Bent But borrowed some ideas from this one: Paleo Pad Thai | theclothesmakethegirl I used chicken breast… boiled some spaghetti squash…then made the sauce w/ Sunbutter, but I [...]
[...] Source: The Clothes Make the Girl [...]
Have you tried making sunshine or “peanut” sauce with almond or cashew butter?
I haven’t tried it myself, but I know some readers have and the reviews were great. If you give it a go, let me know how you like it!
I made this with almond butter(no sugar)
and it was awesome! I also garnished with dry roasted, unsalted almonds and green onion…..soooooo perfect. I didn’t have any coconut milk on hand so I went a little heavier on the lime and coconut aminos and added some yellow curry powder. Not pad thai, I know, but just what I felt like I was missing out on.
I couldn’t get Sunbutter at my local Giant; did an even mix of almond butter & tahini, turned out great!
Nice mod, Jules! I rediscovered my adoration for tahini this weekend with my cucumber sesame noodles. The combo of nut butter and tahini is ridiculously good… glad it worked for the pad thai, too!
Delicious!!! thank you for this recipe
[...] Paleo Pad Thai [...]
[...] Below is a Paleo Pad Thai from The Clothes Make the Girl. [...]
WOW!!! This is delicious!!! thanks for sharing
Thanks for letting me know you like it, Angie! Happy eating!
Made this last night from the Whole9 recipe supplement. It was GREAT. My kids, who usually turn up their noses at spaghetti squash, ate mounds of it. Thanks!
I always feel like it’s a double compliment when kids like a recipe. Thanks so much for letting me know! I have a few recipes in the cookbook that are definitely kid friendly. Can’t wait to share them!
Good lord girl!!! You have some serious skills! This is one of the BEST THINGS I’VE EVER EATEN! Thank you! Have you put a cookbook yet? If haven’t yet, please do!!! You are insanely talented!
Oh! You are so nice to say all of that!
I’m working on my first cookbook right now, and it will be ready the first week of December… ebook and softcover. Can’t wait to share it with all of you!
Made this for the first time tonight…. With shrimp! Absolutely wonderful!
I’ve just cooked this, and it’s amazing! I haven’t been able to get hold of the Coconut Aminos here in London yet, but this was even delicious without them! Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for letting me know you liked it! If you can get thai fish sauce without any junky ingredients, you can use that instead of coconut aminos.
Shrimp is an excellent mod. I might try that next time! Or both… chicken AND shrimp. Heavenly.
like this but can’t do eggs. What do you think it would be like without eggs?
Charlotte, it will taste just fine without the eggs. You might want to bump up the amount of chicken a little bit to replace the protein of the eggs, but flavor wise, it will still be awesome.
Made it, LOVED it. You are the bomb. I will be making this again and again.
Right on! Thanks for letting me know you liked it. Try it with shrimp or pork next time. YUMMY!
Seriously?! YUM! Made this tonight and devoured it.
I made the sauce with almond butter I had on hand and it was delicious. I found the recipe on pinterest and so glad I tried it out, it will definitely be in my weekly rotation of goodness. Thanks!
Right on! Glad to know the almond butter works great, too. Thanks for stopping by to let me know you liked it!
I don’t know if you could feel the adoration, but my family and I were just on our knees paying homage to your culinary genius. Oh my goodness this was amazingly, unbelievably delicious! My husband, teenage son, and I are day 5 into Paleo eating and this recipe has sealed the deal. We will make it. I can’t wait to try another of your recipes. Thank you for sharing your awesomeness!
Right ON! Anything that a teenager gives a thumbs up has got to be food, right? Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it!
Had to drop you a note. I’ve been a fan of your blog & recipes for a while although I’m not really paleo, I just like good meat and veggie recipes. I made this for three of us, including a houseguest, and we all licked the plates! Actually, I’m eating the leftovers for breakfast right now.
Hey, Jessica! Thanks so much for taking the time to write! I love that you use my recipes and “aren’t paleo”… real food is good stuff. YAY!
I’m with you: pad thai for breakfast totally rules.
I made this tonight and it was fantastic! I’m not fully paleo yet but will be in January, thanks largely to your recipes. I was a little intimidated by the Whole 30 — OK, a lot intimidated — but recipes like this one make it actually feel do-able. Thank you!
YAY! Glad you liked it… and you will be just fine when you go 100% in January. It’s not too hard, just takes a little more planning and a few seconds to be thoughtful before you start eating. You’ll be great! I’m doing a Whole30 in January, too, so we’ll be doing it together.
That was stupid good… and congratulations: 3 year old boy approved!!! lol. can’t wait to try EVERYTHING else
“Stupid good” is one of my favorite compliments ever. So glad you and your wee one liked it!
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! I loved it and so did my kids – Spaghetti squash is something they’ll usually tolerate, but they asked me to promise to make this again and again. It doesn’t get better than that with kids and food!
That is high praise, indeed! Thanks for letting me know.
Ah, Melissa,
At it again! Thanks for the inspiration to eat something different this new year. Of course, since I blog for SunButter I love the sauce substitution, but as a fellow cook, I love continuing to follow your great posts. Take care.
Thank you, Elizabeth! Happy new year to you!
[...] 4.) I keep finding new paleo recipe sites with great recipes! Here! Allow me to share one that sounds freaking AMAZING, Paleo Pad Thai [...]
When I moved in with my now husband a year ago, he had 9 boxes of cereal in the pantry. Fast forward . . . we are both now paleo (me hardcore and him mostly) and I made this for dinner tonight. It was awesome!! My husband raved about it. He said, “if this is Paleo, count me IN!” Made your chocolate chili last night and it was also fabulous! I can’t wait for my copy of Well Fed to get here — hurry up Amazon!
I love stories like this. AWESOME! Hope you have lots of fun cooking from Well Fed and that your husband continues to love the paleo adventures!
Mel, I stopped by your sight to drop you a quick note to let you know your kindness and support to my Emerald City Jr Gem, Mini 2 Skates a couple of years back made a huge impact on her life. She still talks about you on a regular basis and has even pinned the “Melicious” cutout from your shirt to hers on many occasions. Mini is at a point in her derby career where she is focused on fueling her body with healthy food and becoming the best athlete she can. I cannot express how sad I was to find an error when I tried to get to your “Rollergirl; True Stories from the Track” webpage. I didn’t think I was going to be able to send you a message. What a treat it was to find this page. After checking it out a bit, I was really excited because now Mini can refer to your page for help with healthy eating and cross training. So my message to you not only includes a Thank you for taking the time to make Mini feel worth while and special a couple of years ago with your inspiring message and gifts to her, but also a Thank you for continuing to share your experiences online as I know she is going to LOVE this page!!!! She has a bout this afternoon and I am sure she will have a silent conversation with you prior to hitting the track. She reaches out to you often for inspiration and support. I am also pretty sure she will be whipping up some of this Pad Thai for dinner tomorrow. Pad Thai is one of her favorite dishes!!!! What a treat to have a healthy version.
Thanks again for all you do!
Mini’s mom
TINA! Thank you so much for tracking me down and writing this incredibly thoughtful message. You really made my day.
It’s lovely to know that Mini is kicking butt at Roller Derby and that she enjoyed the note and encouragement. I can’t find the words to express how moving it is for me. Thank you.
Definitely tell Mini to shoot me an email if she has any questions about paleo, training, anything really… I’d love to hear from her.
And if I didn’t say this before: you must be a great mom to have such a cool kid. Hugs to both of you!
Yum!
awesome. thank you, Mel, for satisfying all our unhealthy/poisonous cravings with recipes such as this. I’m glad I tripled the recipe, so we could still eat deliciousness all weekend while our friends chowed down on poisons.
Also, I made a few adjustments considering what I had in the house/ what was on sale at the store. For example, I used summer squash instead of spaghetti squash. However, people, don’t attempt this until you have purchased a beautiful julienne peeler (I had to go on a little hunt to find one, but I’m a better person now that I have one, ha). definitely making this regularly.
YAY! I bet the zucchini noodles tasted great. And yes, the julienne peeler is MAGICAL!
WOW!!!! Just made this and it is sooo good. I love Pad Thai so was a little unsure but this is a great recipe. Thank you!
This recipe is AMAZING! My husband is always wary of when I get new recipe books and try them for the first time. we love, love, love this one and have made it a few times. All of your recipes have been a great addition to our paleo arsenal!
Thank you so much!
My evening went a little something like this… “Hmmm whats for dinner… Oooh look! A spaghetti squash!” Turn to roasted spaghetti squash recipe in Well Fed, notice Paleo Pad Thai listed as a suggested recipe in the sidebar… “Pad Thai sounds great! But since I don’t have snap peas or chicken, I’ll substitute Broccoli and Shrimp!” Turn to sunshine sauce recipe, which I made with almond butter & lemon juice since thats what i had on hand… 3 Recipes out of Well Fed in one fell swoop, and a flippin delish meal to boot (with plenty of leftovers even)! Thanks Mel!!!
I’ve been doing this paleo thing for a couple years now and last night I made your pad thai for the first time (from Well Fed – my new fave cookbook!). This has got to be one of the top five recipes I’ve ever made. I’ve got leftovers for lunch today, but it’s not even 9:00am yet and they are already calling my name….
Thank you SO much for the enthusiasm for this recipe. Someone dissed it pretty hard in an Amazon review the other day, and it broke my heart a little. I’m so grateful to you guys for taking the time to comment and let me know that you like the recipe. You guys are the awesomest.
[...] Paleo Pad Thai on The Clothes Make the Girl. This meal is delicious. So delicious that we made it after the kids went to bed so we wouldn’t have to share. I personally think it stands alone as a meal itself rather than as a substitute for the real thing, but that’s probably because I don’t make substitute Paleo meals. And speaking of Asian cuisine… [...]
I’m so excited to make this. We’re doing a paleo tour of Asia this week!
I’ve made your cinnamon beef stew and the chocolate chili both of which were FANTASTIC!! My husband loves pad Thai food and has missed that since we went paleo. Do you know how/if tamarind paste (usually used in pad thai) fits into the whole 30 or even paleo in general? It seems to me like it would, the only ingredient is tamarind… just wanting to check with someone who’s been paleo longer than us! 
Thanks!
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes… YAY!
Tamarind, the fruit, isn’t too bad.
I looked up Tamarind paste, which is in traditional pad thai, when I was developing my paleo pad thai recipe, and it’s fairly high in sugar (nutrition info here – http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-stonewall-kitchen-tamarind-sauce-i86745). I don’t feel like it’s in the spirit of the Whole30, so I skipped it. If you’re not being super strict, I don’t think it would be a problem unless it sets off your sugar demon.
Thanks so much! My sugar demon’s pretty trigger happy so this might be a problem. Will skip it during our Whole 30 which we just started today and go from there.
Thanks again.
Whoever dissed this recipe must be kind of strange! This is quite possibly one of the best Paleo recipes I’ve ever made, I agree that this Pad Thai seems more like a stand-alone recipe than a substitute; I actually preferred it to traditional Pad Thai because not only is it totally delicious, but it didn’t make me feel gross afterwards. I used half sunflower, half home made almond butters for the sauce and topped it with lots of lime and fresh coriander – wonderful, thank you!
Oh! You’re the awesomest. Thank you! Really glad you liked the pad thai — and love that you did half-and-half in the sauce. I bet that was tasty!
Made your Pad Thai last night and I knocked everyone’s socks off and we didn’t feel like crap in the morning realizing all the empty calories we consumed! I think I could put the local Thai restaurant down the street out of business with this recipe! YUM! My husband, kids (6yrs & 3yrs old) loved it as well as did a fellow Pad Thai loving friend who I took dinner to last night! Thank you for your creativity and for sharing your talents with the rest of us so we can all be Well Fed.
I got your book via Amazon last week and can’t get enough of it. Coco Chili is in the crock pot now! YUM!
Oh! Thank you so much. Really glad to know you all enjoyed it — and my apologies to your local Thai joint
Found your blog via Pinterest and that led me to the Whole9life website. I’m on day 15 of my Whole30 (started 2 days after reading about it).
I want to thank you! Love your blog and how authentically you shine in your writing. I hardly know you, but you have a super approachable style and your recipe’s are killer. I’ve tried 3 of them so far and am attempting this Pad Thai tonight. I’m a little concerned as to how it will turn out as I looked in 4 different stores and still have not been able to find chili-garlic paste. I have everything else, so I’m hoping it’s still good.
I have plans to buy your cookbook soon. I think it’s awesome that out of 3 recipes I’ve tried we have loved them all. Pretty good odds right there!
Bonnie
Wow! What a fun path from food pictures to Whole30… love that! Congratulations on 15 days of eating super clean. Hope you’re feeling awesome!
Thank you so much for your sweet words about my blog and the recipes. I’ve updated the recipe above to match my cookbook Well Fed (this recipe is old; the version in the book is updated) because it eliminates the chili-garlic sauce. Definitely get your hands on Well Fed — lots of good stuff in there, esp. as you’re doing a Whole30.
Good to ‘meet’ you!
This was awesome! I inadvertently mis-measured the amount of soy (haven’t laid in a supply of coconut aminos yet) that went into the eggs (used 2 tablespoons… fail!) and had no coconut milk on hand for the Sunshine Sauce, but it was still great–spicy and creamy and just sweet enough. Yum!!
Holy cow, woman!!! If it weren’t for the fact that the butternut squash was already roasting away in the oven I probably would have eaten that entire batch of Sunshine Sauce all by itself! That stuff right there is of another world! I can see that it’s going to be a staple in my kitchen. I must whip up another batch tomorrow!
My belly is still full from delicious Pad Thai as I write this! I’m having the scant bit that’s left over (I had to stop myself from eating it all) for breakfast and I can’t wait!!!
Just keep doing what you’re doing and don’t let one little diss spoil yer day. And, if it starts to just come back here and read all the positive goodness from the people who love you! Thank you, Mel!!!
YAY! Glad you enjoyed it. And I agree: Sunshine Sauce is super yummo. I used to eat a ton of peanut sauce, so it’s nice to have this healthy alternative for dipping.
Thanks for the words of encouragement, too!
This recipe seriously almost made me cry with happiness. I’m a reformed noodle/pasta addict, and spicy Thai noodles were the one thing I missed SO MUCH.
This might be the best paleo meal I’ve ever eaten.
THANK YOU! I will be buying your book!
Oh… hooray! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and don’t have to miss your noodles any more. There’s another noodle recipe in Well Fed that I think you’ll really like, too. Happy cooking and eating!
I’m making this for dinner and have a question. why the rice vinegar in the sunshine sauce. Isn’t rice non paleo? I appreciate all the resources I have that keep me excited about cooking with fresh ingredients. Thank you, Thank you , Thank you.
Hey, Alma! You’re right — rice is a no-go for paleo, but rice vinegar is given a thumbs-up by Whole30/Whole9, which are the guidelines I follow. They’re the strictest…
“Vinegar. All vinegar, with the exception of malt vinegar (which generally contains gluten), is allowed during your Whole30. This includes white, apple cider, balsamic, red wine, rice, and other non-malt vinegar varieties.”
http://whole9life.com/2012/01/whole-30-v2012/
yum this looks amazing….but any advice on how to make this for someone allergic to eggs?
Natalie don’t mean to jump in with both feet but if you leave the eggs out it’s still really great.
Thanks, Alma! You’re right… just skip the eggs, Natalie. It will still taste awesome.
I’m newly Paleo and was lamenting that I could never have Pad Thai or California rolls again- my favorite foods in the whole world. My sister told me about this site and Well Fed and I was SO EXCITED to find both recipes! Made them both and loved them (in fact I just made myself some more Pad Thai for breakfast this morning). I can’t tell you how excited I am to find you- everything I make now comes from your recipes. I think I’m going to have to try every recipe in Well Fed! Thank you!
YAY! I’m so glad you found me and that your taste buds are happy again. The paleo versions of both of those are SO good — and good for you. WOOT!
Thanks for stopping by. Keep us posted on how you’re doing from time to time!
Hi there! I made this last night as my non-Paleo hubby LOVES pad thai. He was a little unsure when he saw it as he said the noodles are his favorite part, but after he was done he scooped up some leftovers for his lunch today! He added a bit of chili sauce for a bit more bite. Thanks for an awesome recipe, can’t wait to try more from your site!
WOOT! Love this story. Glad your hubby liked it!
all hail the spaghetti squash! i make a Singapore Mai Fun with Spaghetti Squash. i was making it for gluten issues – tho hadn’t reworked it since going Primal. i’ll look for coconut aminos now. thanks for the inspiration, oh Yum one.
Made this tonight and it was soooo good! My hubby and twin 3 years liked it too! Thank you so much!
[...] Paleo Pad Thai by Aisha [...]
[...] **I based my recipe off of two well-known Paleo blogs: Health-Bent and The Clothes Make the Girl.** [...]
LOVE IT!! Seriously, every recipe I make from your book and website keeps getting better and better. This is amazing! I made this using your zucchini noodle recipe and it is awesome. I love your book. Your recipes have an amazing depth of flavour that is often not found in cookbooks. Thank you for all your hard work and testing!!!
Oh! You are so nice, with the compliments. I’m really glad you’re enjoying the recipes. And I can’t really take credit for zucchini noodles; the veg is doing all the heavy lifting there. And Nom Nom Paleo introduced me to the magic of the julienne peeler.
Thank you so much for stopping by to say lovely things.
What did I do wrong? Compared to your photo, my Pad Thai was a “glob.” Very saucy. I used all the right proportions, but also thought my sunshine sauce was a little thick. It it supposed to be kind of thin? Thanks!
Without being in the kitchen with you, it’s impossible to know. If the sauce seemed too thick, next time, try thinning it with a little water — start with 1 tablespoon at a time. Also, when you’re heating the vegetables and sauce together, if it seems too thick, you can add a little water then, too. Hope next time goes more smoothly!
lol. Maybe it’s ridiculous, but I think it was just my mood. I brought leftovers to work for lunch and it was fine. A new day and a squeeze of lime made all the difference.
This was SO good! Even my un-adventurous hubby liked it! I doubled the coconut-milk but other than that it was incredible!
This was fantastic. I had never had spaghetti squash until today and it was outstanding. This is going in regular rotation.
Oh, man! Spaghetti squash is so versatile — you’re gonna love it! Enjoy!
I make this recipe ALL THE TIME. I find it to be a bit labor intensive, but totally worth it. Everyone who eats it loves it.
Oh goodness, I just made this–first time using spaghetti sauce or sunflower seed butter–and it was totally awesome. I agree that I would probably describe the taste as something closer to peanut noodles than pad thai, but know what guilty pleasure food I love? Peanut. Noodles. (My roommate used to make them with peanut butter, ketchup, and angel hair pasta–horrifying but delicious.)
Seriously, this is really, really good! I never really believed that spaghetti squash could take the place of wheat pasta, but it makes so much sense as a rice noodle substitute. Creamy and delicious! I made it with previously frozen shrimp, which I tossed in raw right before I added the noodles. Mmm.
Thanks so much for the recipe!
*squash!
So glad you enjoyed it! And yes, it’s not super authentic, but it really can’t be. The traditional pad thai sauce is made from three sources of sugar that form a syrup and are then sprinkled with peanuts… no way to paleoize that
HOLY COW!!!!! THIS WAS AMAZING! Awesomest Paleo recipe EVER. And a good portion too! I wish I could eat this every day!!!
[...] Paleo Pad Thai – YUM! This recipe is in my new favorite cookbook, Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan over at The Clothes Make The Girl blog. [...]
[...] Paleo Pad Thai (with shrimp not chicken) http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/05/08/paleo-pad-thai/ [...]
Oh, my… made this for the first time last week and I just can’t get enough! And it tastes even better the next day (if you can actually wait that long to eat it).
When it comes to thai food, I’m a HUGE veggie girl, so I probably doubled the vegetable content–an entire onion, twice the snap peas, and a red bell pepper. And it still tasted amazing using the same amount of sunshine sauce.
This one is going on my weekly rotation. =)
Can’t wait to try my own spin on it using green curry and coconut milk instead of the sunshine sauce.
Right on! I’m glad you liked it, and I’m delighted that you’re making it your own. That’s the best part of cooking!
Awesome post.
O….M….G!!!!!! This is AMAZING. You rocked my socks off Mel. Regular Pad Thai is/has been my weakness, but no more! Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Hooray! Really glad you liked it so you don’t have to mess around with its naughty, sugary, grainy cousin
[...] recipes for “paleo pad thai” as inspiration (i.e. from Health-Bent, Primal Palate and Well Fed) and came up with a dish that is delicious in its own right. Paleo [not-Pad] Thai, we shall call [...]
[...] Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai from The Clothes Make the Girl [...]
Wow, this is really yummy! My first time making it, and first time with sunshine sauce, which I have been dying to try. The rest of it in the pan is calling to me, so I’d better go stick it in the fridge before I go eat the rest of it!
Thanks! Am enjoying Well Fed on my iPad. 
Thank you, Katie! I’m so glad you like the recipe — and yes, Sunshine Sauce comes in VERY handy! We just had some at lunch with raw veggies. Glad you’re having fun cooking with Well Fed. Happy eating!
This is THE best thing that has ever come out of my own kitchen!! Thank you so much Melissa! Well Fed has been making my transition to Paleo so much easier and eating this dinner last night confirmed the fact for me that things can be super tasty AND good for you!!!
Thank YOU for letting me know it was a hit! I’m really glad that Well Fed is making the switch easier. YAY!
[...] finally had the chance to cook some food for the week. Tim requested one of his (our) favorites, Paleo Pad Thai from TheClothesMaketheGirl.com. It tastes amazing. It wouldn’t be as tasty if Melissa hadn’t concocted such a [...]
[...] to the “T” but I follow the basic premise. The recipes that I follow can be found here and [...]
We tried this tonight and it was delish! I subbed nut butter for the sunbutter because that is what I had on had (but I am so excited to see this recipe using sunbutter as my mom is allergic to nuts). I don’t do browned eggs, so I just cooked them until set and then sliced them, added a thinly sliced red bell pepper for some color, some thai basil for “thai-ness”, and served it over cabbage noodles! Amazing, the whole pot is gone, my kids even loved it!!
[...] probably going to make Chicken Pad Thai for dinner tonight (Well Fed Recipe!) with spaghetti squash for the noodles. Oh, heaven. I can’t [...]
Melissa, your blog is awesome! I made this last night but had to use snow peas because I could not find snap peas. Any suggestions as to where to find them? i checked the produce aisle and the frozen veggies. Secondly, when you cook the egg and then cut it, is it supposed to be hard? I couldn’t get my egg to harden without being burnt and didn’t know how much “burn” would disrupt the taste. Thank you!!
Or store sells the snap peas right next to the snow peas in the produce department — sorry I can’t be more help, but snow peas should taste just about the same.
I like my egg thin, cooked through and browned, but that’s totally personal preference. My advice is to make the eggs the way you like them best. There is no “right” way.
[...] Paleo Pad Thai. Taken from the front runner of best Paleo cook books to date, Well Fed. OMGG. Better than the non-paleo version. True Story. Total, complete, pure joy. [...]
This looks incredibly delicious and I can’t wait to make it! I’ve never made spaghetti squash before and I was wondering how you cook it, and is that one of the things you can have pre-cooked (like, can it sit in the fridge for a couple of days after it’s cooked or you should cook right beforehand?)? Thank you for this wonderful blog!
The easiest way to make spag squash is to roast it in the oven, and yes, you can make it in advance and store it in the fridge ’til you’re ready to eat it.
Cut the squash in half, and remove the seeds.
Place on a baking sheet, cut side down, and sprinkle 3 tablespoons of water on the baking sheet.
Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until it’s tender. Take out of the oven, and flip the squash cut side UP until it’s cool. Use a fork to scrape into spaghetti strands.
Oh my goodness. Made this today and am eating it for dinner at work right now. Holy Pad Thai Batman, this stuff is sooooo good!!! Seriously I’m pretty sure I’m going to be licking the bowl clean! HA! It’s spicy, but oh so good!!I made my own sunflower butter because I couldn’t find any Whole30 compliant, probably cheaper that way too, lol. Thanks for yet another amazing recipe!
I made this this weekend (but from your cookbook, which I now want to make everything out of!) and it was sooo yummy!
[...] Paleo Pad Thai | theclothesmakethegirl. Share this: Pin ItEmailShare on TumblrLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. [...]
[...] but sometimes I forget and often we won't eat dinner until 8-9pm or so. Found this recipe for pad thai today, looks like a winner. We don't get spaghetti squash in Oz, so I'll probably make it with [...]
Lucky I bought spaghetti squash from Fresh and Easy yesterday. I love pad thai and been looking for a recipe without noodles cause I am diabetic.
You won’t even miss the rice noodles with this recipe. hope you enjoy it!
[...] Paleo Pad Thai from The Clothes Make The Girl. Giddyup! [...]
[...] I am a newcomer to the world of spaghetti squash. It is a mystical food that looks like a big yellow egg, but turns into spaghetti when you slice it in half and cook it. How cool is that?? I ALSO recently discovered Pad Woon Sen, which is all the deliciousness of Pad Thai with some skinny bean thing instead of noodles. In honor of these two Good Foods, I present to you: Pad Squash. I sort of loosely based it off a paleo-diet pad thai recipe (Paleo Pad Thai recipe) [...]
Awesome and so easy to make! I’m going to add mushrooms next time. This even got a thumbs up from my non Paleo hubby.
question: are there any paleo substitutes for the snap peas & rice vinegar? I’m thinking a balsamic or apple cider vinegar could work, but I’m not sure what to sub for the snap peas – maybe julienned carrots or zucchini? any way you slice it, this recipe is great!
Cider vinegar will work — it’s not quite the same, but it’s mild enough that it should taste just fine.
For the snow peas, I recommend very thin slivers of red bell pepper. They’ll add the sweetness and if you don’t overcook them, they’ll keep their snappy texture. Have fun with it!
[...] Sunday: Paleo Pad Thai [...]
[...] Made paleo pad thai with cut up steak (it was a leaner cut, I don’t remember what it was). We were also really [...]
[...] Seriously, make this. Recipe from here. [...]
[...] was leftover Paleo pad thai and some kimchi. I drank some decaffeinated tea throughout the day to hydrate. I have a difficult [...]
Made the pad thai tonight. You are amazing! This is awesome! Well done and thank you.
Thank YOU for being awesome and leaving a comment. I’m glad you liked the pad thai! Happy cooking & eating to you!
Just made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing!!! Thanks for creating this awesome dish!!!
[...] wait another 16 days to eat some more lemon thyme goodness. I’m thinking I may even modify this recipe to include [...]
[...] can certainly use this dip as a sauce for meat or a spaghetti squash pad thai, like Melissa’s. But, for party purposes, I discovered that this incredible dip can please [...]
[...] planned a wonderful photo post, full of pictures of my friend and I having fun and making our pad Thai. But then two things happened that waylaid my plans. For one, I was so busy cooking and visiting [...]
[...] Paleo Pad Thai—see my post below. SOOO [...]
I just wanted to say thank you sooo much for this recipe. I just made it and it is delicious. Fantastic addition to my Whole30!
Thank YOU for taking the time to let me know you liked it! That is really cool of you. Happy cooking!
[...] are some MAYJAH winning recipes I have made in the past week: – Paleo Pad Thai – this is seriously, one of the tastiest things I have EVER made. I cannot get enough of [...]
Made this tonight! Fabulous!!!! I am mad there are no leftovers for lunch tomorrow….as my husband loved it as much as I did!
Made this to bring to my girl’s night where they were getting Chinese takeout (yuck!)…guess what…they ate it too and loved it! It’s now 2 days later and I’m eating leftovers for lunch and it’s still delicious!!! Love this dish!
Hooray! I love when paleo food trumps takeout. WOOT! Glad you’re diggin’ it!
Forgot to mention in my previous comment…LOVE LOVE LOVE Well Fed! Got it for Christmas and the pages are staying in (in case you were wondering!)
[...] a special going around with 33 ebooks for $39 – how could I say no?!). So far I’ve made Paleo Pad Thai and Moroccan meatballs, and both were amazing. I was nervous to make the Pad Thai after my last [...]
[...] dinner we had Paleo Pad Thai made with shrimp and cabbage instead of chicken and spaghetti squash, respectively. I also added a [...]
[...] Yay! I am so glad I found this recipe. It is the best chicken! http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/05/08/paleo-pad-thai/ - Make this substitute for phad thai when you have some time on your hands. Organic Sunbutter [...]
[...] Notes: *Make sure to get pasture raised chicken. You can always get chicken from Mt. Vernon Farms if you live in the area. If not, check out US Wellness Meats. * See original recipe here. [...]
[...] time. I’ve mentioned before how much I love Thai food, well I made a paleo version of pad thai! It turned [...]