Veggie Pad Thai

Perfectly shiny noodles, basking in a sweet and salty glaze of tamarind and soy. Studded with vegetables (broccoli, carrots, onion, and garlic) and topped with crunchy cashews, this dish is pure perfection. And you need one pan and about 15 minutes to put it all together! 

MY version of Pad Thai is probably unlike all other noodle recipes you've seen. First, I use ingredients you can find in the regular grocery store! I also tweak in other ways, and here are a few highlights: 

1. Many Pad Thai recipes call for sugar, and never like adding plain sugar to my savory dishes. If you want a sweeter dish, add a little honey to taste. 
2. I added tomato paste, which I think helps add sweetness without adding sugar. 
3. I added tamari sauce, which isn't always a staple ingredient, but I love it in this dish because it's the perfect contrast for sweeter tamarind. You can also use gluten-free liquid aminos. 
4. Most Pad Thai recipes use fish sauce or oyster sauce, but I wanted to make this truly vegan, so I left that out too. If you want to add it, use it in place of the 2 tablespoons of water. 
5. For added protein, you can add grilled tofu, diced cooked chicken and/or steamed shrimp. 

Vegetable Pad Thai 

12 ounces rice noodles, also called Pad Thai noodles
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup minced onion
2 carrots, diced 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
5 tablespoons tamari sauce or liquid aminos
3 tablespoons tamarind paste (sold with the other Asian ingredients in the grocery store)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar, regular or seasoned
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup fresh broccoli florets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cashews or peanuts

Soak the noodles in a large pot of hot water for 10 minutes, until soft. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the soaking water, and set aside. 
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften, stirring frequently. 
In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari sauce, tamarind, vinegar, water, tomato paste, and paprika. Add the mixture to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Add the softened noodles, reserved liquid and broccoli and cook until the liquid is absorbed (just a minute or two). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer the noodles to a serving dish and top with the cashews. 
Serves 4