Raw Pad Thai is a quick and easy, healthy recipe featuring kelp noodles, fresh veggies and creamy peanut dressing for a tasty raw vegan lunch, dinner or make ahead meal!
A few weeks ago I was given a package of kelp noodles and finally found the perfect dish to feature them in. I absolutely love Thai food and have been interested in putting together a raw Pad Thai.
I came across Ani Phyo’s version using kelp noodles and that was it, inspiration hit! And I must say it came out very well considering I was having trouble getting the sauce to my liking.
I actually had two inspirations to work with and tried both coming up with my final version. One was a bit too salty and the other too oily.
Finally, I got it right in the middle. It was well worth the trial and errors of making the sauce. This raw pad thai is gluten free, nutrient dense and a special dish to enjoy often!
Kelp Noodles
Kelp noodles are pretty interesting, I had no idea what to expect. They are a raw food with a neutral flavor and a firm crunchy texture like a bean sprout. When handling they remind of plastic bands with their slight stretchiness.
They are rich in 70 minerals and a healthy alternative to noodles containing no gluten, wheat or sugar. As an added benefit they are low in carbohydrates and calories, only 6 calories per serving.
They can be eaten warm or cold. Find kelp noodles online and at asian grocery stores. Before preparing kelp noodles, always be sure to rinse them well.
You could easily make this without kelp noodles but I do encourage trying them if you can, it’s an experience. And a really good one at that! But if you don’t, there are plenty of other vegetables in this dish that will fill you up. They all add vibrant color, texture and flavor.
How To Make Raw Pad Thai
What you’ll need:
- 1 package (12 – 16 oz.) kelp noodles
- 1 large carrot or ½ cup shredded carrots
- 1 zucchini
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4 scallions
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- ½ cup cilantro
- 1 jalapeno (optional)
- raw cashews or peanuts
- lime wedges
Sauce
- ¼ cup raw almond butter (I used crunchy)
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup water, + more as needed
- 3 tablespoons tamari, coconut aminos or Nama Shoyu
- 3 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- pinch of mineral salt
- ½ lime
Prep the veggies and combine the dressing in a small bowl.
Add kelp noodles, veggies and herbs to a large mixing bowl, toss with prepared dressing and enjoy with garnishments.
That’s it, Raw Pad Thai made healthy, easy and delicious!
How To Store + Meal Prep
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 – 5 days, in a covered container.
- Meal Prep: This raw salad can easily be made ahead and stored in serving portion sizes for to-go lunches.
More Raw Recipes
- Garden Salad Lettuce Wraps
- Kelp Noodle Salad + Peanut Dressing
- Thai Cucumber & Cashew Salad
- Crunchy Romaine Salad
- Vegan Street Tacos
- See all Raw Recipes on TSV!
If you try this raw vegan recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintRAW PAD THAI
This raw pad thai features kelp noodles, plenty of vegetables and a creamy nutty sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: Serves 2 1x
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 package (16 oz.) kelp noodles
- 1 large carrot, julienned or ½ cup shredded carrots
- 1 zucchini, julienned
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- ½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno, sliced (optional)
- raw cashews or peanuts, garnish
- lime wedges, garnish
Sauce
- ¼ cup raw almond butter (I used crunchy)
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup water, + more as needed
- 3 tablespoons tamari, coconut aminos or Nama Shoyu
- 3 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
- pinch of mineral salt
- ½ lime, squeezed
Instructions
Sauce: In a small/medium bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and mix together until blended. Set aside for 30 min to let the flavors mingle. Add extra ingredients to suit your taste.
Prep: While sauce is setting, prepare your veggies and rinse the kelp noodles. You could cut your kelp noodles into smaller pieces or leave as is (I left mine as is).
Assemble: Place kelp noodles and other vegetables in a large bowl, pour the pad Thai sauce over top and toss until thoroughly coated.
Serve in individual bowls with a squeeze of lime and cashews over top. Enjoy to the fullest!
Serves 2 generously
Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 – 4 days, in a covered container.
Notes
Use ½ cup almond butter if you prefer or don’t have tahini on hand.
A little orange juice is delicious in the sauce. If you have some on hand add a couple tablespoons.
If not using kelp noodles add extra shredded/julienned carrots and zucchini, or extra red bell pepper.
(I forgot to add the bean sprouts)
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Raju says
That was very easy and delicious recipe. I thought about spicing it up by adding some pepper flakes or jalapenos slices, but left it as it is since it was delicious. No Kelp noodles used though, next time maybe.
Julia says
When you say that a recipe is raw, do you use a certain percentage of raw ingredients? Is that common? I’m asking bc maple syrup is not a raw food and I’ve seen it in a few raw recipes. I’m just curious as to what is common. Thanks!
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Great question, Julia! No percentages are used, but I do consider pure maple syrup as raw even though it is extracted with heat. It is still pure, unprocessed, and contains valuable nutrients. It is the only liquid sweetener I recommend in a raw diet (although you may see agave listed as a sub, I do not really recommend agave). Hope that helps!
Magdalena says
I tried kelp noodles twice already and they noever got soft, it was like eating rubberbands. I want so much to try your recipe, but please explain to me why my noodles never softened. The seconds time I soaked them for hours and nothing, they were still like rubberbands. Please, what am I doing wrong?
★★★★★
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Unfortunately, kelp noodles are not like noodles made of rice or flour, and do not soften. They remain a firm texture and are an acquired taste. You’re not doing anything wrong. :)
Suzanne Fournier says
I made this recipe tonight and absolutely LOVED it!! However, you have the wrong recipe for the nutrition information. It looks like you have listed on here naan bread pizza. I figured there was no way this could only have 5 grams of fat per serving given the almond butter and tahini. It was absolutely delicious, though!
★★★★
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Great, so glad you loved it! Thanks for pointing out the nutrition info, I’ve fixed it! You’ll see there is 17 grams. ;)
Mary says
Perfectly delicious and easy, thank you!
★★★★★
Terry says
Made this for lunch today and it was amazing!
★★★★★
Patty says
I love your version SO much more! No offense to Ani (she’s amazing), but the recipe in her book was really overpowering with coconut oil. Thank you for sharing your masterpiece! :)
★★★★★
visnja says
Absolutely wonderful!!! Thank you very much for sharing this with us!!!
Alicia says
Thanks! This was really lush. When I taste tested it, a big WOW escaped me :)
Laurie Lay says
Question: if I want to avoid maple syrup/honey/sugar, or anything like that… what would I put in the sauce?
For sweetening… I usually just use some type of fruit: apple, banana, blueberries… etc.
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
You could omit the sugar and it will still be delicious. I imagine you could try a little apple sauce and see if that works for you. It does sound a little different but it might turn out ok. Would love to know how it goes if you try the applesauce. Cheers :)
Jacob Yelton says
You could make a date syrup. Water, dates, blend….
Michelle Waters says
I just discovered your blog after searching for kelp noodle recipes! I just bought some the other day and will be making your recipe for my boyfriend and I to take for lunch this week! Looks great! I am always interested in trying different versions of home made Asian style sauces like this so I am excited! It makes any veggies so yummy! I just have to pick up some tamari! Thanks for the beautiful recipe :)