30-Minute Healthy Instant Pot Pad Thai

This easy, healthy take on Instant Pot Pad Thai is loaded with colorful veggies and uses ingredients you already have on hand! Done in about 30 minutes and tastes as good as takeout. Vegan and gluten-free option. A filling and flavor-packed weeknight dinner that's a hit with kids, too!

Hello, most vibrant weeknight dinner ever! I can't get enough of these yummy noodles dotted with crisp veggies. If you love recipe, you've just gotta try my Teriyaki Vegetable Stir Fry, Buddha Bowls with Peanut Sauce, and Peanut Noodles with Broccoli!

This dish comes from my friend Megan's Fresh and Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook, which is chock full of delish Instant Pot Recipes. So many to try!

Ingredients

• Whole wheat spaghetti: I like whole wheat spaghetti because it's so easy to find, it's affordable, and I usually have it on hand. For a more authentic pad Thai recipe, you can use Annie Chun's rice noodles.
• Peanut butter: To make an easy peanut sauce that makes this dish super flavorful!
• Veggies: This dish is absolutely packed with veggie goodness, including cabbage, snow peas, carrots, peppers, and green onions. You can change up the veggies depending on what you like an have in the fridge.
• Soy sauce: For salty, umami flavor. I use reduced sodium soy sauce. You could also use coconut aminos.
• Maple syrup: pad Thai is traditionally pretty sweet, but this version is light sweetened with unrefined sweetener versus sugar.
• Fish sauce: This, along with tamarind paste are authentic ingredients that make pad Thai taste legit. Tamarind paste is harder to find, so I find adding fish sauce adds that needed depth of flavor for this to taste like real pad Thai!
• Ginger and garlic: Delish aromatics to add more layers of flavor.

Substitutions and dietary preferences

• Make it gluten free: Use brown rice spaghetti or rice noodles and tamari instead of soy sauce.
• Make it nut free: Use sunflower seed butter in the sauce and omit peanuts.
• Change up the veggies (or use frozen!): You can change up the veggies and use fresh basil, mushrooms, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, bean sprouts, or whatever veggies you love. A frozen stir fry blend makes this super easy in a pinch!

How to make

Variations

• Add edamame: A complete, plant based protein that's super easy! You could also add baked tofu cubes.
• Add scrambled eggs. Who doesn't love eggs in their pad Thai? Cook them using the sauté function then stir them back in at the end!
• Add cooked shrimp. Simply use the sauté function to cook the shrimp in oil until it's opaque.

Health benefits

This dietitian is happy to say pressure cooking is one of the healthiest ways to cook since there's less oil involved and nutrients aren't being lost.

Another fun fact I learned is that the pressurized pot lowers the boiling point of water, so your food is rarely cooked at a temperature above 250 degrees. Lower temps means fewer nutrients lost, as does shorter cooking times.

This recipe in particular is also packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber thanks to whole grain noodles and tons of veggies!

How to store

This recipe is best day of, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you by leaving a star rating and/or comment! I'm SO excited for you to try it.

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