Low Sodium Pad Thai Noodles Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis low sodium Pad Thai recipe is a delicious dinner idea! With rice noodles and chopped vegetables tossed in a tasty peanut lime sauce. Tasty and better (for you) than takeout!
These noodles are a lower sodium version of the classic Thai dish. By making using simple ingredients and lower-sodium swaps, you can make tasty Pad Thai at home!
Before we started our low sodium journey, Pad Thai was always my go-to when eating out at restaurants. I was craving it, and had to make a lower sodium version at home that still felt like I was splurging at a restaurant.
Traditional Pad Thai recipes are made with fish sauce, which is very high in sodium: one serving of fish sauce can have over 60% of your daily sodium intake, yikes!
This recipe uses some great swaps like low sodium soy sauce, unsalted peanut butter, fresh lime juice, and fresh herbs to highlight many of the other flavors of traditional Pad Thai without the sodium.
Why Make Low Sodium Pad Thai?
- It’s a better-for-you version of the classic! And with much less sodium than traditional Pad Thai recipes.
- It’s quick and easy – this recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make.
- Add your favorite protein! You can add in low sodium grilled chicken, tofu, or even sliced low sodium steak.
- This recipe makes a fantastic dinner idea, and is a great swap for Thai takeout you can make at home.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
Rice Noodles
Rice noodles naturally have between 0-15mg of sodium per serving, making them a great low sodium option! And they cook quicker than traditional pastas.
I like using these thick rice stir fry noodles online, but you can find them at your local grocery stores, usually in the Asian aisle.
Veggies
I use fresh grated carrots, mung bean sprouts, garlic, green onions or scallions, and fresh cilantro for flavor.
Also, fresh lime juice is a must! It makes all the flavors pop in this recipe, it’s a key ingredient, so make sure you get fresh lime and not bottled lime juice if possible.
Eggs
Traditional Pad Thai is made with eggs, which I added to this recipe for a little extra protein. Eggs naturally have about 60mg sodium per egg, making them a good low sodium protein option.
For the Sauce
I tested this recipe a few times, and found that there were a few key ingredients you need: low sodium soy sauce (I like this version which has the lowest sodium content per tablespoon), unseasoned rice vinegar, unsalted peanut butter, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper for a little heat.
How To Make This Recipe
- Cook rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
- In a wok or large pan, heat the toasted sesame oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Crack the eggs over the garlic, and stir them in the pan for about 30 seconds.
- Add in the grated carrot, bean sprouts, and green onions. Stit well.
- Add in the cooked and drained rice noodles.
- Heat the sauce: in a small pot, add the low sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut butter, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper. Mix until well combined. Pour over the vegetables and cooked noodles. Toss well.
- To the noodles, add the fresh cilantro and chopped peanuts.
- Before serving, add the fresh lime juice to the noodles, and give them one final toss. Serve hot, and garnish with extra green onions or peanuts as desired.
More Low Sodium Dinner Ideas
- Low Sodium Chicken Fajitas
- Low Sodium English Muffin Pizzas
- Easy Low Sodium Shrimp Scampi
- Low Sodium Cashew Chicken
- Low Sodium Chickpea Curry
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Low Sodium Pad Thai
Equipment
- Wok
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
For the Noodles
- 14 ounces thick rice noodles
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 eggs
- 1 large carrot grated
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts
- 3 green onions plus extra for garnish
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ½ cup unsalted peanuts chopped
- 3 limes juiced
For the Sauce
- 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- ½ cup unsalted peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Cook rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
- In a wok or large pan, heat the toasted sesame oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Crack the eggs over the garlic, and stir them in the pan for about 30 seconds.
- Add in the grated carrot, bean sprouts, and green onions. Stit well.
- Add in the cooked and drained rice noodles.
- Heat the sauce: in a small pot, add the low sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut butter, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper. Mix until well combined. Pour over the vegetables and cooked noodles. Toss well.
- To the noodles, add the fresh cilantro and chopped peanuts.
- Before serving, add the fresh lime juice to the noodles, and give them one final toss. Serve hot, and garnish with extra green onions or peanuts as desired.
Notes
Serving Size
This recipe makes 8 servings totals, each serving is ~3/4 cup. Nutritional estimates are based on the ingredients I used in my kitchen, and will vary based on your ingredients (for example, my low sodium soy sauce had 150mg sodium per 1 teaspoon serving). Always check your labels to calculate your sodium content.Nutrition
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used, it may vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify sodium amounts.
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Better than take out and not as expensive
Better than the restaurant variety