While this vibrant dish is far from traditional Thai fare, it’s tasty and inspired none the less. With a decidedly vegetarian twist, we’re utilizing fresh seasonal ingredients such as Swiss chard along with woodsy Asian mushrooms, paired with familiar flavours such as lime and coconut. This impressive looking dish takes just 30 minutes to put together, making it an ideal meal during a busy work week.
Swiss Chard and Mushroom Pad Thai
Serves: four
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
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1 parcel of large-sized rice noodles 4 cups boiling water 1 small white onion, sliced 1 tablespoon neutral-tasting cooking oil 2 garlic cloves, sliced 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced 4 large shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1 cup enoki mushrooms, whole 4-6 pieces of Swiss chard (leaves and stems), roughly chopped 1 teaspoon fish sauce 1 teaspoon soy sauce ½ cup cilantro (leaves and stems), finely chopped |
½ cup bell pepper, sliced ¾ cup coconut cream 1 tablespoon sambal olek paste 1 lime, juiced (plus more for serving) 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon light sesame oil 1 teaspoon black pepper ¼ cup smooth peanut butter 1 cup unsalted peanuts, toasted and crushed Fresh Thai basil and cilantro to garnish (optional) |
Method:
Lay peanuts out on a baking sheet, and toast them until they’re fragrant and golden brown — about five minutes. Keep an eye on them, as they can go from done to burnt in the blink of an eye. Crush peanuts into small-ish pieces using a mortar and pestle or a food processor.
Heat some oil in a skillet on medium heat, then add onions. Cook for a few minutes until they start to become translucent and soft before adding garlic and ginger. Stir frequently to keep from sticking, and add another drop of oil if needed. Add mushrooms and cook another couple of minutes, then deglaze the pan with soy sauce and fish sauce, scraping off any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add Swiss chard leaves and stems, followed by cilantro and bell pepper. Cook everything together another couple of minutes, then set aside.
In a small pot, combine coconut cream, sambal olek, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, black pepper and peanut butter. Combine and heat on medium-low heat until simmering, then add half the crushed peanuts. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and taste for seasoning (if you feel it needs more acid or salt, feel free to adjust accordingly to your liking).
Bring kettle to a boil. In a large pot with a lid, submerge rice noodles with the water and keep them covered for 5-6 minutes, until the noodles are just softened and cooked through. Drain remaining water and set aside.
Add the cooked rice noodles to the sauce, then toss in the vegetables. Serve immediately topped with remaining peanuts, fresh lime slices, fresh cilantro and Thai basil to garnish (optional).
Adrian Harris and Jeremy Inglett are the founders and owners of Food Gays Media.
