Lunch · 25 min · thai

Lightened Pad Thai

A Thai lunch built around rice noodles and shrimp — on the table in 25 minutes. Each serving lands at 620 calories with 41g of protein, so it eats like a much heavier meal. Simple enough for a Tuesday, good enough to serve to guests — that is the whole idea.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 3 oz Rice noodles
• 4 oz Shrimp
• 1 Egg
• 1 cup Bean sprouts
• 1 tbsp Peanuts
• 2 tbsp Tamarind sauce

Steps

1. Fill a large bowl with warm water and soak the rice noodles 8-10 minutes until pliable but still firm — they'll finish cooking in the pan, so don't fully cook them here.
2. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels (dry shrimp sear instead of steaming) and season lightly with salt.
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, then add the shrimp in a single layer.
4. Sear the shrimp hot and fast — about 90 seconds per side — until pink and curled; remove them to a plate so they don't overcook.
5. Drop the heat to medium, pour the beaten egg into the same pan, and scramble it with a spatula until just set, about 60 seconds.
6. Drain the noodles well, add them to the pan with the tamarind sauce and a splash of water, and toss 2-3 minutes until the noodles are tender and the sauce clings to them.
7. Return the shrimp and toss in the bean sprouts; cook 1 more minute until the sprouts are barely wilted but still crunchy.
8. Plate up and finish with the crushed peanuts — taste and add a squeeze of lime or a pinch of sugar if the flavor needs balancing.

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