The first time I ever ate Thai food was in college. That was one of the many perks of going to school in a big city ? there were endless opportunities to expand my culinary boundaries. Just as it is for many people, Pad Thai was my ?gateway dish? to this foreign cuisine. It contained familiar ingredients ? noodles, peanuts, and cilantro, but was so different than anything I had ever tasted. Sweet, sour, and salty all at once ? I was completely hooked.
It?s been more than 10 years since that night at Penny?s Noodles where my friend Erin helped me navigate the menu and pick a ?safe? dish for a newbie. I still adore Pad Thai, but I?ve branched out and also count Tom Kha (coconut soup) and Panang Curry among my favorite Thai dishes. I even spent a month in Thailand a couple of years ago, and I?m going back in March to lead a yoga and vegan cooking retreat with my friend, Amie. To say I?m a Thai food fanatic would be an understatement. I?m kind of obsessed.
I?ve been working on some authentic (but also vegan) Thai recipes to teach my retreat guests this spring, and the Pad Thai sauce in this recipe is one of them. Pad Thai is traditionally made with fish sauce, which gives the dish a very specific salty flavor ? an obvious no-no if you?re vegan. Despite it lacking in my version, I think this recipe comes really close to the real thing. Sweet potato noodles made with a spiralizer offer a fun twist on this traditional dish.

Our vegan Pad Thai comes with all the tasty fanfare you...