Carrie's Pad Thai Salad

1. Place noodles in a bowl with enough hot water to cover; soak noodles until soft, about 10 minutes. Strain.

2. Combine sugar, water, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, and tamarind in a large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Heat peanut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; stir just until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add eggs; cook and stir until almost set, 2 to 3 minutes. Add strained noodles to egg mixture; stir in 1/2 of the sauce. Continue to cook and stir noodle mixture until hot, adding additional sauce as desired, 2 to 3 minutes more. Sprinkle paprika and chili powder over the noodles.

4. Layer lettuce on a serving dish or in individual bowls; drizzle with flaxseed oil. Place noodle mixture on lettuce; garnish with bean sprouts, green onion, cilantro, and peanuts. Serve with lime wedges.

Cook's Notes:

Fish sauce can be omitted for a vegetarian version.

Substitute peanut oil for a mixture of sesame and canola oils, if desired. You can also substitute chives for the green onion and spring mix, spinach, or baby lettuces for the chopped lettuce.