Looking for a salad recipe that isn’t boring? You’ve got to make this crunchy thai peanut salad.
Think crunchy cabbage, sweet carrots, edamame and quinoa tossed in a sweet ginger-peanut dressing. Like what’s not to love?!
Plus, if you like the Trader Joe’s thai peanut salad, this is a great homemade alternative that is cheaper and so much healthier.
Crunchy Thai Peanut Salad Ingredients
Here’s your grocery list for this salad, along with a few suggestions and substitution ideas (full recipe is in the recipe card below).
And yes, this is one of those recipes with a long list of ingredients, but don’t let that deter you.
- Purple cabbage
- Iceberg lettuce
- Carrots – this may seem silly, but I wanted to point out that you should test the carrots before using them. This thai salad relies on the sweetness of the carrots, so make sure the carrot you’re using is sweet and has a ton of flavor!
- Edamame – most grocery stores sell non-GMO and organic pre-shelled edamame in the frozen section.
- Quinoa
- Cilantro
- Green onions
- Peanuts – I don’t do well eating peanuts, so I like to use almonds or walnuts in lieu of the peanuts.
- Peanut butter – as I said above, I don’t do well on peanut butter, so I like to use sunflower butter instead.
- Honey – feel free to use maple syrup or date syrup instead
- Bragg’s amino acids or soy Sauce
- Rice vinegar – if you don’t have this, don’t sweat it. While the rice vinegar does add flavor, it’s not an integral component of the peanut dressing.
- Lemon juice
- Fresh garlic and ginger
- Spices
How to Make Thai Peanut Salad Dressing
Most salad dressings are packed with calories and unnecessary sugar and oils. But this thai peanut salad dressing couldn’t be healthier. It’s made with whole-foods and relies on honey to naturally sweeten the dressing.
Here’s how to make it — it couldn’t be easier.
- Add the peanut butter or sunflower butter into a bowl, along with the honey, amino acids, lemon juice, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and spices. Give this a good mix.
- Next pour in the water and gently whisk to combine. Continue to whisk until the water is completely mixed into the dressing, about 30 seconds. If the peanut dressing is still too thick, continue to whisk in tiny amounts of water until it reaches a consistency you like.
- Once the dressing has become silky smooth and lightened in color, it’s done. Adjust for salt before using.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I substitute the peanut butter? Absolutely! I recommend using sunflower butter in lieu of peanut butter. It has the same flavor, similar protein content and it’s packed with nutrients!
- Do I have to use rice vinegar? Technically no, but it does add another layer of flavor to the dressing. That saiad, you can totally leave it out if you wish.
- Can I store the dressing? Yes, you can pop the dressing in a glass container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Any longer than that and the lemon juice will start to change the flavors of the dressing.
Meal-Prep this Vegan Thai Peanut Salad
If you want to take this salad to work or school, here’s how to prep it the night before.
- Begin by making the dressing and then pop it into a small condiment container.
- Next, add all of the raw veggies, quinoa and edamame into a glass tupperware and place the dressing container inside. Pop the tupperware into the fridge to store overnight.
- Once you’re ready to eat this salad, simply pour over the dressing and toss together with a fork. Or you use my favorite method for mixing salad which is to put the lid back on the tupperware and shake the whole thing around.
Even more healthy salad recipes
Sharing Is Caring!
If you make this recipe, please leave a review and rating below. And don’t forget to snap a picture and tag me on either Instagram or TikTok (if you’re not already following me, make sure to for new recipes and wellness tips)!
Print
Crunchy Thai Peanut Salad
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American, Thai
Description
Looking for a salad recipe that isn’t boring? You’ve got to make this crunchy thai peanut salad. Think crunchy cabbage, sweet carrots, edamame and quinoa tossed in a sweet ginger-peanut dressing. Like what’s not to love?!
Ingredients
Peanut Dressing
- 1 tbsp peanut butter or sunflower butter
- 1 tbsp Bragg’s amino acids or soy sauce
- 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated or minced
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- 2 tsp water
Crunchy Thai Salad
- 1 cup frozen edamame (boiled, drained and rinsed)
- ¼ cup dry quinoa (cooked according to package instructions)
- 1 cup finely chopped iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup finely chopped purple cabbage
- 1 cup finely grated carrot (about 1 large carrot)
- ¼ cup cilantro, minced
- 3 medium green onions, finely chopped on a bias
- 2 tbsp roasted and unsalted peanuts (sub with walnuts or almonds)
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Begin by cooking the edamame and quinoa according to package instructions.
- While the edamame and quinoa cook, make the dressing. In a cup or bowl, add in all of the dressing ingredients and whisk well. The dressing will look thick and slightly lumpy — don’t worry, this is totally normal. Next, add in the 2 tsp of water and whisk into the dressing for about 30 seconds. The dressing will slowly transform and become silky smooth. Feel free to add more water to thin the dressing to a consistency you like. Adjust for salt and honey, and set aside.
- Next, prep all of the veggies (iceberg, cabbage, carrots, green onion, cilantro) and add them into a large salad bowl.
- At this point the edamame and quinoa should be done cooking. Add the quinoa, edamame, peanuts and sesame seeds into the bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Adjust for salt and enjoy!
absolutely delicious, so tasty and a great lunch ❤️
Hi Caroline! I’m so happy to hear that, thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Incredible! Fresh, healthy, and super satisfying–the dressing is amazing!
Hi Katie! YAAAAY, so happy to hear — the dressing is probably my favorite part of this salad too!
This salad is perfect in every way…so delicious!!!
Hi Renee! So so happy to hear that, thank you soo much for sharing 🙂
How does it do if you are making it ahead for lunches?
Hi Dayna! I believe I replied to your question on Instagram already, but I’ll link the section of this blog post that details how to meal-prep this for lunch: https://munchingwithmariyah.com/crunchy-thai-peanut-salad/#meal-prep
I’ve made this twice now and I absolute love it, thank you. Now to try and improve my skills and try to get under 45 mins to compete!
Hi Dino! So happy to hear that you liked this salad SO much! Rooting for you to get this made in under 30 minutes (I know you can do it!) 🙂
Looks amazing, just wondering if you have a suggestion for substituting the edamame. I actually hate the taste of soy unfortunately . Would chickpeas work?
Hi Shelly! You could use chickpeas, however I personally don’t think that they would pair well with the flavors of the salad. So you could either completely omit the edamame — the salad has enough protein from the quinoa to be nutritionally balanced. Or you can add in some plain shredded chicken (if you’re not vegan) instead.
I added frozen tiny peas and they were delicious in this wonderful salad. Thanks for posting, I’ll definitely make it again! Very yummy and healthy!
Omg, this was so good! I never looked forward to a salad before!
How many people does this serve ? 1?
3-4 meal servings. Up to 6 as a side dish.
Omg. This salad is incredible. I made the quinoa last night and kept it in the fridge. Today I prepped the rest for my lunches this week! The dressing is incredible & SO easy to make. I almost wanna make it a sauce for a noodle dish. 😂 thank you!!
Hi Jackie! Omggg so happy to hear this, truly makes me so happy! And I can confirm the dressing tastes bomb as a sauce for pad thai noodles because that’s literally what I did the other night haha. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
I’m going to try this recipe tonight, but man, trying to find a concise recipe for the salad and dressing on this website is not easy!
Hi, will salmon pair well with this salad or any other protein?
Hi Doris! Yes, one lady topped this salad with salmon she made in the air fryer and it looked amazing! Another variation I’ve seen others do is plain shredded chicken breast or green peas.
oh wow, this is soooo good. After a couple of days of unhealthy eating this was just the thing I needed, thanks
This is my favourite salad of all time! It is so delicious, has the perfect crunch, is so quick and easy, is so well-balanced and is perfect for meal prep. Honestly, this recipe is 10/10 and I make it all the time.
Should I double or triple the ingredients if I’m having company I.e. is this recipe for one serving?
Hi Debra! It serves 2 people, so I’d at least double it. Excited for you to make this!
Made this recipe exactly as given. Used low sodium soy sauce. Found it extremely salty. Will omit the additional salt next time. Otherwise a nice salad.
Delicious. The dressing is outstanding. Thx for sharing.
Yaaay! So happy to hear that Nancy! Thank you so much for leaving a review 🙂
Delicious! I have made 3 of your recipes so far and all have been amazing!! This salad is super yummy- I made with thai chicken skewers. Could eat the whole thing :D.
Awww so happy to hear you’re enjoying my recipes – this salad is one my favorites as well! Thank you so much for the lovely review Danielle 🫶🏼
As much as I love quinoa, I can’t eat it without a terrible stomach ache. I was thinking I would sub with rice. Any other suggestions?