Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing

Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing is a vibrant, crunchy salad that won’t disappoint. The Asian flavors shake up this healthy, flavorful dish!

A Thai Crunch Salad can be tweaked to your liking. Add chicken for an entree salad, substitute blanched snow peas for the edamame and it will still be scrumptious!!

Why You Must Make

• It’s a gorgeous melange of fresh, healthy vegetables!
• Easy to adapt, feel free to add in or eliminate any ingredients.
• The Thai peanut dressing is irresistible!

I’m surprised I never ordered the popular Thai Crunch Salad when dining at a California Pizza Kitchen, but I’m glad I got to try this recipe. Whether or not it’s an exact duplicate, it sure is a spectacular lunch salad! And with all those veggies, it has to be a little healthy, right? I adapted this Asian cabbage salad just a wee bit, by adding in the optional cucumber and avocado. I also upped the flavor in the dressing by adding some sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Delish!!!

How to Make

1. Prep all the veggies by chopping them into bite sizes pieces, defrosting the edamame, and toasting the nuts.
2. Toss together and add to a serving bowl.
3. Make the salad dressing by whisking the ingredients together until smooth. Thin as needed by whisking in a little water at a time until the right consistency is reached.
4. Toss the salad with the dressing before serving. If you’d like to keep the vegetables crunchy, toss right before serving. If you’d prefer softer veggies, toss an hour or two before serving and allow the dressing to help wilt the vegetables.
5. Top with nuts or any crunchy topping of your choice right before serving.

Expert Tips:

• Add grilled chopped or shredded chicken, leftover steak, grilled shrimp, or another favorite protein source to make this an entree salad.
• Use blanched snow peas or sugar snap peas instead of edamame if you’re avoiding soy products or are not a fan. Though not tested with this recipe, substitutions for soy sauce include coconut aminos, Worcestershire sauce, or even fish sauce.
• Use a coleslaw mix instead of chopping cabbage and carrots.
• For more crunch, top with some roasted peanuts, cashews, sesame seeds, rice sticks or crispy fried wontons. Gently heat and toast the nuts in a skillet, stirring frequently until fragrant (indicates their essential oils are releasing). Let cool before using.
• For less crunch, use some shredded Romaine lettuce instead of green cabbage.
• PRO-Tip: Allergic to peanuts? Try sesame butter instead of peanut butter in the salad dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

You May Also Like:

•  Spicy Mexican Corn Salad
• Grilled Thai Chicken
• Thai Vegetable Quinoa Salad 
• Vietnamese Noodle Bowl
• More of the Best Salads

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The Recipe:

Thai Salad Recipe with Peanut Dressing

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Yield 6 servings

This Thai-inspired salad is as beautiful as it is delicious!

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 - 2 cups shredded green cabbage
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 3 carrots, shredded, optional
• ½ cup shelled, frozen edamame, thawed
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 small red bell pepper, sliced
• 3-4 scallions, sliced
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 avocado, diced
• ½ English cucumber or mini Persian cucumbers, sliced and cut into bite-sized pieces

For the Thai peanut dressing:

• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ teaspoon dried ginger or a 1-inch piece of peeled, fresh ginger, minced
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 2-3 tablespoons of water, to thin the dressing if desired
• Fresh cilantro, chopped, to taste, optional

Instructions

1. Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Put peanut butter, vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, and ginger in a blender. Blend until combined.
3. Add the oils and blend until combined.
4. Add part or all of the water if a thinner consistency is desired.
5. Divide salad onto serving plates and individually dress each salad as desired.

Notes

This recipe can easily be tweaked to your palate. Add or remove ingredients. I left out the carrots and scallions with my latest batch!

Mix in the avocados at the last minute so they keep their shape.

Adapted from Mountain Mama Cooks

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 368Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 284mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 8gSugar: 13gProtein: 7g

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