Fresh, crisp, and uberly nutritious, a Thai Zucchini Noodle Salad makes the perfect healthy lunch or potluck recipe for the warmer Spring and Summer months! This cold zucchini noodle salad is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan.
Warm Months + Cold Zucchini Noodle Salad
The calendar just struck April and we are already experiencing 80+ degree days in Texas.
I swear, I think Springtime disappears in the blink of an eye here in Austin.
With all of the warmer months coming up, so are creekside picnics, summer barbecues, and July 4th pool parties.
I love having a few simple dishes in my recipe box that are ready to whip up in a moment’s notice.
And bonus points if those recipes do not require any hot ovens or stovetops… Like this Thai Zucchini Noodle Salad with Cabbage!
In Love with My Spiralizer + a Zucchini Noodle Salad
In case you didn’t hear, I got my first ever spiralizer for Christmas this year!
Yes, I know. I must have been hiding under a kitchen appliance rock for the past few years.
Ever since getting this fun kitchen gadget I have whipped up these Cilantro Lime Sweet Potato Noodles, Tomato Basil Zucchini Noodles, and now this Thai Zucchini Noodle Salad.
But picking a spiralizer can be a bit challenging. Not all of these handy tools are created equal.
What Kind of Spiralizer is Best to Make a Zucchini Noodle Salad?
There are numerous spiralizers, but a tabletop spiralizer with a suction-grip is my recommendation… especially when it comes to making this Thai cabbage salad that has carrot noodles!
The handheld spiralizers are smaller, so storage is easier, but are also very difficult to use. It is almost impossible to spiralize hard vegetables, like carrots or sweet potatoes.
However, the tabletop spiralizers with suction-grips lock onto the countertop to make sure the spiralizer does not slide around and allows you to get perfectly spiralized carrot and zucchini noodles in minutes!
The Best Way to Store this Thai Zucchini Noodle Salad:
My favorite part of this cold zucchini noodle salad is how crisp the raw vegetables are!
The easiest way to keep the veggies extra crisp is to prepare the salad shortly before serving and only refrigerate it for 15-30 minutes.
However, if you need to prep ahead, simply keep the dressing and spiralized veggies stored separately in the refrigerator.
Then just before serving, toss the Thai salad dressing, veggies, cilantro, and peanuts together to get that zucchini noodle salad with an extra crunch.
How Can You Evolve this Thai Zucchini Noodle Salad?
While this cold zucchini noodle salad is already gluten-free, vegetarian, and dairy-free, there are a few changes you can make to it:
- Not a fan of cilantro? Try Thai basil instead.
- Allergic to peanuts? Swap out the peanut butter for almond or cashew butter.
- Want to make it vegan? Use agave nectar instead of honey.
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Thai Zucchini Noodle Salad with Cabbage | Vegan + Gluten-Free
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Ingredients
- 2 zucchini cut into noodles using spiralizer*
- 3 carrots cut into noodles using spiralizer*
- 1 cup cabbage thinly sliced
- ¼ cup peanut butter smooth
- 3 Tbsp. soy sauce gluten-free
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. agave nectar or honey
- 1 tsp. sriracha sauce
- 1-2 Tbsp. water as needed
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
- ¼ cup peanuts coarsely chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine spiralized zucchini noodles, carrot noodles, and sliced cabbage.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, heat peanut butter up in the microwave for 15-30 seconds to ensure easier mixing.
- Add soy sauce, lime juice, agave nectar, and sriracha sauce to the bowl of peanut butter. Whisk to combine. Add water, as needed, until a smooth, salad dressing-like consistency is reached.
- Add peanut sauce, cilantro, and peanuts to the bowl of veggie noodles and toss to combine.
- Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. Serve chilled and enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Omg I just did that salad and put some peanuts on top, it’s amazing !!! And so healthy
Thanks so much for this recipe
You’re so welcome, Ella! So happy to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks for your comment!
I made this salad last night for dinner. It was bright and satisfying. Thanks for posting.
Yay, Peg! So happy to hear that. And thank you for commenting 🙂
This was a delicious salad. So easy too! I felt the dressing needed rice vinegar so I added some but overall a great salad!
What a great idea to add the vinegar – I bet it was delicious! Thanks so much for your comment and feedback 🙂
I added pomegranate to this and ahhh so good!!! The pomegranate added a little something extra
What a creative idea, Jenny! I’ll have to try adding pomegranate next time too 🙂 Thanks for your comment and rating!
Do you recommend using a smooth peanut butter that has some sugar in it, or the natural/ unsweetened kind??
Great question, Tricia!! I use the smooth, unsweetened kind so I can adjust the sweetness to our taste preference, but you can use whatever you happen to have on hand! If your PB is a little chunky, just pop it along with the other sauce ingredients into a blender/processor and blend it up. Thanks for your question!
Thank you for introducing me to my newest favorite lunch.
You’re so very welcome, Jamie!! So happy you enjoyed it. Thanks for your comment and rating!!
This was so good. My 2 yr old ate it. We may have told him that it was noodles…. but still we all loved it.
Hi Erin! So impressed that your 2 year old enjoyed it! Colorful noodles were probably perfect for a toddler! Thanks so much for your comment 🙂
I added toasted sesame oil, subbed in stevia instead of agave, and added apple cider vinegar instead of water to thin it out. Delish. I also added green onions, broccoli, and red peppers. Very tasty!!!
Your additions/substitutions sound amazing, Heidi! So happy you enjoyed it. Thanks for your review 🙂
So yummy! Added some Thai
Style, thin, brown rice noodles and it turned out great!
That’s a great idea, Lindsay!! Thanks for the comment and rating!
How colorful! Love anything Thai!
I do too, Rebecca!