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Wooden spoons are used to serve healthy quinoa salad.
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5 from 5 votes

Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad Recipe

Bold and beautiful, this Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad recipe is as delicious as it is gorgeous! It's full of healthy carrots and cabbage, protein-packed quinoa, crunchy peanuts and finished with a homemade Thai peanut salad dressing
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner, lunch, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: Thai
Servings: 5 servings

Ingredients

Quinoa Salad

  • 1 ¼ cups quinoa rinsed and drained
  • 2 ¼ cups water or vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp. salt to taste
  • 1 cup matchstick carrots
  • 1 red bell pepper finely diced
  • ¼ head red cabbage thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup basil finely chopped
  • ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
  • ½ cup peanuts or cashews salted, coarsely chopped

Thai Peanut Dressing

  • cup peanut butter creamy
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce or Tamari
  • 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. lime juice freshly squeezed
  • 1-2 Tbsp. honey or pure maple syrup, to taste
  • ½ tsp. ginger paste or finely minced fresh garlic
  • 1 tsp. garlic finely minced
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • ½-1 tsp. Sriracha sauce optional
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions

  • Cook the Quinoa: Add quinoa, water, and salt to a medium-sized pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and keep covered for another 10-15 minutes.
    1 ¼ cups quinoa, 2 ¼ cups water, 1 tsp. salt
  • Make the Peanut Sauce: Add all of the Thai Peanut Dressing ingredients to a bowl, except for the water, and whisk until smooth. Slowly add in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until your desired consistency is reached.
    ⅓ cup peanut butter, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp. lime juice, 1-2 Tbsp. honey, ½ tsp. ginger paste, 1 tsp. garlic, 1 tsp. sesame oil, ½-1 tsp. Sriracha sauce, ¼ cup water
  • Stir Everything Together: In a large bowl combine cooked quinoa, carrots, bell pepper, cabbage, basil, cilantro, and peanuts. Drizzle dressing over all of it and mix well until combined.
    1 cup matchstick carrots, 1 red bell pepper, ¼ head red cabbage, ¼ cup basil, ¼ cup cilantro
  • Serve Thai quinoa salad with additional basil, cilantro and coarsely chopped peanuts. Enjoy!
    ¼ cup cilantro, ½ cup peanuts or cashews

Video

Notes

Prep-Ahead Instructions:
You can make the cooked quinoa and the dressing the day before you put everything together.
Storage Directions:
A quinoa salad will last in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container if stored properly between servings. You can freeze the quinoa salad for up to 2 months, but it's best without the dressing. Allow it to thaw in the fridge before enjoying again.
Recipe Tips
  • Make it work. Opt for cashews or another nut instead of peanuts and peanut butter.
  • Change it up. Choose other fresh veggies, like sugar snap peas, red onion, or even broccoli.
  • Plus it up. Chopped kale adds extra color and added nutrients.
  • Prep ahead. This hearty salad is perfect to meal prep lunches all week, so make a big batch.
  • Serve it up. Top with green onions for an added zing!

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 748mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4984IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg