The flavors in this Thai Quinoa Salad recipe are out of this world!  Vibrant colors, crunchy textures, and a fabulous peanut dressing come together to create a healthy, delicious, and visually pretty salad that is guaranteed to be a hit at your next dinner gathering!
Here is a healthy and delicious salad you can proudly serve at your next picnic, potluck, BBQ or family dinner. It features an array of vibrant colors, crunchy textures and is tossed with a fabulous peanut dressing. It’s sure to be a hit!
This recipe calls for quinoa, an extraordinarily healthy grain, but you can also substitute any other grain of your choice. Likewise the peanut dressing used in this recipe can be used for a variety of other applications including a dipping sauce, a sauce for grilled and baked chicken and pork and for other salads.
This salad is naturally gluten free and vegan (simply swap out the honey for a liquid sweetener like agave) and is high in protein and vitamins.
Can Thai Quinoa Salad Be Made In Advance?
Yes! Simply prep the veggies and peanut dressing ahead of time, cook and refrigerate the quinoa, and then toss everything together just before serving. It’s ready in a snap!
Thai Quinoa Salad Recipe
Let’s get started!
Add all the chopped veggies and herbs to a large bowl and toss to combine.
Add the cooked, chilled quinoa and stir to combine. Make sure the quinoa is thoroughly chilled through to prevent it from becoming mushy.
Add all the peanut dressing ingredients in a bowl or blender and puree until the sauce is smooth. This time I placed everything in a bowl and used an immersion blender.
Pour the peanut dressing over the salad and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
Refrigerate any leftovers and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
For more delicious salads be sure to try our:
Thai Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa (about 1 cup uncooked) , thoroughly chilled (careful not to overcook to avoid it from being mushy)
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded red cabbage
- 3/4 cup julienned carrots
- 1 red bell pepper, finely sliced
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 green onions, sliced
- For the Peanut Dressing:
- 1/4 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter (smooth or chunky, your choice)
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce (for gluten free use tamari)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- Juice of one lime
- 1 tablespoon honey (vegan: use liquid sweetener of choice)
- 2 teaspoons finely minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional) (vegan: omit)
- 1-2 teaspoons lemongrass paste (optional but fabulous)
- 2-3 tablespoons hot water (add more if you want a thinner dressing)
Instructions
- Place the veggies and herbs in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Add the chilled cooked quinoa and stir to combine.
- Add the peanut dressing ingredients to a blender (or bowl and use immersion blender) and puree until smooth.
- Pour the peanut dressing over the salad and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet on June 30, 2018
Wanda says
Delicious!,! A helpful note is that it’s 3 cups cooked quinoa, which I think is about 1 cup dry. I cooked up 3 cups dry and it was obvious that was not right.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Wanda, thank you! And thanks for the feedback, I’ve added that note.
Kelly says
Such a refreshing salad full of wonderful flavors! Love the smashing technique!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Kelly!
Kevin says
I love this for a side dish! Love all those colors!
karen krause says
Looks delicious. I just quick pickled some red cabbage before I saw this recipe – think I should rinse it before using it to make this salad?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Rinsing probably isn’t necessary, Karen. The bit of tang may even add a nice flavor component.
kerri says
I love all the flavors in this!
Jacque Hastert says
This salad is fantastic! I can’t wait to enjoy it again. It was perfect for lunch yesterday and will be just as good tomorrow.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jacque, thank you!
katerina says
What an amazing salad!! I love the flavors!
Beti says
Such a fresh and delicious salad!! I can’t wait to try it! :)
Catalina says
What a great and easy summer side dish idea. It looks amazing!
Sara Welch says
Gave this a try with dinner and it was the perfect side dish! So light with the right amount of flavor!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Sara, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Cindy says
This is such a beautiful looking salad and tastes as good as it looks. The dressing is fantastic. I made the dressing with PB2 (low fat powdered peanut butter) and didn’t miss the fat of regular peanut butter, otherwise made as directed. A keeper and worthy of printing out for my favorite recipe booklet! Thanks.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Cindy, thank you so much!
Lucie Maranda says
Delicious, fresh, colorful and healthy. Appreciated by everyone, a well balanced salad.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Lucie, I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Natalie Loftus says
Absolutely delicious! I made this for a potluck over the weekend and not a speck was left, everyone loved it. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Natalie, I’m so glad to hear it, thank you!
Amy says
The colors of this are absolutely amazing! I cant wait to see the textures when I have a bite!