Thai Quinoa Salad

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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!

For another delicious and nutritious quinoa salad check out my Lemony Quinoa Cannellini Bean Salad!

Several years ago I was a potluck and someone brought a quinoa salad with a similar flavor profile. I loved it but was never able to get the recipe so I worked on recreating it from memory.  And I absolutely love it!  It’s a healthy and delicious salad that features an array of vibrant colors, crunchy textures, and is tossed with a fabulous peanut dressing.   Serve it at your next picnic, potluck, BBQ or family dinner.  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 of your choice) 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

By Kimberly Killebrew

A delicious blend of flavors, textures and colors, this healthy salad is bound to be a hit at your next gathering!

5 from 45 votes

Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 6

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 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

To make it in advance, prep the veggies and peanut dressing in advance, cook and refrigerate the quinoa, and then simply toss everything together just before serving.  Ready in a snap!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 237kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 8gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 411mgPotassium: 418mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 3645IUVitamin C: 41.3mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 2.1mg

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Thai

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Originally published on The Daring Gourmet on June 30, 2018

Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!

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