Crunchy Thai Peanut & Quinoa Salad
This Thai-flavored salad recipe is made with carrots, cabbage, snow peas, and quinoa, tossed in peanut sauce. Vegan, gluten free, and packs well for lunch.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 14, 2024
I tend to keep to myself, especially in yoga class. It’s not a very social form of exercise, you know? Last year, when I walked into my usual Tuesday evening yoga class and my instructor shouted, “COOKIE AND KATE,” I froze. Kim, a regular in the class, had learned about my blog through her co-worker, and she said, “I know her! I go to yoga with her!”
Then Kim told Kristina, the teacher, and then everyone found out. Including Amie, one of my favorite instructors, who is great friends with Kate Kasbee of Well Vegan. Kate lives in Chicago and was working on a cookbook called Frugal Vegan at the time.
Through the Amie-Kate connection, I got a sneak peek at Frugal Vegan and wrote a blurb for the back cover. “Frugal Vegan offers an incredible array of fresh and simple vegan recipes. Every single one of them manages to be easy to make, affordable and accessible, too.”
Kate came to town for Amie’s birthday party, so I met her for drinks, and a giant green bug landed in her herbed green cocktail. Are you still following? I can’t make this stuff up.
Kate and I bonded over the trials and tribulations of cookbook-making, our love for our funny-looking pups (meet Rex), and the green bug experience. We practiced our half-moon poses at Amie’s backyard birthday party the next day. Maybe I shouldn’t be so shy about my work, since it opens so many fun doors.
Today, I’m sharing a delicious recipe from Frugal Vegan, featuring cabbage, carrots, green onion, snow or snap peas, and cilantro—all fresh, affordable, and loaded with nutrients and fiber. Toss all of that in an addictive homemade peanut sauce for a crisp, colorful, Thai-inspired salad. Enjoy it as a light summer dinner, and pack up the leftovers for tomorrow lunch.
The book’s recipe calls for millet instead of quinoa. I picked up all of the other ingredients at the store, while assuming that I had millet in my pantry at home. I did not, so I used quinoa instead. Millet is less expensive but quinoa has more protein, so take your pick accordingly. It’ll turn out great either way. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Kate and Katie’s book, Frugal Vegan!
Watch How to Make Thai Peanut & Quinoa Salad
Please let us know how the recipe turns out for you in the comments!
Craving more peanut goodness? You’ll love these recipes:
- Peanut Slaw with Soba Noodles
- Thai Mango Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Thai Mango Cabbage Wraps with Crispy Tofu and Peanut Sauce
- Thai Panang Curry
Crunchy Thai Peanut & Quinoa Salad
This Thai-flavored salad recipe is made with carrots, cabbage, snow peas, and quinoa, tossed in delicious peanut sauce. This healthy salad is vegan, gluten free, and packs well for lunch. Recipe yields 4 salads.
Ingredients
Salad
- ¾ cup uncooked quinoa or millet
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1 cup thinly sliced snow peas or sugar snap peas
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onion
- ¼ cup chopped roasted and salted peanuts, for garnish
Peanut sauce
- ¼ cup smooth peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (I love ginger so I used 2 teaspoons)
- ½ lime, juiced (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa: First, rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh colander under running water. In a medium-sized pot, combine the rinsed quinoa and 1 ½ cups water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer the quinoa until it has absorbed all of the water, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from heat, cover the pot and let it rest for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set it aside to cool. (Here’s how to cook millet.)
- Meanwhile, make the peanut sauce: Whisk together the peanut butter and tamari until smooth (if this is difficult, microwave the mixture for up to 30 seconds to loosen it up). Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. If the mixture seems too thick to toss into the salad, whisk in a bit of water to loosen it up (I didn’t need to do this).
- In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, shredded cabbage, carrot, snow peas, cilantro and green onion. Toss to combine, then pour in the peanut sauce. Toss again until everything it lightly coated in sauce. Taste, and if it doesn’t taste quite amazing yet, add a pinch of salt and toss again. Divide into individual bowls and garnish with peanuts.
- This salad keeps well, covered and refrigerated, for about 4 days. If you don’t want your chopped peanuts to get soggy, store them separately from the rest and garnish just before serving.
Notes
Recipe minimally adapted from Frugal Vegan by Katie Koteen and Kate Kasbee.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup (or agave nectar) instead of honey.
Make it gluten free: Be sure to use certified gluten-free tamari, not soy sauce.
Recommended equipment: I used this mandoline to shred the cabbage (it’s dangerous; watch your fingers at all times!) and this julienne peeler to shred the carrots. (Those are affiliate links.)
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I was looking for something different to serve tonight for our second night of Passover and found this one. It was fantastic and everyone loved it and is asking that I share your recipe. Thank you, Kate!
Thanks for your review, Jess!
I put this on my list of meals for the week then left it til the end because I wasn’t too sure about it. I’d half convinced myself that I didn’t like it even though I hadn’t tried it.
I was an idiot.
This is so fresh and delicious. My son isn’t a lover of peas, but is obsessed with edamame so I swapped them out, then added in some tofu so there would be enough for left overs for the next day as well.
It’s now a pretty common dinner in our house. Sorry I doubted it!
I’m glad you finally make it, Kate! Thanks for sharing your variation. I appreciate the review!
The sauce is amazing! I added Thai basil as I had it in the garden. Delicious.
I noticed in the recipe it calls for “3 cups of water” and no where within the directions does it refer to using “3cups of water.” It does say to add “1 1/2 cups of water” to the quinoa. Am I missing something?
Sorry if I’m missing something, but there isn’t a note for 3 cups of water.
I just noticed the same, if you have 2x the recipe it changes ingredient measurements but doesn’t change the values in the instructions. “In a medium-sized pot, combine the rinsed quinoa and 1 ½ cups water” should just read as “combine the rinsed quinoa and water”. Otherwise an excellent recipe and will be added as a favourite in our household! :)
This looks amazing! Instead of making the peanut suace could you just use a bottled sauce? Or is it completely different?
It is a different sauce, but if you like that sauce, you could try it! I prefer homemade over store bought.
The nutritional information isn’t loading for me. I’d love to see it. Thanks!
Hi Kim! Thanks for the comment. Make sure you have cookies enabled on your browser. Refresh too, if it still doesn’t appear. Let me know if you still have trouble!
Thanks – I found it using a laptop. (It doesn’t want to show on my android mobile.)
Same question, are you able to tell me grams per serving?
Thanks!!
Sorry! I use U.S. measurements only. I recommend using an online converter you trust! I hear myrecipes has a good one.
Sooo good! I’ve been ordering pad thai take out for to long and this is a great alternative thai flavoured veggi salad. So fresh! More please!
Happy to hear that, Rachel! Thanks for your review.
Fantastic salad! I made it with all the ingredients and the peanut sauce for a few times, then I used a different dressing once as well! The mixture of these crunchy veggies is fantastic! ALSO, i purchased that julienne peeler! I’m excited to use it, just grating the carrots makes the salad so watery, so I usually hand matchstick cut them, which takes forever! I shared with my daughter in law and she put freshly fried up tofu on top! wow, that was a winner!
Thank you, Bern! Let me know how using the peeler goes. :)
Made this salad, was so good that we had it again the next day. Thank you so much for sharing it was incredible.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you liked it so much you made it again. I appreciate the review, Sheila.
Your salads are soo good; thank you!! The one thing I’d like to add to this salad is fresh mint. I think that would make it even better!
Fresh mint could be really nice here! Thanks for your review, Erika.
Do you think farro could work instead of quinoa?
Sure!
Turned out I had quinoa in the cupboard… This recipe rocks! Everyone loved it! Used edamame, my favorite.
Absolutely delicious. I’ve made this several times and it’s definitely a winner in our house
Thank you
You’re welcome, Clare!
Made this last night…it was delicious!!! I swapped the peanut butter/chopped peanuts for almond butter/chopped almonds since my son has a peanut allergy and everyone loved it. A nice easy meal with plenty of fresh veggies. I’m going to make it again this weekend to bring to a bbq party. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Leslie!
I made this on Sunday, I used crunchy natural PB left the ginger out I didn’t feel like eating it , used Bragg amino acid instead soy , the flavor is unbelievable!!! It’s going to stay in my recipe book . Great salad for a summer party ….again wow thank you
Thanks for sharing what you did, Brigitte! I’m glad you liked it.
I love this recipe. I have made it several times before and I knew right away when a beautiful red cabbage showed up in my csa box this week what I would be making. I was looking forward to eating this all day and as always it was amazing. Thanks for this recipe Kate!
You’re welcome, Krispy!
I tried this for diner last night.. Absolutely loved it. I never liked peanut butter before but i am now a fan of peanut butter dressing. Thanks for sharing.
Great to hear, Neha! Thanks for your review.
So I’ve made this twice in less than 2 weeks. Delicious, crunchy, filling. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
You’re welcome, Deb! Excited you have made it twice already.
Could you swap out the quinoa for rice?no matter how many times I try quinoa I just don’t like it, but I want to try this recipe!
Sure! That could work, Samantha.
I made this for an office potluck and everyone loved it! I usually don’t have my coworkers as guinea pigs for new recipes, but have come to trust everything that I’ve made from your book and website.
Again, everyone loved the salad. I did keep the peanuts separate (as suggested) and I also held off on mixing in the peanut sauce until just before serving to keep the salad fresh and crunchy. I had multiple people ask for a copy of the recipe.
That’s such a compliment, thank you! I’m happy you have such confidence in my recipes and that this was a hit!
Made this for dinner tonight, hubby had it with chicken and loved it..im going to try it with tofu next time so its even more of a meal for me. Mind you, it was very satisfying just as it was. None of your recipes on this site has disappointed…as always, jam packed with flavour.
Thank you for your review, Kris!
Just made this and it’s amazing. We are not a cilantro loving family lol, left it out and it was fine, still full of delicious flavours.
Thanks for a great recipe, it’s a keeper!!!!
I’m glad to hear it, Lisa!
Another smash hit from this amazing blog. So happy I found this place. Bright, complex and luxurious flavors compliment the refreshingly crisp ingredients. Made this as a side for a potluck dinner and everyone loved this dish. This is the fifth recipe I’ve tried from this blog and I can’t wait to keep exploring. THANK YOU.
You’re welcome! I’m happy you are a fan, Joshua!
I loved this salad; it’s delicious! I’ll definitely make it again soon. Thank you, Kate!
You’re welcome, Shirley!
This was so good! Kate, every one of your recipes that my husband and I have tried has been outstanding. We are both trying to eat better and you make it easy. Thank you, thank you, thank you :)
You’re very welcome, Lisa!
Delicious!
Thank you for your review, Kay!
This meal was spot on. I actually smiled as I ate this. This was also my first time having quinoa and I’m surprised I even cooked it correctly. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
A smile with food is always the best! Thank you for sharing, Tiffany.
Very flavorful healthy fast meal. Yummy
Thank you for your review, Gina!
Delicious!
Thank you, Alison!
Made it for dinner tonight with tofu for us vegetarians and chicken for the meat eaters. I will make it with a carrot ginger soup. I used regular soy sauce and it was a little saltier than I like… but where I live (Caribbean) the brands of soy sauce tend to be on the saltier side. Thank you for a lovely recipe (once again!)
Thank you for sharing, Brandy!
Made this recipe. It was the hit of dinner Everyone loved it.5 stars for sure
Thank you for your review, Phyllis!
I made this salad for a big family dinner this weekend. There were so many ooohs and aaaaahs and I had doubled the recipe so there would be enough. Still wasn’t enough because everyone wanted more. So fresh, crunchy and flavorful, Daughters wanted the recipe and its definitely on our list of recipes to do over and over again. I haven’t made anything this delicious in ages and I cook a lot! Thank you, thank you.
You’re welcome, Sandy!
I love this salad, it has such a great blend of flavors! I’ve already made it twice this week! My sister asked for the recipe after trying it. I’m glad that it only contains 1 tsp of oil and will probably test it out without adding it. This salad is great on its own as a meal or as a side. For anyone that likes extra spice/heat: I added an extra T of rice wine vinegar, a little more maple syrup, way more than a pinch of crushed red pepper (probably 2 teaspoons) and about 1 1/2 T of Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste. So good!!!
Twice in one week?! I love it! Thanks for your review, Terri.
This recipe is incredible! An instant favorite, new weekly staple, and the perfect dish to bring along to any potluck. Well done!
Thank you, Julia!
This was delicious! Thank you for sharing-definitely will be making this again.
Thank you for sharing, Joann!
Great recipe! Perfect for lunches
Bravo! My wife and I are looking to get back to basics with eating much more healthy whole foods and also cutting out a lot of meat consumption. Therefore we are on the hunt for many vegetarian meals. This meal was fabulous. When you look into the bowl and see all of the colour, you know you are getting many vitamins and nutrients for your body. The peanut sauce is key and makes this a full healthy tasty meal. Well done Kate. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes (which we are this week)
Thank you, Matt!
This salad is amazing! I just made it in about 20 minutes for lunch!! It’s super easily made Low FODMAP and super super yummy!!!! Thank you!
I’ll be trying this on Wednesday, it looks delicious. I seem to have issues cooking quinoa and wondering whether I could replace it with pearl couscous instead? Or would the flavour and texture be off with the soft pearl couscous?
I made this salad yesterday. I was on my own for supper, and wanted a delicious and easy option for work lunches this week. It was so delicious! I couldn’t believe I had made it! Thank you for your recipes.
I’ll be trying more of your peanut inspired recipes soon!
4.5 stars
This is so delicious! I made this yesterday for my meal prep with one change: I used PBFit in place of the smooth peanut butter and it turned out great! I am so excited to have this new recipe in my arsenal. I was looking for something to go along with the grilled chicken breast I usually eat for lunch. So although I know it would be fine as a main dish with the quinoa, I love having it along with my everyday chicken. So delicious!
This recipe is delicious! I love sugar snap peas and they make this salad delicious and fresh. My only critique would be that this recipe makes closer to 2 servings if I’m eating it as a main (e.g. for lunch). Time to start doubling it!
I was babysitting at my friend’s house and she had this in her fridge. I am a sucker for anything with peanut sauce and had to greatly restrain myself all night from eating. The Entire. Bowl.
Got the recipe, on my way to the grocery store, will tag the site on Facebook and post a pic. Thanks for this amazing lil dish!
I love to hear that, Felicia! Thank you for your review.
Is this a good recipe for a keto diet
Hi Pamela! Unfortunately, I’m not a keto expert so I can’t speak to that.
OMG! So easy and delicious! The dressing is epic with a dollop of chili sauce. Thank you!!
I love a good healthy thai recipe!
Made this last nite, to serve with dinner for friends tonite, using a bottled peanut sauce on a bit of it see if I could get away with it. Not great. This a.m. broke down & made this peanut sauce- It was remarkably easy (I happened to have all the ingredients on hand so no running out to shop) & I love it! I’d recommend anyone on the fence about this, take the extra minutes to buy the ingredients if you dont have them & make this sauce! You wont be sorry-
This is a wonderful salad. Made a batch to take for lunches. Added some edamame. The dressing is perfect. Thanks!
Has anyone tried to make this ahead of time and how does it turn out? I’m hoping to make it for lunches but i’m not sure if it will last for 4 days?
Hi Ashely! I think this one makes pretty grate left overs!
I made this recipe and loved it. We put it into rotation in our house. I sometimes make extra peanut sauce because it is so good! I also had smoke tofu. Absolutely fantastic!
Delicious, I didn’t have enough carrots on hand so added some celery. This recipe will be added to our family favourites.
That’s great to hear, Elaine! Thank you for your review.