Easy to Make Thai Peanut Salad
Thai Peanut Salad is the perfect dinner idea that will stimulate your taste buds and fill your hunger. It's both vibrant and sophisticated. The salad is packed with rice noodles, bright bell peppers, carrots, cashews, and more. The dressing is so amazing you could eat it with a spoon. It's filled with crunchy peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar and is slightly sweetened with agave syrup.
We went out to eat last year, and I had ordered a delicious Thai Peanut Salad. I was in love with the texture of the peppers and noodles, and the dressing was so yummy I wanted more. I was immediately in love with this salad and knew I had to find a way to make it at home.
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As you can see, I have successfully created this incredible Thai Peanut Salad from scratch, and let me just tell you...it's the BOMB! I would be lying if I told you I got it right on the first try. It took some practice and fine-tuning to get the perfect flavors. Thankfully, I have found success, and it's now one of my most made recipes. We add it to our weekly recipe rotation, and even the kids don't complain when we eat it. They also like to help me prepare it!
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WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE THAI PEANUT SALAD?
You'll find two sets of ingredients for this Thai salad. First of all, I will show you what you need for the dressing. Then I will show you what you need for the salad itself. Don't worry, even if you have never made any Thai food, this recipe is pretty simple. Take a look at what you need:
For The Dressing:
- Crunchy Peanut Butter
- Rice Vinegar
- Soy Sauce
- Sunflower Oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Ginger
- Agave Syrup
- Fresh Lemon Juice
For The Salad:
- Rice Noodles
- Carrots
- Red Bell Pepper
- Yellow Bell Pepper
- Cucumber Pickle or Fresh Cucumber
- Red Chili
- Packed Fresh Cilantro
- Green Onions
- Cashew Nuts
- Black Sesame Seeds
Kitchen Items You Will Need:
- Mixing Bowls
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- Serving Bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Chop Sticks: I love my reusable Metal Chop Sticks from Amazon!
HOW DO I MAKE THAI PEANUT SALAD?
When you sink your teeth into this Thai salad, you may be thinking that it took forever to make. However, it comes together in around 15 minutes! The way the ingredients marry together to create this perfect salad is mind-blowing. Let's get started:
STEP 1: PREPARE THE RICE NOODLES
Start out by soaking the rice noodles in a bowl of hot water.
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STEP 2: PREPARE THE PEANUT BUTTER DRESSING
In a small bowl, add all dressing ingredients and combine well. Taste and adjust spices. Set aside.
STEP 3: CHOP THE VEGGIES
Prepare bell peppers, carrots and cucumber and toss together in a bowl.
STEP 4: PREPARE THE SALAD AND ENJOY!
Add peanut butter dressing on the veggies and combine well. Drain rice noodles and prepare 4 serving bowls. Divide rice noodles in 4 portions, transfer into bowls. Top with chili, cashew nuts, cilantro, black sesame and green onions. Toss before eating.
IS IT OKAY TO USE CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER FOR THE DRESSING?
Yes, of course, you can use creamy peanut butter for the dressing. We use crunchy because it's like the first Thai Peanut Salad I tried and I love it. Creamy peanut butter will still taste fabulous and just won't have as much crunch when you use creamy.
Additionally, you could even swap the peanut butter altogether for almond butter or even cashew butter if you wanted to. They both lend fantastic flavors to the salad dressing.
CAN I ADD MEAT TO THE THAI PEANUT SALAD?
Yes, you can add meat to the salad if you want. We love to add leftover cooked boneless skinless chicken breast on occasion. Simply slice it or chop it into pieces and add it to the salad. Or if you end up with leftover rotisserie chicken, toss some of that in there. Yum!
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HOW LONG DOES THAI PEANUT SALAD LAST?
The peanut dressing will last up to a week in the fridge. Just keep it in a jar with a tight fitting lid. The salad itself will last 2-3 days if you have combined all the ingredients with the dressing. The dressing does cause the vegetables to get a little mushy after a while. If you are making a meal plan, I recommend adding the dressing right before serving. Then the salad will last 3-4 days in the fridge if it's not dressed already.
SO TELL ME…
Do you typically eat a lot of Thai food? If so, what is your favorite dish. Do you make it yourself or do you get it from a restaurant?
Thank you so much for stopping by. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Have a great weekend!
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- ¼ cup crunchy peanut butter
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 2 tablespoons agave syrup
- juice of 1 lemon
For the Salad:
- 2 ounces rice noodles
- 3 medium carrots thinly sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 cup cucumber pickle or fresh cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 red chili cut in rings
- 1 cup packed fresh cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup green onions green parts only, chopped
- ⅓ cup cashew nuts
- 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
Instructions
- Start soaking the rice noodles in a bowl of hot water.
For Peanut Butter Dressing:
- In a small bowl, add all dressing ingredients and combine well. Taste and adjust spices. Set aside.
For Salad:
- Prepare bell peppers, carrots and cucumber and toss together in a bowl.
- Add peanut butter dressing on the veggies and combine well.
- Drain rice noodles and prepare 4 serving bowls. Divide rice noodles in 4 portions, transfer into bowls.
- Divide veggie mixture in 4 portions and serve on top of rice noodles.
- Top with chili, cashew nuts, cilantro, black sesame and green onions.
- Toss before eating.
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