Dive into this nutritious explosion of flavors in our Quinoa Salad with Thai Peanut Dressing. Whether you are looking for something a little different for a light meal or as a scrumptious side dish, prepare to be amazed!
Made with quinoa, fresh vegetables, and a creamy peanut-based dressing, this super salad is sure to please everyone and great for lunches too.
And did you know that the humble little quinoa is a powerhouse ancient grain. Bursting with an abundance of nutrients – think protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, and B vitamins!
The tantalizing ingredients of this Thai-inspired quinoa salad.
I’ve been looking for ages for the perfect quinoa salad with a dressing that’s super duper scrumptious. It’s taken a while to find it but after some tweaking I think this is one of the perfect combinations of ingredients for this Quinoa salad.
Quinoa: 1 cup of uncooked (and 1 3/4 cups water)
Cabbage: purple to make this salad sing
Shallots or scallions: 3 little ones are perfect
Red capsicum: or red bell peppers
Carrots: finely diced. Hand grated may make this salad a little mushy
Cucumber: we love Lebanese cucumbers but ones with little or hardly any seeds like telegraph are perfect
Coriander: the perfect match to any Thai inspired meal
Nuts: raw peanuts or cashews -these are optional but add that texture and crunch
Ingredients for the Peanut Dressing
Peanut butter: creamy or nut butter if you prefer
Fresh Ginger: finely grated give it that beautiful zest
Fresh limes: one or two limes squeezed to add that real freshness.
Soy sauce: choose whatever brand you like. Low salt, or tamari for gluten free options
Honey: just enough sweetness, or maple syrup for vegans
Rice vinegar: mild and not to sharp
Sesame oil: always a Thai favourite
Olive oil: gives that nuttiness’ flavour
Water: to thin if you like ( I personally like it on the thinner side as it mixes really easily into the quinoa and veggies
Mix all together in a bowl with a whisk and voila you’ve got dressing.
The reasons why I’m head over heels for this Quinoa Salad with Thai Peanut Dressing are endless!
- Nutritious with a plethora of super fresh and crunchy veggies that I can’t resist.
- It’s awesomely colourful and a great crowd pleaser at picnics, family dinners and BBQ’s
- Easy to make ahead – just chop and store
- Great for lunches and meal prep
- Serve alongside leftover chicken from the previous nights dinner
- Easy to customize to include your fave veggies
WARNING!! This makes a big salad! 😝!
How Do You Make This Quinoa Salad with Thai Peanut Dressing
This Thai quinoa salad is packed with delicious flavors and vibrant veggies. It's easy to customize with your favorite vegetables. Great for meal prep, picnics, or parties.
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed well
- 1¾ cups water
- 1 cucumber Lebanese or telegraph
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1 red capsicum diced
- 3 shallots thinly sliced
- ¼ red cabbage finely sliced
- ½ cup corriander chopped roughly
- 2 limes freshly juiced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tsp finely grated ginger
- 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup peanut butter or nut butter
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- water to thin if necessary
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Rinse your quinoa really well in cold water. (super important). Pop into a medium sized pot and add the 1¾ cups of water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off and remove from heat and fluff the grains with a fork and allow to rest for another 10 minutes.
Allow to cool thorougly before adding to the salad bowl.
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Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add more lime juice and water to thin out according to your taste. *see notes
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Into a large bow add all the chopped veggies, cooled quinoa and mix really well. Drizzle the dressing over and toss through gently.
It's important to wash your quinoa well to avoid that bitter taste.
Allow the quinoa to cool to room temperature before adding to your salad.
When making the dressing fee free to add a little water to thin if necessary or additional lime juice (adds that little bit of zingy-ness) if your prefer.
Meal Prep: Store salad and dressing separately in the fridge and dress right before serving to avoid it becoming soggy.
What Can You Serve With This Quinoa Salad?
This quinoa salad with Thai peanut dressing is a delicious and nutritious meal perfect for lunch or dinner. There are a variety of side dishes that would work well. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Roasted veggies such as carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, and cauliflower
- Steamed green beans or snap peas
- Roasted chicken and kebabs, steak, seafood.
Other Salads You’ll Love.
Well you might like our Quick Cucumber Salad with Asian Dressing, Cauliflower Rice Salad with Turmeric Vinaigrette Dressing Mexican Pasta Salad with Lime Vinaigrette Dressing
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