Thai Quinoa Salad is crunchy, colorful, and full of protein without adding meat. Crisp veggies like purple cabbage, grated carrots, and thinly sliced snow peas are paired with fluffy quinoa and creamy peanut butter dressing for a complete meal!
Ingredients For Thai Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa
- Vegetable broth
- Purple cabbage
- Carrots
- Snow peas
- Cilantro
- Green onions
- Roasted peanuts
- Smooth peanut butter
- Reduced-sodium soy sauce
- Honey
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame seed oil
- Fresh ginger
- Lime juice
- Sesame seeds
- Sriracha
How To Make Thai Quinoa Salad
- Place the quinoa in a fine mesh colander and rinse under running cold water. Pour the vegetable broth into a medium-sized saucepan and add the washed quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until all the broth has been absorbed, about 10 mins. Remove from heat, place the lid on, and let stand for 5 mins. Fluff with a fork.
- While the quinoa is cooking, chop the veggies and prepare the dressing. To make the dressing mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame seed oil, grated ginger, lime juice, sesame seeds, and sriracha, until smooth and well combined.
- Place the cabbage, carrots, snow peas, cilantro, green onions, peanuts, and cooked quinoa in a salad bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the veggies and toss to combine.
Can I Substitute Quinoa With Another Grain?
Yes, you can substitute it with millet, rice noodles, or couscous. Cook them according to package instructions. Keep in mind the other grains will not have the amount of protein quinoa has.
How Do I Know When The Quinoa Is Cooked?
It will be done once all the water has been absorbed and it appears translucent and fluffy. Once all the water has been absorbed, turn off the heat, place the lid on, and let it steam for 5 minutes to fluff up.
Easy 20-Minute Thai Quinoa Salad
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- Large salad bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- ¾ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups purple cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup carrots, grated
- 1 cup snow peas, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup cilantro
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 4 tbsp roasted peanuts
For the dressing:
- 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 ½ tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame seed oil
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- Juice of one lime
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Place the quinoa in a fine mesh colander and rinse under running cold water. Pour the vegetable broth into a medium-sized saucepan and add the washed quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until all the broth has been absorbed, about 10 mins. Remove from heat, place the lid on, and let stand for 5 mins. Fluff with a fork.
- While the quinoa is cooking, chop the veggies and prepare the dressing. To make the dressing mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame seed oil, grated ginger, lime juice, sesame seeds, and sriracha, until smooth and well combined.
- Place the cabbage, carrots, snow peas, cilantro, green onions, peanuts, and cooked quinoa in a salad bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the veggies and toss to combine.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions about Thai Quinoa Salad
1. What If I Don’t Have All The Ingredients Listed?
You can use whatever crunchy veggies you have on hand. If you don’t have purple cabbage, you can use green. Skip the snow peas if you don’t have them, and use bell pepper or celery for the same crunch factor.
2. What Can I Use If I Don’t Have Fresh Ginger For The Sauce?
You can use ground ginger instead. Keep in mind that dry, ground herbs and spices are stronger than fresh ones, so substitute the fresh ginger with ¼ tsp of ground ginger.
3. How Long Can I Store The Salad In The Refrigerator?
Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you can, store the peanuts separately to keep them crunchy.
4. Can I Make This Salad Gluten-Free?
To make it gluten-free, substitute reduced-sodium soy sauce with tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.
5. What If I’m Allergic To Peanuts?
To make the dressing, you can use almond butter or tahini instead of peanut butter, and don’t add the roasted peanuts.
