Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing Recipe

Colorful and flavorful Thai Quinoa Salad with peanut dressing. It is packed with protein from quinoa, edamame and peanuts.

I love hearty salads that are packed with veggies and grains. My requirement is that it have to be filling and at the same time delicious. This quinoa salad fits the bill perfectly.

It is flavorful, colorful and absolutely delicious. It is also wholesome with the healthy balance of carbs, protein, veggies and fat. Recipe is adapted from Get Healthy U website.

Ingredients

The main components of this salad are the quinoa, vegetables and the Thai peanut butter dressing.

Quinoa: Feel free to use any color. I like using a combination of white with either black or red. That makes the dish extra colorful. Please note that there is no taste difference in the different colored quinoa.

Vegetables: I love using rainbow colored veggies to make this salad. Pick and choose your favorite veggies. Try to add as many colors as you can.

Here's what I use:

• green - chopped cucumber, edamame, scallions
• red - bell peppers
• orange - grated carrot
• purple - cabbage

Dressing: Peanut butter is the main ingredient in this dressing. I use the creamy variety but you can definitely use crunchy as well.

Soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger+garlic add a lot of Asian/ Thai flavors to the dish. Roasted peanuts add crunch and texture to the salad.

How to cook Quinoa

This is mainly a raw salad. Only cooking involved is that of quinoa. So, start by cooking quinoa.

You can make it in a pot on the stove or make it in the Instant Pot.

• Cook on stovetop: Combine 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Lower the heat and cook covered until the quinoa is cooked through, about 17~20 minutes.
• Cook in an Instant Pot: Combine 1 cup of quinoa with 1.5 cups water in the instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Make sure that the pressure valve is set to sealing. Let the pressure release naturally.

While quinoa is cooking, chop all the veggies. Make them all evenly sized.

Protein in this salad comes from edamame. I always have a bag of frozen edamame in the freezer. Follow the instructions on the package to thaw them.

Then make the dressing - which is very easy. Add all the ingredients, mix and stir to make a creamy dressing.

Once all the components are ready, toss them all together. Serve immediately garnished with chopped roasted peanuts for more protein power and crunch.

Taste Test

All in all this is a filling and delicious salad that is sure to tickle your taste buds. This dressing is just amazing -- creamy, sweet, sour, salty and spicy. Making the dressing spicy is completely optional, but I like some Sriracha in my dressing for some kick.

Thai Quinoa Salad

Colorful and flavorful Thai Quinoa Salad with peanut dressing. It is packed with protein from quinoa, edamame and peanuts.

Author: Pavani

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Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

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Thai Peanut Dressing:

• ¼ cup Creamy Natural Peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons Low sodium Soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoon Sesame oil
• 2~3 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (optional)
• 2 Garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons Grated Ginger
• 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Agave Nectar (or honey)
• 3 tbsp Warm water

For the Salad

• 2 cups Cooked Quinoa (you can use a combination of different colored quinoa)
• ½ cup Grated Carrot
• 1 medium Red Pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium English Cucumber, finely chopped
• 2 cups Edamame (thawed if frozen)
• 4 Scallions, finely chopped
• 2 cups Red Cabbage, finely sliced
• ¼ cup Cilantro, finely chopped
• To taste Salt
• ¼ cup Roasted Peanuts, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Make Thai Peanut dressing:

• Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and whisk until well combined.
• Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.

To make the Salad:

• Combine quinoa with the veggies in a mixing bowl. Add the dressing and mix well to combine.
• Sprinkle the roasted peanuts on top and serve. Enjoy!!

Notes

• You can make quinoa in a pot on the stove or make it in the Instant Pot.
  • Cook on stovetop: Combine 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Lower the heat and cook covered until the quinoa is cooked through, about 17~20 minutes.
  • Cook in an Instant Pot: Combine 1 cup of quinoa with 1.5 cups water in the instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Make sure that the pressure valve is set to sealing. Let the pressure release naturally.
• Use leftover quinoa to make the salad. If it is chilled, then briefly warm it before adding the veggies and the dressing.

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Few More Salad recipes to try

• Pad Thai Noodle Salad - this is another vegan recipe that is just as colorful and equally delicious.
• Warm Millet Salad with Brussel Sprouts - another whole grain recipe that is hearty and tasty.
• Grilled Halloumi with Quinoa Salad - ths simple dish is packed with flavor and the grilled cheese is amazing.