I have high expectations when it comes to a salad. I don't have room on my plate for an average salad... It needs to dazzle. It needs to be delicious. And it needs to be the kind of thing that even people who don't like vegetables will love!
And this Thai-inspired Peanut Salad is one of those recipes! Like this Santa Fe Salad, it is the kind of salad you will actually want to eat even if there are other options.
Plus it is quick, easy to make and tastes even better the next day- great for meal prepping or taking to a potluck!
If you can't have peanuts (or any nuts for that matter), you can even make this salad nut free.
The Ingredients
- Coleslaw Mix- This is one of my favorite time saver ingredients- bagged, pre chopped cabbage and carrots. Feel free to try a broccoli slaw or you can use cabbage and carrots and chop them yourself- you need about 8 cups total.
- Bell Pepper
- Green Onions
- Snap Peas
- Cilantro
- Peanut Sauce Dressing:
- Peanut Butter- I like to use natural, smooth peanut butter for this recipe.
- Coconut Aminos- Soy sauce or tamari also works.
- Lime Juice
- Ground Ginger
- Garlic Powder
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Water
The Method
1. Mix. In a large bowl, combine the chopped vegetables.
2. Dress. In a small bowl, stir together the ingredients for the dressing. Stir the dressing into the vegetables until combined.
3. Serve!
Leftovers
To Make Ahead: This salad arguably tastes better on day 2 so it is a great recipe to fully prepare ahead of time!
To Store: Store salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Make it Your Own
- Make it Spicier- add 1-2 teaspoon of hot sauce to dressing.
- Sweeten it- Add 2 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup to the dressing.
- Change up the Vegetables- You can add up to 2 cups of vegetables with no additional changes. If you would like to add more you can reduce the amount of coleslaw used or increase the dressing. The following would all be tasty in this salad:
- Cucumbers
- Radishes
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Add Grains- Use 1 and ½ times the dressing and add 2-3 cups of a cooked grain such as:
- Quinoa
- Farro
- Brown Rice
- Include a Protein- Turn this salad into a meal by adding up to 2 cups of cooked:
- Shredded chicken
- Leftover diced turkey
- Pulled Pork
- Shrimp
- Chickpeas
- Edamame
- Top it with:
- Chopped peanuts, cashews or sunflower seeds
- Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
- Additional chopped green onions or cilantro
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy it all on its own for a light lunch.
- Take it to a potluck or to serve it at a barbecue- it keeps very well and can be made ahead!
- Serve it as a side dish to:
You bet! If you have allergy concerns, this salad can be made peanut and even nut free. For peanut free, you can use cashew butter or almond butter in place of the peanut butter. And for nut free, you can use sunflower seed butter in place of the peanut butter.
Dietary Notes
If you have dietary restrictions, check the packaging of specific ingredients that you use to ensure they are compliant. This recipe is:
- Dairy Free
- Gluten Free
- Nut Free- If you substitute sunflower seed butter for peanut butter.
- Paleo- If you use sunflower seed or cashew butter in place of peanut butter and substitute diced cucumber for the snap peas.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
And if you liked this salad...
...you might also like these other fresh recipes!
Ingredients
- 1 lb package coleslaw or about 8 cups shredded cabbage and carrots
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 bunch green onions thinly sliced
- 2 cups snap peas cut in half
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Peanut Dressing
- 6 tablespoon smooth natural style peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1-4 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients except water until smooth. Add water to reach desired consistency.
- In a large bowl, add coleslaw, bell pepper, green onions, snap peas and cilantro and stir to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and stir gently to coat evenly.
- Serve, garnished with chopped peanuts as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
More Salads!
Tavo
The salad was exquisite! Thank you! I am going to be making this often!
kushigalu
Love how delicious and flavorful this Thai salad is. Thanks for sharing.
Mirlene
We love this thai salad! It's one of our favorite salads to have. The peanut sauce is to die for!
Ieva
Delicious! That peanut dressing was such a hit with everyone! Served it yesterday evening at a bbq party in our garden and it was the most complimented dish of the night! Thanks so much for the recipe - it's great!
Janessa
Oh yay! I'm glad you liked this recipe, Ieva. Thank you for your kind review.
Tara
Yummy! I love the suggestions and edamame is perfection!
Shelby
Easy to whip up and so light for summertime, I love the crunch in this salad!
Janessa
I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Shelby! Thank you for your kind review.
nancy
the flavours really came together so nice. I love this easy to make salad because I love anything peanuty !! I thought i made enough for the week, looks like everyone had seconds and now i have to make it again!
Janessa
Yay, I'm glad you liked this recipe Nancy! Haha, good thing it is quick and easy to make!
Stacey
Such a refreshing and flavor-filled salad. I love that peanut dressing!