This Thai crunch salad combines crisp vegetables, toasted peanuts, and a drinkable spicy peanut-ginger dressing. Ready in under 30 minutes and ideal for make-ahead meal prep, it’s naturally vegan and gluten-free — perfect for warm-weather gatherings.
Delicious Thai inspired salad with creamy peanut dressing
This crunchy salad is inspired by a popular restaurant slaw many people love, and it’s easy to recreate at home. Rather than mixed greens, this recipe uses a slaw-style base: crispy coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage combined with green onions, edamame, bean sprouts, herbs, and crunchy nuts. The creamy peanut-sesame dressing brings everything together — and the recipe is highly adaptable. Add bell pepper, pickled onions, or your favorite protein such as grilled salmon, shredded chicken, tofu, or tempeh for a heartier meal.
Mason jar salads are ideal for meal prep. Layer the dressing on the bottom, followed by protein, the cabbage and other crunchy vegetables, then finish with herbs and nuts on top. When you’re ready to eat, pour the jar onto a plate and toss for a quick, portable lunch or dinner.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in under 15–20 minutes.
- Works as a main course, side dish, lunch, or potluck contribution.
- Easily add protein to make a satisfying, higher-protein meal.
- Colorful and nutrient-dense, great for gut health and antioxidants.
- Light, fresh, and perfect for spring and summer.
Thai salad ingredients
- Coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage (use pre-packaged for speed).
- Shredded carrots (pre-shredded saves time).
- Green onions, sliced.
- Shelled edamame (frozen, thawed or quickly warmed).
- Bean sprouts.
- Slivered almonds or chopped peanuts.
- Sesame seeds (optional).
The beauty of this salad is how quick it is to assemble. Chop or open pre-shredded vegetables, warm the edamame if desired, then toss everything together with the dressing when ready to serve.
How to make the peanut dressing
The dressing is simple and crave-worthy. Combine peanut butter, rice vinegar, coconut aminos or soy sauce, sriracha for heat, lime juice, garlic, ginger (ground or fresh), maple syrup, and a touch of sesame oil in a blender. Blend until smooth, then thin with a little water until it reaches a drinkable, pourable consistency. Taste and adjust the balance of sweet, salty, and spicy to your preference.
How to assemble the crunchy Thai salad
Step one: If you aren’t using pre-shredded vegetables, chop the cabbage, carrots, and other vegetables. Warm frozen edamame in a small bowl for a few minutes until heated through. Add the vegetables, edamame, bean sprouts, and herbs to a large bowl and sprinkle the nuts and sesame seeds on top.
Step two: Make the dressing by blending peanut butter with rice vinegar, soy sauce or coconut aminos, sriracha, lime juice, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and maple syrup. Blend until very smooth, then add 3–4 tablespoons of water (or more) to achieve a pourable consistency. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Step three: Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss just before serving. If making in advance, keep the dressing separate to prevent sogginess.
FAQs
- Serve immediately: drizzle the dressing and toss right before serving to keep the salad crisp. If you won’t serve it right away, offer the dressing on the side.
- Meal prep and jars: layer the dressing at the bottom of a jar, then add the crunch ingredients (cabbage, carrots), followed by other vegetables and protein. Keep nuts and herbs on top to stay fresh.
- Make-ahead: yes — store the salad and dressing separately in the fridge and combine when ready to eat.
- Serving suggestions: enjoy as a main course or as a side with grilled proteins. It pairs especially well with spicy salmon, grilled chicken, or tofu and cauliflower rice.
- Thick dressing? Thin with a tablespoon of water at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Allergies and substitutions: for peanut-free or paleo variations, substitute almond butter or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.
More salad recipes to try
- Roasted broccoli Caesar salad
- Vegan German potato salad
- Tofu Niçoise salad
- Broccoli crunch salad
- Tahini Caesar Brussels sprouts salad
- Buffalo cauliflower chopped salad with hemp-seed ranch
If you try this recipe and enjoy it, consider leaving a star rating. Tag me on Instagram @danishealthyeats to share your version — your feedback helps support the blog and inspires more recipes.
Crunchy Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup sliced cucumber
- 1 1/2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1/2 cup diced green onion
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots
- 3/4 cup frozen edamame out of the shells
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds or chopped peanuts
- 3/4 cup diced cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped thai basil (optional)
Peanut butter dressing
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or monk fruit or coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4-1/3 tsp ground ginger or 1″ piece fresh
- 1 garlic clove
- 3-4 tbsp water, as needed
Instructions
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If you aren’t using pre-shredded vegetables, chop them now. Warm frozen edamame briefly if desired. Combine the cabbage, carrots, cucumber, edamame, bean sprouts, and herbs in a large bowl and top with the nuts.
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Make the dressing: blend peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce or coconut aminos, sriracha, lime juice, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and maple syrup until smooth. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach a pourable consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning.
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Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
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For make-ahead meals, store the dressing separately and add it just before serving to keep the salad crisp.