This gorgeous Thai quinoa salad recipe was originally posted in 2013, the year I met my now-husband. I don’t want to change this post too much because frankly, I want to keep the written memories here about our first date. It’s so sweet.
What I did change about this recipe were the photography, tips, and ways to make it gluten free & vegan. Whoo hoo!
For those of you who don’t know, this recipe is one of the most popular recipes on Ambitious Kitchen!
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So without further ado, here’s the story about how we first met:
I just got back from vacation in Arizona. I had so many fun nights I can’t even begin to tell you. The food, the margs, riding around in a red convertible, soaking up the sunshine, swimming at night, baseball games, Mexican food, Froyo, plus a trip to Sprinkles cupcakes!
I want to be on vacation for the rest of my life.
Funny enough, I also went on a date during my trip! (The most random things happen to me, I swear.) I met him through a friend and we hit it off. On our date, we went to the zoo, ate really good Italian food, and laughed hysterically. I don’t think he reads my blog, so in my opinion, it’s perfectly okay to talk about how sweet he was.
FYI: I told him about the life-changing cookies and I think he was sold.
Seriously you guys, I have to stop telling people about the flavor profile of brown butter and those freaking cookies; it’s just too nerdy. Especially on dates.
But but but! What I really need to do is to come to grips with reality and accept that there are no more margs or FroYo in my near future. All I need in my life now is a gorgeous healthy salad.
You in?
Ingredients in this Thai-inspired quinoa salad
I love that this salad can easily be vegan and gluten-free, and it’s incredibly crunch-tastic (not a word, but should be). There’s loads of goodness here: lots of veggies and a creamy peanut butter dressing with a hint of ginger is absolutely TO DIE FOR. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Quinoa: as you probably know by now, the base of this salad is made with nutritious, hearty quinoa. One of my fav grains for salads!
- Veggies: this salad is SO colorful and loaded with shredded cabbage, red bell pepper, red onion, shredded carrots, cilantro & green onions.
- Nuts: I like to add extra crunch with cashews or peanuts (especially honey-roasted).
- For the dressing: that creamy peanut dressing is made with all natural peanut butter, fresh ginger, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil & olive oil. I love Wild Friends peanut butter, and you can use the code ‘AMBITIOUS15’ for 15% off!
In the end, the ingredients all meld together perfectly and somehow the salad just works fantastically — plus it’s filling too! If you want to make this a complete meal or you’re craving more, I suggest adding edamame or chickpeas.
Oh and like pretty much everything else on this blog, I love it from the bottom of my heart. Duh.
Customize this Thai quinoa salad
Have fun customizing this salad with your fav ingredients or ones you have on hand!
- Choose your veggies: you can really use any veggies you have lurking in your fridge. Chopped broccoli or shredded brussels sprouts would be perfect in here.
- Keep it vegan: simply use agave or pure maple syrup instead of the honey in your dressing.
- Try a new grain: I think this salad would be lovely with couscous, orzo, farro, or rice noodles!
- Go grain free: you could also swap the quinoa for kale, or double up the veggies to make it a hearty, grain free salad.
Looking to add a boost of protein?
This Thai quinoa salad is the perfect base for your fav meat or plant-based proteins. Here’s what I suggest:
- 1 cup of edamame or rinsed, drained chickpeas
- Cooked, chopped or shredded chicken (try this Grilled Sesame Chicken)
- Cooked shrimp or salmon (try my Maple Glazed Salmon)
The best Thai quinoa salad in 4 simple steps
- Cook the quinoa. Start by cooking your quinoa until it’s nice and fluffy. Set it aside to cool while you make the dressing.
- Make the dressing. Heat the peanut butter and honey in the microwave so that you can easily mix them, then whisk in the rest of the dressing ingredients until it’s nice and smooth.
- Dress the quinoa. Toss a little bit of the dressing with your cooled quinoa so that it started to absorb the flavors well. Then fold in all of your veggies and toss with the rest of the dressing.
- Garnish & serve. Top the salad with cashews and extra green onions, then serve with a squeeze of lime juice and enjoy!
How to cook the perfect fluffy quinoa
Get all of my best tips and tricks for cooking perfectly fluffy quinoa here!
Storing tips
Keep this vegan Thai quinoa salad in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days. This salad can easily be made the day before, too, and will be delicious served the next day!
So yes, my husband and I met while I was on vacation. A week later, he asked me to send him the life-changing cookies, and now nearly 5 years later, we’re married. Cute story, huh?
More healthy salad recipes you’ll love
- Roasted Carrot Cauliflower Quinoa Salad with Sunshine Dressing
- Sesame Chicken Cabbage Crunch Salad
- One Pot Moroccan Chickpea Quinoa Salad
- High Protein Salads in Jars that Make the Perfect Lunch
- Roasted Veggie, Chickpea & Pesto Quinoa Salad
Get all of my salad recipes here!
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If you make this Thai quinoa salad recipe, be sure to leave a comment below and rate the recipe! You can also snap and picture and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen. And of course be sure to follow Ambitious Kitchen on Instagram. xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad {vegan, gluten-free}
Ingredients
- ¾ cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage, depending on how much crunch you like
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup diced green onions
- ½ cup cashew halves or peanuts (honey-roasted is good)
- Optional: 1 cup edamame or chickpeas
- Fresh lime, for a bit of tang
- For the dressing:
- ¼ cup all natural peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 3 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon honey (use agave or pure maple syrup if vegan)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or more sesame oil
- Water to thin, if necessary
Instructions
- To cook quinoa: In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil. Add in quinoa and bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all of the water. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with fork; place in large bowl and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. You should have a little over 2 cups of quinoa.
- To make dressing: Add peanut butter and honey or agave to a medium microwave safe bowl; heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Add in ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and both sesame and olive oil and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. If you want a thinner dressing, simply stir in a teaspoon or two of water or olive oil.
- Add as much or as little dressing as you’d like to the quinoa. I always start out with a little bit of dressing and usually add more to suit my taste preferences. Alternatively you can save the dressing for later and add when you are ready to eat; however the flavors of the dressing usually soak into the salad so I love adding it to the quinoa first.
- Next fold in red pepper, onion, cabbage, carrots, and cilantro into the quinoa. Garnish with cashews and green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature with lime wedges, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on April 11th, 2019, and republished on February 9th, 2023.
598 comments
Cabbage! Yes please. I love that crunch and never thought of mixing it in with my quinoa for a tasty salad. Sold, add this to the list of items to try (soon).
Be warned… I suffer from vacation hangovers, I feel like the first few days post-vacation are just the hardest and everything seems terrible and you wonder how you EVER survived… then eventually you start thinking of the next vacation, even if it’s just an upcoming weekend 🙂
The colors in this dish are fantastic! I love Thai inspired flavors, especially peanuts. I’m glad you had a great vacation! There’s nothing wrong with being a little food nerdy!
Wow! this looks awesome! Those are all my favorite flavors. Pinning so I remember to make this later 🙂 And I need to try those cookies!!
Gorgeous.
Just pinned this for later…Cannot wait to make this!!
This is the most gorgeous salad ever! Pinning!!! The vibrancy. The PEANUT Sauce! Love it all!
This looks amazing! However I’m allergic to peanuts 🙁 do you think I could substitute it with something else? The salad just looks amazing!!
cashew butter!
I used almond butter
Sunbutter (made from sunflower seeds) would give you a nutty flavor without any nuts.
How man you calories is this salad?
You’ll find all of the nutrition info right next to the recipe 🙂
you can substitute peanut butter with tahini sauce…. it’ll still have all the asian flavors…..
Do you use the same amount of tahini as peanut butter??
Try soy nuts or wasabi chick peas.
I just made a giant bowl of this. It is amazing! Thank you!
Woah!!! I’m a vegetarian, my roommate is gluten free, her sister is a vegetarian…. but I think we could all eat this! haha
looks delicious! I'm making this today. As always, your blog is a visual delight.
Thank you! Hope you enjoy it!
This looks and sounds so delicious! Adding it to meal plan this week 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. I made it today and loved it.
This looks DELICIOUS! Definitely adding to my meal plan for next week!
Just made a big bowl and it is so yummy! Used radishes instead of red cabbage because I had some at home and it was great (:
I just saw this on Pinterest and had to come take a peek. This is really gorgeous. The colors are so vibrant and beautiful. I cannot wait to give this a try…I love these flavors!
Made this for supper…with a few changes based on the current fridge holdings. It was delicious and we ate way too much!
Delicious indeed!!
Looks amazing! quick question,I hope you haven’t already answered this some where else. Do the calories at the bottom reflect all of the dressing being added as well? Just curious:)
Yes, the calories reflect the entire recipe. Feel free to calculate them yourself too! 🙂
What a great recipe, absolutely could live on this salad!
I may need to try this one…..thanks for sharing!
Wow!!!! I am not usually a salad lover, but this is healthy and soooooo delicious! Thank you!
love this
Awesome recipe! This looks so amazingly good, I totally need to try this!
Made this last night and it was incredible! Loved all the flavors and textures. Thank you!!
Awesome, delicious, amazing… just discovered your blog today and tried this recipe tonight. We loved it and ate the whole bowl, too much but soooo good. Got to try the blondies, the Chicken Chickpea Chopped Salads, oh and… and… and !!!!
This looks awesome and I can’t wait to try it tonight! However, your pics look like there are sesame seeds included, but I don’t see them in the recipe itself. Would you let us know if we should add them? Thanks!!
Definitely add sesame seeds as a garnish if you’d like. Thanks for your note!
Just made this and it is DELICIOUS!! Used bagged coleslaw that I had in the fridge, and chunky all-natural peanut butter. Also substituted liquid aminos for the soy sauce. Wow-thank you!!
Love it! 🙂
Looks delicious, thanks for sharing!
Love the idea! Thanks so much! A little too much raw red onion for my taste, would dial it back next time. Also, if you like spicier dressing, add some sriracha (rooster) sauce to the dressing. Otherwise, a solid veggie option 🙂
I have NEVER had so many compliments on a dish I’ve made. I had to make a meal that would make kids, vegans, and carnivores happy. The kids loved it (and had leftovers for lunch), the vegans made a meal of it, and the carnivores ate it as a side dish with grilled chicken. Even the plumber who was called in to fix a Saturday-evening emergency enjoyed it. We packed him a to-go box and he called on my cell phone to say that he wanted the recipe!
This makes me so happy! I’m glad you found something your whole family (and the plumber) can enjoy! xoxo
I made this tonight. It was WONDERFUL. I used almond butter instead of peanut butter. Cannot wait for leftovers.
do yourself a favor and never use a microwave again.
This is delicious & easy! Yum. I love it!
Just made this tonight with basil lime chicken. Yum and Yummerrr. I think my husband best described the meal when he said he just wanted to stick his face in the bowl… Thanks for sharing!
I made this for lunch today and it was fantastic! I know I’ll be making it many more times. Thank you for sharing!
So delicious! I substituted jasmine rice for the quinoa – YUM! Thanks for sharing!
Just made this tonight and love it! I didn’t realize until after my bowl was gone that I’d forgotten to add the red onion, thanks to being distracted by a toddler who was getting into mischief, but it was still good. I ate a little bit as is and the rest over a bed of spinach. Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful recipe!
Made this today, and it will be a top salad. Amazing and delish! Will have to make it again next Sunday for my lunch for the week!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Wendy!
Just made this for dinner tonight (letting it sit in the fridge for a couple hours), and it is delicious! I don’t have a microwave, so I made the dressing in a saucepan over low heat, and it worked just fine. I also couldn’t get my hands on natural peanut butter (I live abroad), and so I had to use Skippy. Sigh. It was fine, though, and I skipped the honey since I have all those unnatural oils and sweeteners. Great recipe — thank you so much!
This might be the most delicious thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. Wow! SO yummy!
I could live off of this
Can’t eat vinegar. What could I substitute in the dressing? This looks so good. I’d like to try it. Pat
Something acidic, like lime or lemon juice. I cannot have vinegar either due to yeast allergies, but I am allowed to have small amounts of Braggs Apple cider vinegar.
Joan says: This salad looks so appealing visually and is loaded with yummy things that are good for you. Looks like a winner I have to try soon!
i love quinoa it has the perfect balance of carbs and protein unlike pasta or rice which is mostly carbs. And adding protein to my diet helped me slim down because protein fills you up and eliminates hunger so you eat less calories. And we all know that reducing the number of calories daily will help you slim down.
I came across your website yesterday and tried this salad lastnight…it was delicious! I haven't had alot of time to browse your website yet, but from what I have seen so far…I am loving it!
Would this be horrible if I only have dried cilantro, no fresh ginger and no sesame oil?
I Didn't have fresh ginger on hand either. I just used a half a tsp of powdered. I Didn't want to leave it out though, because it really does add that extra bit of wonderful. I just added more olive oil instead of the sesame.
@Angel, the answer is yes. Those three ingredients kind of make the recipe. Just my opinion! 🙂
Pinterest brought me here, and I happened to have all the ingredients except some veggies, that I easily replaced. The souce is way to sweet to my taste, which can be easily fixed, of course, but I loved the flavour and it's a perfect way to eat quinoa (and also cuscus!). Thank you for the inspiration!
I made this for a potluck with tahini instead of PB (allergic co-workers) and many people loved it. The leftovers were better, especially with a little sriracha 🙂
We made with almond butter instead of peanut butter.
I was excited to try this….so excited that I forgot to buy the cabbage at the store. 🙁 I simply omitted it from the recipe and it turned out delicious, but I’m anxious to try it again with the cabbage added. I think it will add a nice crunch.
Made it on Sunday for lunches at work the upcoming week. Just a note to others that maybe do the same….leave the dressing off until the day you’ll eat it (this is probably obvious and maybe I just got too excited to wait). My cashews got a little soggy and by Wednesday I was missing the texture they originally brought to the salad.
Thans for sharing Monique!
THIS SALAD IS NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING.
Tonight’s the night. Can’t wait to try this salad. Husband is picky so hope he likes it.
This is totally incredible. Made this last night for a girls craft night and we devoured it, DOUBLED. Thank you!!! This will be a regular for us 🙂
Fabulous! I squeezed the entire lime into the dressing. It was great!
Made this tonight. Thank you for an awesome recipe!
Made this for dinner tonight and I like it so much I’m making it for guests on Friday and then again in a couple of weeks… haha! Thank you =D
Tried this tonight – Brilliant. Delicious! Served with poached chicken.
Simple and delicious. And healthy! I just made this for dinner and it is a winner. As I made it, my 3-year old daughter, Lotus, had a sample of all the vegetables so she only ate a small bowl of the finished salad but told me it's yummy and she wants it again tomorrow. Great recipe!
Made this today and it’s delicious! I used peanut flour to lighten it up a bit and its still awesome.
SOO good. We loved it! I don’t like onions or red peppers so I left them out and it was still so good.
Made this last night for today’s lunch. Super yum I must say! Good Recipe!
This Salad was absolutely scrumptious! Like someone else said above “I too can live off of this”. Then you added Thai peanut flavors and bam– I am hooked. Thanks for sharing… love simple, delicious meals like this.
I made this for a dinner party last week and it was a huge hit! Thank you for sharing!
I want to make this for a girls weekend I'm hosting next weekend. Can I make this the night before or will the quinoa get soggy?
Just made this! A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!!! Thanks for the great recipe!!
Amazing. Great blend of ingredients and flavors!
This was absolute amazing! I was eating the sauce by itself! I added raisins too which worked well.
Wow! Amazing! thanks so much.
Super super good! Thank you do much for the recipe and vegan friendliness! 🙂
I never comment – this salad is amazing!! I doubled the ginger because I like the kick. LOVE this salad!!
we LOVE this salad. perfect for a packed lunch, just keep the dressing separate!
this was so delicious and filling! and I can’t get over the calorie count for it! just divided it into 6 equal portions for lunch! I was blown away by your baking recipes but this is so good! I’m hooked on your blog!
This was AMAZING!! Could honestly have it everyday for lunch and not get tired of it. Healthy and filling… my kinda salad! Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
This was incredible! I am so glad I doubled the recipe 🙂
Linking to this on my blog this week! http://www.eat8020.com. Looks fantastic!
just made this and it is SOOO tasty. best part: the only thing you cook is the quinoa and that just requires boiling water!
Just discovered this blog recently and this was the first recipe that I tried. I made a big bowl of this salad for myself and my parents, who LOVED it! I’m already dreaming about the leftovers and I’ll definitely be trying out more of your recipes in the future!
Welcome Jill! I’m so happy to hear that you loved the salad. xo
So glad I made this, Added crushed red pepper flakes to mine. Delish!
Divine. The layers of flavor, the colors and crunchiness will make this dish our summer fav. Addictive.
Didn’t have peanut butter so tried with PB2 powder and flavor was still delicious! I over-cooked the quinoa a bit but it was still good the next day as a cold salad. I also didn’t have cabbage so just added more carrots instead. Overall, great recipe and I can’t wait to try it again with real natural peanut butter.
Made this last night – absolutely amazing. Prep time took me a bit, but then again, I'm not very efficient in the kitchen and my counter space is about 2 ft x 2 ft. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
I made this last night for my family. I doubled it as we had guests and everyone loved it! I can’t wait to have some for lunch today on some salad greens. I served it with Barefoot Contessa’s Lemon Chicken (from her first cookbook) and some roasted broccoli. I can’t wait to try some more of your recipes! Thank you!
Absolutely love this salad! Third time we've made it and it is perfect each time! Love the veggies, bright colors and that it makes excellent leftovers for at least three days if it lasts that long. Thanks for a great recipe that has made it into our salad rotation! 🙂
The recipe was wonderful, and I'll be making it again! Also, I like to cook quinoa (and brown rice, teff, and oatmeal) in my rice cooker. I'll be trying more of your recipes in the near future. Thanks again for the recipe tutorials. =)
I can’t wait to try this, but I was wondering if anyone has measured/weighed out a 1/6 of the recipe for portion size?
Just made this tonight and it was fabulous! Added chicken per my husband's preference for meat…but after eating, he agreed it would be just as good vegetarian. I also added a little red cabbage for color and more crunch, and edamame because I had it on hand. This will be a regular on our meal rotation!
Cheryl Drennan-Krites, here is the recipe. Enjoy!
Is this what were getting tomarrow?
Thanks going to try this week
I’m a hippy at heart…this recipe and the ingredients called to me. Measured everything exactly, which isn’t my norm, even when I try a new recipe 🙂 Ooh laa laa, I’m in love! Actually have no other salad I’ve made that can compare to this. Thank you, thank you…btw, secretly hoping ‘your date’ catches a drift of this post.
I have made this salad 2 times now, not a fan of quinoa so I made it with couscous. Didn't have all the ingredients for the dressing so I used a bottled peanut sauce. Soooo Gooood!
It is very very very delicious!! I scarfed it down 🙂 Make some for tomorrow, pretty please??
I actually made some last night! Whats happening tomorrow?
Mom's BBQing, but I guess you're not invited. So just drop it off at my house before we go over to moms 🙂 She just asked us last night around 8:30 when she dropped off Austin. I'm sure she'll call you later.
Yum…this looks amazing! I always have leftover quinoa so this is a perfect and very yummy solution for what to do with it!
Just so you know: made this. Told everyone. Pinned it. Had lots of jealous questions at work….This is a game-changer of a salad. A healthy, delicious, unusual, lasts in the fridge giant bowl of awesome. Thank you!!!
Found this on Pinterest and it is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Absolutely love this salad. Definitely a keeper!
Looks yummy!!
I made it tonight and Tom and I LOVED it!! Defenitly a favourite of our now!
Yummy!!!!! Will make it this weekend for sure
Yummy!!!!! Will make it this weekend for sure
Tried this tonight (found via Pinterest). My boyfriend and I both thank you – it was delicious! With the addition of some siracha sauce, divine!
Honestly I am not a salad fan, and couldnt say that I would have a Quinoa salad that would satisfy as a meal but I was definitely wrong. This is probably one of the best meals I have ever had! Wow, keep it up!
Incredibly delicious! I had to leave out the red pepper as I can't/don't eat them and I used regular cabbage since my son doesn't like red. The salad is amazing! Can't wait to serve it tomorrow.
Made it last night used red quinoa. Loved it.
That sounds fabulous!! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thanks Pam! I'm going to try this. It's so colorful it should be eaten at Mardi Gras!
Definitly feeling the need to comment. I saw the pic on Pinterest and was drawn to the colours. Just made up a huge bowl of this salad (added some celery for extra crunch) and I literally cannot stop eating it.
So delicious!
This salad looks amazing! I want to make it ASAP! I don’t have sesame oil on hand though, do you think it will affect the flavor of the dish if I sub another oil?
Yes, I do. If you have peanut oil you could sub that; sesame oil just has such a unique flavor!
I made this last night and it is amazing! A definite keeper. Thanks for sharing.
I found this amazing recipe through Pinterest and made it the same day…… I NEVER do that, and I’m SO glad I did. This was easy to make and super delicious. I’m always happy to find new ways to use quinioa. My 7 and 8 years old daughters liked it even. I call that a big win!! Thank you!
Made this tonight with my fiancé and it was delicious! We added some red pepper flakes and edamame and paired it with honey sriracha chicken wings. Mmmmmmmhmm!
Tried this and it was phenomenal–thanks for sharing!
Any idea how many cups are in the 1/6 serving? is it 1 cup? i didn’t measure the whole batch, and now i’m wondering for calculating the calorie breakdown and knowing how to measure per serving…
I mean this salad is just beautiful. Looking forward to making it for dinner to brighten up a string of rainy summer days we’ve been having this week!
This was so delicious! Definitely will be one of my go tos. Yum!
It's not good to look at her website when hungry. lol
WOW!!! I just found your blog and made this thai quinoa salad tonight and the chickpea blondies last week and all I have to say is, WOW!!!!!!! And WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is by far the best quinoa salad I have ever had. Full stop. Thank you! Thank you!! And it made tons so I get to eat it for days…..yum!!!!
I served this today for some friends and last night to my hubby. Yum!
So good to find a yummy salad that's gluten free.
Great recipe but I’d reduce the amount of soy sauce in the dressing. I like soy sauce but found it really overpowering and had to add more PB and honey to balance it out. Maybe 1-2 tbsps would be better?
This is a delicious salad. I added soybeans and chicken to make it a very substantial meal for my family. Thank you so much.
love all your recipes.
Seriously addicting, seriously good! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe. Even my kids (2 & 4) ate it!!
Relish!!!! Thanks for sharing.
I can’t explain how good this sounds! I seriously can’t wait to make it – will probably be even better tasting the next day for my packed lunch!
If you have a moment, do you mind checking out my bog please? It’s addalittle.wordpress.com
Thanks 🙂
i made this recipe twice this week because it was so good (which means i’ve eaten it for dinner four meals lol). thank you for sharing! It’s my new favorite, can’t wait to make it for my husband when he gets back from his deployment 🙂
So glad you liked it! 🙂
Finally made this. SO PLEASED with the result. Thanks for another winner!
Just made this and it is SO GOOD. A few minor adaptions – due to lack of ingredients – but so delicious and something I will make again! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
These look great! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This was awesome! I made it last night and it tasted so good then and for lunch today.
De-ee-licious!!
Should i use raw or roasted cashews? Or does it matter?
Minoque~Just wanted to let you know this recipe was delicious! I have never commented on an online recipe before but I had to let you. I have a question: Since the edamame or chickpeas or optional are they included in the nutrition information? I actually forgot to put either one in but it was still very good. Thanks for sharing your recipes!!
*are
I made this twice. For the 2nd time, I used brown rice fusilli pasta instead of quinoa. I used less cabbage and added in iceberg lettuce. Either way – a real winning recipe!
Really, really delicious… although I admit I had to make mods based on what I had on hand, such as substituting farro for the quinoa. My kids loved it too, which is a really big win! Fantastic idea to put a thai-peanut-ginger sauce over a grain. We love the flavor over noodles and tofu but never thought to try it in a grain salad. I wrote a post about it on my blog and put a link back to your recipe. Thanks!
I’m allergic to peanuts too,what is the alternative to peanut butter?i read cashew or almond butter?where cani find it,or can we make at home?
Lots of grocery stores sell them. But it is easy to make your own. Toast nuts in the oven and then use a food processor until they reach the right texture, apx 15 minutes for 1# of almonds. Be patient, it seems like it will never become a butter! Toasting brings out the oil in nuts so it works better than raw.
Also,I am new to this site and many recipes look amazing! I will be trying several very soon!
Thank you…;)
This is an outstanding salad. I make a lot of quinoa salads, and this is easily going to become one of my favorites and added to my rotation. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it for lunch for my husband and I and we both loved it so much! I was a little weary of the lime in addition to the peanut sauce but I can’t believe how great a squeeze of lime was on it. This will definitely be added to our recipe rotation.
Soooo good! I added some cucumbers since they were there
Finally made this… AMAZING! Definitely going into the rotation.
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it. Any ideas on what to substitute for the Red Pepper?,
don’t like peppers at all but like the color it gives to the salad.
Mmmm! I’m not a fan of cilantro so I used basil. Great recipe! My only regret is not doubling the recipe for lunch tomorrow!
Made this for my vegetarian daughter, but my meat-and-potatoes son loved it too!! It’s very similar to my daughter’s favorite meal at a raw food restaurant. They do it with the quinoa still warm and pineapple.
Great salad, good for diets too"
I made it four times now.. It was a great hit, very tasty and did not expect such a taste from the peanut dressing.
i love it so yummy….
Looks yummy! Must try it…
Made this, it’s delicious! The dressing would also make a good satay-style sauce for grilled meat, veggies, tofu, etc. If I was going to use it straight like that rather than tossed in a salad, I’d probably use a bit less soy sauce and vinegar. But for this application it’s perfect.
I have NEVER written a review for a recipe yet-so for me to do so is a tribute to you. Thank you for your creative and ambitious recipes. This was easy and delicious. If I were to buy a similar (but not half and fantastic) salad at the co-op farm down the road, it would cost $5 easily for a tiny rectangular box of it. Can’t rave enough!
I just made this for dinner, I am BLOWN AWAY by the flavor!!!
Looks so good!! I must make this!!
Sounds fantastic…I have some cooked quinoa in fridge, would this work? Can you freeze cooked quinoa? Thanks Merry
You can definitely used cooked quinoa! I would assume that you could freeze it!
Is it a cold pressed sesame oil or the toasted one ?
Ok I’m sold, gonna make this soon
Seriously love this recipe. I surround it with Red Curry Chicken w/butternut squash. It's a hit!!
I made this with variations due to being on vacation with limited items. For dressing, small can of pickled jalapenos in blender with soya sauce, fresh garlic and ginger. Then poured into a jar and added the oil and melted peanut butter and shook.. For salad, no nuts so used small can of peas and they weren't mushy, and added chopped spinach stems for crunch and toasted sesame seeds (no sesame oil). Used a bit of chopped brocolli. Also sprinkled some curry powder. The red cabbage made it look just like the picture and it soooo delicious. Try some variations if you don't have everything listed. I too a picture but don't know how to post it here.
Whoa! This salad is totally awesome! I love the variety of ingredients. I love everything quinoa.
I made this last night with red quinoa and a pre-made GF/V peanut sauce (from San-J brand) due to laziness, and it was PERFECT! I love cold quinoa salads, but I think this may be my new favorite! It’s so easy to pull together too. I cooked my edamame and quinoa at the same time earlier in the day, came home to chop vegs (which you could also do before hand), then just added the pre-made dressing and lime juice. i will definitely be making this again and again!
It has all been said…FABULOUS!! Substitutions possible but the dressing…mmmmmmmm. TY!!!
Gorgeous! On my to-do list.
is this a "ready to eat" sa;lad or do you have to let it sit for better flavor?
I love it and fast on the go lunch for me,and still have my peanut butter. 🙂
I love it ,and a fast on the go lunch for me,and still have my peanut butter. 🙂
Absolutely amazing!!!! I love all your recipes!!!!!!
This salad is seriously delish! I think my husband will love it — he’s taking it for lunch today, I didn’t have cabbage, so subbed some very finely chopped kale which I’d massaged with rice bran oil and a bit of rice vinegar. Next time I will get some cabbage, though.
Also, my quinoa turned out really bitter, even though I had rinsed it before cooking. It was really nasty and I didn’t want it to ruin the salad. I decided to try rinsing the cooked quinoa. I rinsed it in my fine mesh strainer (in small batches), pressing it against the mesh with the back of a big spoon to squeeze the water out. I then dumped it into a wide saute pan and heated it on medium-low for a few minutes to finish drying it out. That did the trick! Nutty-tasting quinoa without that icky bitter taste.
Thanks for sharing this refreshing, healthy salad recipe!
This salad is SO GOOD!!!! I tried it for the first time a week ago and I have already made 3 so far… My boyfriend loved it so much that I doubled the recipe and he ate it in a day (oink oink! 😉 )… EVERYONE SHOULD TRY THIS RECIPE!!!
I love this salad! So colorful, flavorful, and satisfying! THANK YOU!!! I am in love with your blog!
My daughter and I made this tonight for lunches this week. I can’t wait to try it!
This one is for those on a health kick in July!
O. M. Gee! This was really very very good! Thank you for sharing it!
I've clicked on this link at least 100 times now. Sometimes to just check on the ingredients when I'm making the salad, but most often to send it along to people who ask me where I got it! It's my go to for every party and my friends have started expecting it at every potluck!! Thank you so much for posting this.
Thank you for this great recipe. Just like everyone else said: this is delicious!!!
Thank you for this great recipe. Delicious!!! Used red quinoa and added chickpeas as suggested. Will definitely make again.
Thank you for this great recipe. Delicious!!! Used red quinoa and added chickpeas as suggested. Will definitely make again.
again I love you, this looks amazing!
Thanks for sharing this! I made it allergy-free with Coconut Amino acids rather than soy sauce, sunbutter and sunflower seeds. It was great!
Yum! What a fabulous recipe! Hey, I must ask. What plugin are you using to get your rich snippet (picture) to show in search engines like Google. It was the snippet that drew me to your site! 🙂
I use easy recipe!
Thanks Monique for being so helpful! It s well appreciated!
I keep making this, sharing with others, and they always request the recipe! Love it!
How many people does this serve?
4-6 depending on if you are serving it as a main dish or a side!
This tastes amazing, a friend of mine made it and I was falling over myself to get the recipe! I also have a blog and was wondering if I could convert it for the Thermomix and post it on my blog… It is something that I do once a month to feature another blogger? You get all there red for the recipe of course 🙂 If not then I’m still going to keep making it cause it is fantastic!!!! Thanks so much for sharing!
How many days does this last? I’m cooking for one, and plan on eating this over a few days.
3-5 days.
I made this, altered a few items, but the sauce is so amazing! I will go back to this again and again!
this is so delicious! I used Tahini instead Peanut though, but the mix of all is just so amazing. I love it
Recipe looks great but why are you promoting use of a microwave? So not necessary for the dressing or anything else for that matter and definitely NOT healthy : ) I make a very similar dressing using almond butter and there is absolutely no reason to use a microwave (ever). You can use a whisk or a blender. Sorry for the negative post – I just hate to see someone promoting healthy eating and suggesting use of a microwave : )
Thanks for your comment. I don’t think using a microwave degrades the health of this recipe, but thanks for sharing your opinion. The microwave is for ease of use and if you have another method you like to use, feel free to!
I made this tonight for dinner and it was so very delicious – and so beautiful and colorful, too (and I forgot the cashews – whoops)! I can’t get enough of that amazing dressing.
This is definitely going to be lunch the next few days, and I can’t wait!
Really good salad, and so pretty, but the onion really overpowered the flavor. Next time I think I would leave the red onions out. And maybe add some bean sprouts on the top for a garnish. Will definitely make again
I am so glad I found your pin on Pinterest and tried it! It is an amazing salad! I have made it twice in the last few weeks. I shared it with my blog readers on Pin It! Tried and True Tuesday # 11.
Thanks for recipe! This one is a keeper! 🙂
So delicious! Thank you for the recipe. I made mine with almond butter and it came out super tasty.
This was just the right balance of flavorful and filling – thank you so much for posting!
I bookmarked this recipe months ago, and finally made it today. Oh my goodness, it’s DELICIOUS!! Even my husband (who won’t touch anything with the word salad in the title, loved it! Sure sign it’s a winner ?
Are the ingredients for 1 serving or 6? Can’t wait to make it!
Six!
How long ahead should I be putting the cabbage in? So it soaks in taste but doesn’t get too soggy?
Just finished making this for probably the sixth time. It’s my husband’s favorite, and I’m partial to it as well. I love the different textures and filling qualities of this healthy meal. I don’t do anything different to the recipe minus the color of the bell pepper – I buy whatever is on sale – tonight happened to be orange. The flavor is delicious and I absolutely love it. I doubled the recipe so we can eat this for lunches this week – it’s so good.
Thank you for taking the time to share such a fantastic treat. Merry Christmas!
This is the first recipe I’ve tried from this site. I think I’m in love! This salad is gorgeous, and delicious! I think next time, I’ll add a bit more cabbage and bell pepper and less onion. I also added red pepper flakes to the dressing. I’m so excited to eat this for lunch tomorrow!
How far in advance can this recipe be made? I’m looking for something I can make the day before
Hi Monique! Awesome Salad recipe you have shared with us. I am so glad that I found your website and there I got this beautiful recipe. I have tried this recipe (cashew thai quinoa salad) on last Saturday and I can’t say how delicious it was. I am going to try this once more in the dinner today. Thanks for sharing this beautiful recipe with us.
This recipe is amazing!!! I have it for dinner two nights a week. It tastes kind of like an Indian chaat. We try to incorporate fresh raw ingredients in all our dinners, and this recipe really hits the mark! I made a few minor changes to the sauce: more honey to taste, added chili pepper flakes, used rice wine vinegar instead of red wine vinegar, and used powdered ginger rather than fresh.
Just wanted to say that this is one of my absolute favorite go to recipes for something quick and delicious. It requires me buying minimal extra ingredients because I usually have most of them in my kitchen and it’s just SO good. 🙂
It is looking amazing. I love the look of this dish it is looking fabulous. It is very well decorated and cooked. I am super excited to try this delicious recipe for me. Thanks for this awesome sharing.
I’ve made this salad three times (so far) and we love it! One of my all-time favourites. More vegan recipes from your talented hand please.
Thank you for this fantastic recipe. Very flavorful, colorful and exotic salad plus loaded with protein. I am vegan too so really appreciate delicious and healthy vegan recipes. Made this two weeks ago and enjoyed it so much I am making it again today.
I just made this salad! AMAZING!!
This is so good!!! Glad I made lots.
I used a bag of cole slaw mix though instead of buying a big cabbage, and then just grated some extra carrot. Yum.
Thanks for the recipe
I’ve made this recipe multiple times now. I’ve also shared it with quite a few friends as well. It’s awesome! I prefer it with brown rice, but the quinoa is also delicious. It makes a ton, which I love, so I can eat it multiple days for lunch. Great recipe!!
Talk about an amazing meal! Had it for supper tonight and am already looking forward to leftovers tomorrow.
Loved it, Monique! I don’t eat peanut butter, so I used almond butter instead; and I used only two teaspoons of sweeter – Coconut Secret Coconut Nectar. Thanks so much for the delicious recipe!! 😀
This is my go to quinoa salad recipe! It freezes nicely and goes well over a bed of greens with some cucumbers and seaweed pieces. Thank you! Love your blog
My wife and I gave up gluten and dairy a few years ago (for her health). We’re also leaning vegan now. I do the cooking at home and this is one of my favorite Summer meals. I do replace the Red Wine Vinegar with Rice Wine Vinegar (more authentic Asian). Otherwise, it’s perfect.
I just made this last night and it is a keeper. I’ve sent a photo of my dish and the recipe to multiple people already. Thank you, I’m always on the search for great recipes 🙂
So great to hear, Caroline! It’s one of my favorites 🙂
Would you please e-mail me a copy of this recipe Cashew Salad with Thai flavours. I seem unable to down load…..but at 76, it could be me!!! [email protected]
I made this last night for a girls night at my house. I made the dressing the day before in m viatmix so it was blended really well… and I added hoisin sauce at the end because it tasted a little too soy sauce-y for my taste. Everyone loved it, and my kids have requested it already for this weekend. I also was a little short on time, so I went through a salad bar to get the shredded carrots and cabbage. LOVE THIS RECIPE!
Amazing! What a great girls night recipe (it’s perfect for feeding a group). Glad you guys enjoyed 🙂
I made this this morning and ate it for breakfast. Now I’m having it again for lunch! DELICIOUS!!!
Amazing!! I’ve never had it for breakfast but might have try it with an egg on top 😉
I have made this 4 times now and it is one of my favorites!! The peanut dressing is so delicious. All the flavors go together so well. Even my kids 5, 5 and 8 will eat it up. Made a big bowl last night and having it for lunch again today. Yum!
So great to hear! It’s one of my absolute favorite salads, too. Glad that the kiddos enjoy as well 🙂
I just had a Thai peanut and red rice salad from Café Latte on Grand Ave in St. Paul. I was looking for a similar recipe because it was SSOOOO good. I cant wait to try yours!
I’ll have to try that the next time I’m in Minnesota! Hope you enjoy this one!
Just want to say that I’ve been making this for meal prep for close to a year now! It’s my favorite salad and the recipe I share most with others. It’s absolutely perfect! No modifications needed, I just love it! Thank you!
I’m so glad! This one is amazing for meal-prep. Happy to hear that you share it with others, too 🙂
This recipe is very good for health and tasty also. I had one and I love it.
So happy to hear that!
OH MY GOODNESS!!!! I just tried this recipe for the first time…..WOW. I am so impressed – seriously delicious!!
Amazing!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 It’s one of my absolute favorites!
I made this for lunch today and my partner and I both enjoyed it very much. We are looking to increase the vegetable dishes we eat and this one will definitely be on the list from now on. Thanks for sharing it.
I’m so happy to hear that, Donna! This one is perfect for getting in some extra veggies. Enjoy!
Is the date mentioned here the first date you had with tony?!
Yes 🙂
It is!! Great catch 🙂
Can this be mixed in a day or two in advance or should I mix the sauce in the day I eat it
This should be just fine for a day or two before eating!
We love this salad, I’ve made it twice now and have shared the recipe with family and friends. I added in edamame tonight as we were out of red pepper, so good! I love that I have leftovers for lunch 😉 I subbed the red wine vinegar for raspberry vinegar with no issues and next time, I’ll try with apple cider vinegar and maybe another time with balsamic. It’s a great recipe to make small changes too and still turns out DELISH! This one is a KEEPER <3 Thanks for sharing!
Amazing!! So glad you love this one Tracey 🙂 And yes – it’s perfect for swapping in your favorite veggies & dressings.
This was so tasty! I was surprised at how filling it was with the chickpeas; it made an easy, healthy work lunch. This recipe is going on my list of go-to lunch recipes!
Perfect work lunch! And yes – the quinoa is actually pretty filling too 🙂 one of my fav lunches!
Oh my gosh Monique I LOVE this story! And you won’t believe this but I remember when you originally posted this recipe and I literally still have the original pinned! I was at a bbq and someone had brought this salad and we were all OBSESSED and I asked her for the recipe and she showed me this and I started cracking up because I had already pinned it!!
Gosh it’s so crazy to think how much time has passed and how long I’ve been making your delicious recipes :)) and P.S. This salad is literally the only quinoa salad I absolutely LOVE. SO GOOD!
This was absolutely so delicious and fresh tasting. My daughter was very impressed 🙂
I subbed normal cabbage for the red cabbage as I didn’t have any and forgot to add the Cashews and still SO good. Thank you 🙂
One question please, the nutritional value, is that for 6 serves or per serve please?
PS , also does the nutritional content include the Chickpeas? 🙂
What a lovely story of how you two met! It’s great to look back on an old recipe and re-vamp it in such an amazing way. I would absolutely love to make this Thai quinoa salad someday–it looks heavenly!
It’s amazing! You’ll have to give it a try for lunch soon 🙂
Looks so good! I want to try it now.
Hope you love it!
Just made this and it was easy and soooo good! I added red chilli flakes to the dressing and used a bag of mixed julienned red cabbage, carrots and broccoli and it was great 🙂
YUM chili flakes sound delicious in here!
SO GOOD!!! Hiding in the back of the refrig so my husband won’t eat it. I think I will put a note on it “DON’T TOUCH!!” Add the chickpeas.
Haha I’m so glad you love it!! Chickpeas are perfect in here.
i’m a vegan and the rest of my family is not…i made this recipe last night and everyone LOVED it!! the flavors and all the veggies are absolutely AMAZING! i will definitely be making this again!!!
Amazing!! So happy to hear that 🙂 it’s one of my absolute favorite recipes!
Thanks,
sharing on Crunchy cashew thai Quinoa
I tried it.It is good & tasty. Quinoa seeds are very healthy for a body
It has a rich amount of fiber, antioxidants, and iron
we provide the Organic Quinoa Seeds.so let’s start to buy Quinoa seeds at Nourish you
https://nourishyou.in/superfoods/quinoa-seeds/
Pardon my French, but HOT DAMN. This salad it so, so good. This is my second week in a row meal-prepping it. I sit at my desk just waiting for it to be lunch time. Love how easy it is to prepare, too. Thank you!!
Hahaha YES! This is one of my absolute favorites. So glad you loved it too!
Great salad! Loved the combination of flavors! I added some red pepper flakes to the dressing and I preferred more vinegar.
I’m glad you loved this one! The dressing is perfect for adapting 🙂
This looks soooo delicious, and I am heading out to the store soon to get the ingredients to make for dinner, YUM!!! Just one thing, as someone who is trying to lose weight due to BP issues, and I’m also on a BP med that advises that I avoid high sodium so the med works better to flush my system of retained fluids, I notice that in the nutrition section, you fail to give the sodium content of your recipes. It would be really helpful to try and include this for ppl who are trying to reduce their sodium intake. Thanks so much, and can’t wait to make this, I’m sure I will love it.
Hope you love this one Melanie! And noted on the sodium 🙂 I will definitely do my best!
Having this for lunch at work and that dressing is THE BOMB! I forgot lime juice, has no red onion or peppers and this is still such a light and delicious salad. Exploring more vegan options and this ticks all my boxes! YUM!
Isn’t it amazing?! This one’s great for customizing with what you have on-hand, too! Glad you love it 🙂
I know your post is older, but I wanted to let you know that I made this salad for the first time a few years ago and have shared the recipe with no less than 100 people. I bring it to pot-luck lunches, or outdoor gatherings, since I’m typically the only non-meat-eater. EVERYONE who tries it, LOVES it. Some have added chicken, or shrimp, but mostly people just love it as is. Thank you for this recipe.
So happy to hear that Mary!! I love bringing this to parties (and it’s perfect for adding extra protein) 🙂
I’m vegan but I brought this dish to a mostly meat-eating BBQ last night. EVERYONE loved it and I shared this link with one of the guest already. People are always so curios to know what a vegan eats (like it’s such a mystery) and I am so stoked to share recipes like this. People say: if this is how good vegans eat, I could be vegan! My husband and I have this recipe for dinner about once a month. I also ADD SUGAR SNAP PEAS, soooo good and more wonderful crunch!
Amazing!! SO happy to hear that. It’s always fun surprising non-vegans with yummy vegan dishes 🙂 Glad everyone loved it!
This is a delicious dish! Easy and fast to make it on a hot summer day, colorful, flavorful and so yummy. My husband likes it, too! Thank you!
I’m so glad you two both like it! Love this one in the summer too 🙂
I use the dressing and whatever else I have in the fridge to make the salad, this dressing is magic. Magic! Easy but phenomenal! I have to restrain myself from drinking it!
Isn’t it amazing?! One of my all-time favs!
Made a few small tweaks and it was DELICIOUS! Cooked the quinoa in coconut milk and some lime and I lightly stir fried the veggies in peanut oil to make them easier for my toddler to chew. Will definitely make again!
Amazing!! Love those ideas and glad you both enjoyed!
Hi Monique
Just finishing a 3 day cleanse which has been hard, but I really want to keep the weight off I’ve lost and need to lose more. Would this be a good salad for me. As it look delicious and too good to be true lol 😂
Ps I made quite a few of your recipes and they are all amazing especially the granola bars.
What a great recipe! Tastes and feels so clean! Thank you!
I added four thinly sliced jalapeños which adds a minor kick (be sure to de-seed if you try this).
I’m all about jalapeño – great idea!
My wife and I just made this for lunch. It’s amazing. Thanks!
So happy you two loved it!
Finally made this salad for the first time and it is DELICIOUS! Famous for a reason! Love it Monique, your recipes always turn out as expected. Love all the photos and detailed directions–really helps.
I’m so glad you tried and loved it! One of my absolute favorites. And thank you so much!
We made this tonight! It was amazing! We omitted the edemame and chick peas but added baked, chopped chicken. Can’t wait to have it again. Wait, there’s a small portion left over. I guess that will be lunch tomorrow.
Chicken is great with this salad! Best leftovers too. Glad you guys enjoyed!
Hi Moniqa,Making your own salad dressing seems so intimidating sometimes! I feel like I’m just getting the hang of it!
It can be intimidating, but it’s easy once you get used to it! Try these 🙂
Made this for lunch today. It was very flavorful and a fast salad to put together.
Glad you liked it!
Hi:
I’m new here. I love to cook. But I have gotten myself into trouble over the decades as I have become less mobile due to car accidents and reduced mobility issues (and a few other as well….)
Anyway, I went looking for a some bowl recipes after trying out a couple of diet web sites that simply would not work for me.
I think I can build meal plans around your recipes, balance them carefully and get through many healthy meals with little effort and some more careful planning.
I will still have to watch my choices as I have many food intolerances. But your site seems to be the first site that has inspired me enough to really get started.
So I have chosen a couple of recipes for the week and made a game plan that I think I can stick to, even on my worst days. Sadly, I am unable to exercise but I have been inspired by your story.
I would love to see more pictures of Milly!
Thank you so much for sharing your story and your recipes.
Judy
PS I spent a lot of years in Minnesota- Seattle to be exact–got my MPH at the University, then stayed a while.
Hi Judy! I’m glad you found Ambitious Kitchen 🙂 Hope you find some delicious, easy recipes that you love. I’ll be sure to share some more photos of Milly in the future! Have a great week.
This salad is exactly what I was looking for. Full of goodness and so delicious! Thank you so much!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
This salad is exactly what I was looking for. Full of goodness and so delicious! Thank you so much!
I’m so glad you found this one! One of my absolute favs.
Woot Woot! Made this today and it is so flavorful! Recently found Ambitious Kitchen and I am so glad I did. Monique, your recipes are so well thought out and fresh. I have found so many I am looking forward to making. Thank you for all your hard work.
Thanks so much for your note Julie! Happy to hear that you liked this one. Hope you find some new favs here 🙂
Thank you for sharing this healthy and delicious recipe! We challenged our family eat vegan food for 1 week. We had this salad for lunch on day #2. Everyone loved it and we are looking forward to eating the leftovers!
Perfect! I have tons of delicious vegan recipes on the site that they’ll love, too 🙂 Search under recipes!
This looks delicious! Does it hold okay? Would love to make to have for some lunches.
This was ok. def do not add cilantro – it ruins it. I also don’t think it needs that much sesame oil. The lime is a must and some celery might be nice too. Makes quinoa taste much better that’s for sure.
I’ve found this recipe to be fabulous as-is (it’s one of my all-time most popular!) It’s great for adjusting to your taste preferences though, too 🙂
LOVE IT! I also love how light it feels but it is very filling. And the cilantro is definitely a must 😉
Absolutely! One of my go-to lunches 🙂
Hi Monique! I went Vegan as my New Years resolution. Thinking I would last a month. With incredible recipes like yours I have remained a Vegan. I made this incredible Thai Quinoa salad for my friends Birthday potluck party. It seemed everyone loved it including me and my non vegan BF. I added chickpeas and the BF added some chicken from the potluck and loved it. I will be making it for my family’s Easter get together.
I loved how crunchy and flavorful this salad is.Thank you!!
Hi Sheli! So happy you found this recipe – my vegan & non-vegan friends love it too 🙂 Perfect for adding your fav proteins!
I’m absolutely obsessed with this meal!! My family of 5 is on another Ambitious Kitchen week of meals. Last year my husband and I realized that we loved every recipe we tried from Ambitious Kitchen, so we decided to try a week straight of dinners from this site. Every time we were blown away at how much we loved them all! This meal was a new one to try and yet again, another favorite that will be added to our weekly meal plan. You are gifted Monique, thank you for sharing your blessing with the world! My family thanks you!
SO happy to hear that, Lauren! I love sharing these delicious weeknight dinners, and I’m so glad your whole family is loving them. Plenty more to come 🙂 Thank you for your comment!
At the top of the recipe, you indicate it tastes better the next day too. Do you keep the sauce separate then so that it isn’t soggy the next day or do you mix it all in together and the next day it isn’t soggy?
I’ve been reading through the comments trying to find the same answer. Many people do seem to eat it leftover but I wonder about adding the sauce in all at once? I would like to make it the day ahead of when I plan to bring to a barbecue.
Have not read all the comments but did scan before sending this one – it’s in regards to honey not being vegan. So you could call this delicious looking recipe vegetarian but not vegan and then have notes on what swaps to make it vegan. Perhaps the vegans who commented are still learning or subbed something else like maple syrup or agave nectar to make it vegan.
Yes you can use agave or maple syrup to make it vegan – super easy! 🙂
My husband, who is very particular about food, said he thought this lunch was “perfect” and to “keep the recipe” lol. He even said the ingredients were “very evenly proportioned”….keep em coming, Monique! I need all the help I can get!!! haha
Haha amazing!! So happy to hear that, Anne. This is one of my favorite lunches, too 🙂
Just made this for a picnic with friends and it was delicious, the dressing is fabulous. I toasted the cashews and the lime was a lovely addition
Perfect! Toasted cashews sound amazing. Glad you enjoyed!
Funny thing: my mom won’t eat anything from our kitchen or blog, she says “ew.” No joke. She’s worse than a kid ; ) But this salad has her written all over. I can’t wait to make this for her!
No way! Hope she loves this one – you’ll have to let me know how she likes it 🙂
This is a FANTASTIC recipe! We found it here years ago and have loved it ever since. Always a hit! Thank you Moique!
So happy to hear that! One of my original, most popular recipes (still true today!) Thanks for your note!
I just made this today and it was easy and so delicious. Even my husband loved it. Thanks for sharing and we will definitely make it again.
So happy to hear that, Carmen! One of my all-time favorite salads to make.
Hi Monique!
I made this tonight and it was such a hit! So glad to have it for the rest of the week. I did some baked tofu on the side. I love that I can do shredded chicken, or tofu, or add edamame as you suggested.
And this is such a great way to get in those veggies!! I will have to check out more recipes on your blog. Thanks for sharing with us :), Alex
Hi Alex! Amazing – so happy you loved it. And YES perfect for adding your favorite proteins. Hope you find some more recipes here that you love!
Yet another win from Ambitious Kitchen! I made this salad the first time and it was soooo good. I didn’t have cilantro or green onions and it still tasted yummy. Then I made it again (with the cilantro and green onions this time) but with some substitutions for dietary restrictions – swapped the quinoa for rice and used GF soy sauce. My friend has since made it for her family and swapped shredded brussel sprouts in place of the cabbage since that’s what she had on hand. I’ll be keeping this in the regular rotation!
Perfect!! So glad you loved it!
I love this recipe, it is easy to make and it is so good. I didn’t modify it in anyway, but I may add grilled chicken next time just to add some more protein. I have made quite a few recipes from this site and so far I love them all. Thank you so much!
So glad you love it! And great idea with grilled chicken – that would be delicious.
So good! I could eat this sauce on everything. Perfect balance of flavors. Thank you!
Isn’t it amazing?? My fav. Glad you loved it!
how long in advance can I make this?
Feel free to make this 1 day ahead if you’d like! If you’re meal prepping, it will stay good for about 4-5 days.
One of the best recipe’s on the internet, very good. Haven’t made this in a long time and still can’t believe how amazing this is. Very easy to put together and tastes fantastic. I like to meal prep this, servings size is very generous too!
So happy you love this one! One of my favorite lunches, too, and great for meal prep.
I just made this. It is amazing. My entire family loved it even my picky youngest. My oldest son said he could eat the entire bowl for dinner.
Love that! One of my absolute favorite salads. I’m so glad everyone loved it!
Damn, this salad is SO GOOD! I finally found my go to meal prep salad! And it’s beautiful too!
Amazing! I’m so glad you found this one 🙂
Very tasty and easy to make! I love thé crunchiness and mixed of flavours! Definitely a keeper!
Absolutely! One of my all-time favs 🙂
Delicious! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Absolutely delicious, I’ve made this twice now in the last week, once at home and my husband loved and then for a work function when we had to bring in a dish.
So tasty and everyone that tried it said the same.
Amazing! I’m so glad everyone loved this one. One of my all time favorite salads!
Excellent recipe, very easy and super tasty.
Glad you enjoyed!
I was blown away by the flavor and texture combination in this recipe! Super easy to make (especially if you buy pre-shredded cabbage and carrots) and keeps well in the fridge. This would be an awesome potluck dish. Who needs Sweetgreen when you can have this!
Absolutely! So glad you loved this one! Much cheaper than sweetgreen too 😉
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this, but it’s fantastic. I always add Chickpeas for protein and to make it a one bowl meal. I’ve also made the dressing countless times for other things like Poke bowls, salad rolls, salads, and wraps.
Delicious! Great idea to use the dressing on other things, too 🙂 glad you love this one!
Lovely, crunchy salad. I made this with some leftover purple cabbage and Trader Joe’s miso-carrot-ginger dressing. Definitely recommend.
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
Does this do well in the fridge for a few days with the dressing mixed in?
Yes it will be delicious!
This is really good! Just started vegan diet and couldn’t stop eating this !
So glad you found this recipe! Check out my other vegan recipes here 🙂 https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/vegan-recipes/
This is BOMB. I need to double up the dressing recipe next time though because it is soooo good. I added edamame for some extra protein. Thanks Monique, this is the perfect lunch meal prep recipe.
Love that! Great idea to add some edamame 🙂
I made this recipe during the CO-VID isolation, so I had to modify with ingredients that I had on hand. Besides the sauce and the quinoa, I also used carrots, cashews, edamame, chickpeas, and I added chicken. It was still delicious! Can’t wait to taste it with cilantro, lime, and green onion. I’m thinking that it will take this dish to the next level. I also used aminos instead of soy sauce to cut back on sodium, but it just doesn’t have the flavor that soy sauce does. Also, I will thin the sauce more next time. Thank you for the tasty recipe!
This one’s great for customizing! So glad you enjoyed.
Hi Monique,
I just wanted to comment and let you know that I loved your Thai recipe. I’ve featured it on my ‘antioxidant challenge recipe roundup’ list for red cabbage. This is the link: https://www.happierwithtea.com/index.php/2020/02/13/antioxidant-challenge-recipe-roundup-36-recipes/?preview_id=769&preview_nonce=35bedcd9c2&preview=true&_thumbnail_id=783
Thank you so much!
Hi Freya! Thanks for linking!
I made this recipe with regular cabbage, slivered almonds, and without bell peppers, it tasted great! It’s also a great recipe for lunchs because the cabbage really soaks up flavour overnight in the fridge, but the nuts do get slightly soggy.
Delicious! Such a great lunch.
Thank you for posting this
You bet!
The best salad!!! So delicious! I’ll definitely make it again. Thank you!
I’m glad you loved it! One of my favs, too 🙂
I love these recipes! Had some pickled red onions and cooked salmon that we added. So many ways to change this based on what you have on hand. Perfect for quarantine dinner!
That sounds delicious! This one’s perfect for customizing 🙂
I was wondering if I could buy peanut sauce instead of making the sauce. Would that work?
Sure! 🙂
WOW! I am so glad we found this recipe on Pinterest. We’ve been trying to spice up our vegan salad options and this is SO yum! I added sauteed mushrooms because we can’t live without them and tomorrow I’m thinking I’ll add some broccoli because we LOVE the crunch. Seriously thank you for sharing this WE LOVE!
Amazing! So happy you found this one too 🙂 one of my fall time favorites (and those additions sound delicious!)
Hi! I’m looking forward to making this recipe. Just curious if you know the sodium content? Thanks!
Hi! I actually don’t calculate sodium content as it can depend on the brand of ingredients used, salt addition preferences, etc.
I’ve made this twice now and it’s so delicious! Both times I have doubled the recipe to be able to share with friends. Everyone had enjoyed it!
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
Question: Do you have a good suggestion to make this nut-free, but still have a dressing? A good substitute? Can’t do peanuts, cashews, almonds, or walnuts. We can do pecans, pistachios, pine nuts, flax seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, and Brazil nuts, though. Not sure if any would be a good sub. :/
Try a sunflower seed butter or tahini (from sesame seeds)!
I eat a salad pretty much every day for lunch, and have for years. I’m an AK follower, so I don’t know how I just came across this salad now! I truly think it the best salad I have ever had. I will make this over and over again!
I’m so happy you found this one! Truly an AK staple 🙂
Just made this salad and could sit down and eat the whole bowl. Love it!! Had to make a couple changes. I made it for lunches at work and I work in the public and don’t like onion on my breath. So added an extra pepper. Didn’t know I was out of carrots so increased the cabbage. And I put in a large portion of edamame. I hope this lasts me the week but it might not. Awesome recipe. Thanks for sharing. Oh I can’t eat cilantro so left it out.
Perfect! This one’s great for customizing with veggies you have on-hand 🙂 glad you loved it!
I made this as is and also with farro instead of quinoa, which I liked a tad more as it has a bit more bite! Great flavors though!
Love that idea! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Delicious! I found this online today and made it for lunch. The only thing I didn’t add was the cabbage (only because we don’t have any in our fridge just now). It was a fabulous lunch, my husband ate extra helpings he liked it so much. Great with the added edamame.
Definitely adding this to my favorites, thank you.
Hands down the greatest recipe find of 2020! I typically double or triple this when I make it because it’s so good, better the second and third day after soaking in the dressing, and perfect for easy, healthy and tasty lunches during a busy workweek. I always make more dressing than called for by ratio because I think it’s dry otherwise (and it’s that good), and I add a lot of red pepper flakes for more kick. I also use almond butter instead of peanut butter and that’s a delicious swap.
Amazing! So happy you found (and loved) this one 🙂 one of my fav lunches!
This is a winner. I made it as-written, except I used agave instead of honey, and low-sodium soy instead of gluten-free. And I did add the chickpeas. I meal prepped it and made 8 servings.
My only improvement would be to increase the calorie count; 260 isn’t enough. I added some thai-inspired tofu to get it to about 400/serving
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed. And yes this one’s great for customizing based on your needs!
I just made this and this salad is craaaaazy delicious. So crunchy and satisfying. I wouldn’t change a thing (kept the lime & edemame) and will definitely be making it again…and again. Thank you soooo much!
Isn’t it amazing?? So glad you loved it!
I love this! I am a heavy seasoning, heavy sauce individual, so I did add extra sauce, but the combination of flavors was perfect. I will definitely make this again.
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
This was a keeper!
Glad you liked it!
This mango guinoa recipe is so awesome . I’m a divorced man who wants to eat healthy and simple, This recipe fit the bill oh did I forget delicious. Thank you so much.
I’m so glad you found this one! Such a great lunch or dinner.
Amazing recipe! Could eat this salad all week!
So glad you love it!
I didn’t have all the ingredients mentioned (no red wine vinegar so used white wine vinegar) and used salad leaves and roasted red peppers for main ingredients with left over chicken. Amazing. Def doing this again and can’t finish the meal (which is unheard of!!!)
This is a meal prep staple in our house. We make it at least once a month! My only suggestion is that you use a runny, natural peanut butter!
This salad has been a meal prep staple for me for the past two years, and I am still obsessed with it. It is so easy to make and the ginger peanut dressing is absolutely amazing.
One of my favorites. I look forward to make it when the weather (in New England) gets warmer. Fresh, light, colorful, crunchy. I like to add some marinated tofu for a delicious work lunch that lasts me days!
One of my favorite meal prep lunches! It is a little strong on the red onion for my personal taste, so I cut them super small and add less.
Perfect! This one’s great for customizing 🙂
OMG this recipe is amazing and soooo addicting. Just made it for lunch and ate a bunch, will have the rest tomorrow.
Love it! Glad you enjoyed!
So good! I could eat this every day!
One of my favs, too!
This recipe was awesome!! The two tsp of ginger scared me so I used one and it was fine! Definitely going for the full two tsp next time! We were also out of quinoa so I used udon noodles!! It was delicious and got the thumbs up from me vegan hubby! 🙂 can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
It sounds like a lot but really brightens the salad! Glad you loved it 🙂
My 10 month old had just the quinoa and dressing and he couldn’t get it into his mouth fast enough. Husband loved how crunchy it was. I added some baked tofu as well and it was great!
Love that! Such a great dinner!
I just made this and it is fantastic! I cooked the quinoa in the Instant Pot 1:1 ratio of chicken broth/quinoa 1 minute hight pressure and slow release for 10-12 minutes. Perfect every time & easy peasy. My whole family was very impressed by this salad and I love that it is gluten free! Thanks for sharing.
Perfect! Love it!
Love this recipe, I make it at least once a month!! I use peanuts, and lots of cabbage, and use either red or green cabbage depending on what I have on hand, always amazing!
So happy to hear that! One of my all time favs, too 🙂
This is one of our favorite salads. The dressing is to die for!!! So yummy
So glad you love it!!
This was delicious! My family loved it! It will be a keeper!
Woohoo! Glad to hear you guys enjoyed it 🙂
Really great recipe! I modified with kale instead of cabbage, apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar, and molasses instead of agave. SUPER DELICIOUS!
That all sounds delicious, glad you loved it!!
No doubt it will healthy but yummy too. Thanks for sharing this!
These all look filling and healthy
Yes! Hope you can try it soon 🙂
This was delicious! I used almond butter, coconut aminos, maple syrup because that’s what I had. I added hot peppers and red onion for a kick. Delicious the next day for lunch! Edamame and quinoa provide a ton a protein and fiber which kept me full. I topped it with avocado because why not!
Those are great subs, so glad that you loved it!!
Amazing recipe! My husband loved it. I added grilled chicken breast!
Yay!! So happy you guys loved it. Great idea to add some extra protein 🙂
Delicious and fresh! Such a nice, light summer meal.
So glad to hear you loved it, Kat 🙂
Another excellent Ambitious Kitchen recipe. I’ve never made one I didn’t like. Or that went to waste! There are hardly ever leftovers!
This is a very light salad. I served chilled – great for summer. I added the edamame. I used all of the delicious peanut sauce. Also, I didn’t have red cabbage so I just used the slaw from a slaw kit.
Aw you’re the best ❤️ So happy you loved it!
This has fast become my favorite quinoa salad recipe of all time. It’s super tasty and full of flavors, despite not adding any additional salt, and has a nice crunch to it. It’s also very easy to make. I’ve made it for multiple people and have had nothing but love!
SO DELICIOUS! The peanut dressing is *chef’s kiss* amazing. Simple to make and great for meal prep!
This is my third week in a row making this delicious recipe for my meal prep lunches and I just can’t get enough. Filling and fresh with great flavors for summer!
AK does it again! Absolutely delicious salad. I added a little ground turkey for an extra protein punch. Great lunch that keeps me full through dinner.
Yay!! So happy you loved it 🙂 Great idea to add ground turkey, too.
Made this tonight; it’s delicious! (All your recipes are delicious). My super food-snobby husband kept exclaiming how good it was too. Thank you for sharing your amazing talent and making our lives tastier!
Omg AMAZING, happy this one won him over haha! Thanks so much for the review ❤️
Great recipe!
Thank you! I’m so happy you loved it 🙂
Wow this delicious meal ,wow its yummy
OMG this was AMAZING!! The sauce was on point. Loved everything about it and meal was prepped enough for few more lunches. I was o the search for a gluten-free healthy lunch and found your site.
I made this and it came out amazing! I added some cucumbers because I had some to use up, but otherwise followed the recipe. The dressing was so good it almost didn’t make it onto the salad! I will henceforth be using it on everything!
Woohooo! SO happy you loved it, Jen. Great call on adding the cucumber 🙂
I started eating healthy. i love this recipe thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, so glad you love it!
Oh my gosh this is so , must refer this. to my sister
This is an amazing recipe!! I have made it sooo many times over the last few years. Never substituted, followers to the letter and it’s divine.
I’m just whipping up a batch today and I forget what you recommend with freezing. It’s for a party in a week’s time, so probably won’t last fresh till then. Please advise re freezing.
Much love to you, culinary superstar!! ⭐ Xx
I’m so happy you love it, Zoe! Thanks for leaving a review 🥰 I wouldn’t actually recommend freezing this one because the veggies won’t hold up well, sorry!
This is so unbelievably tasty, I’m greedy so I made this into 4 portions. I put 3/4 of the sauce mix into the quinoa and then saved 1/4 and made it a thin dressing for on top! I fully recommend, I’m not usually a massive fan of peanut butter but I can’t get enough of this. It lasts me 4 lunches over 4 days and gets tastier every day!
Ahh I’m so happy you loved this one YAY! Totally agree that it just keeps getting better over time 🙂
Does this keep well?
Yes, very well! I actually think the flavors get even better as they sit 🙂 Should be good in the fridge for 3-5 days.
This is one of the best meals!! So healthy and delicious. I added celery and snap peas which added a nice crunch! SO GOOD!
Oh Monique! You did it again!!! This salad is fabulous! Fresh, crunchy, and super flavorful! I threw on some baked tofu, for a bit of protein, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly! It was so good for dinner last night, but even better today, for lunch! My 2 year old couldn’t get enough of the “peanut buttery quinoa.”
AMAZING!!!
This is a beautiful salad and I’m making it as a celebration of Spring and healthy eating. I love how colorful it is! My sister is a vegetarian and loves Thai food and my daughter loves Thai as well. I doubled the dressing because I could tell that it was going to be super delicious!!! And it is! I steamed frozen edamame in the bag and added salt, pepper and lime zest to it before tossing it in the salad. It adds protein and a beautiful green color. I had to leave out red onion so the hubby would eat it. I have plenty of chopped green onion to serve on the side. Will top with more of that yummy dressing, honey roasted peanuts and lime when serving. Thanks for the fab recipe!
Delicious! We added chicken to it to make it a main dish. I used almond butter since my kids are allergic to peanut butter.
Yay!! Glad you loved it. I bet almond butter + chicken would be delicious in here 🙂
Nice One. 100% informative
i love your blog alot.
Thank you very much for this recipe, it has saves me time and i really had a good taste
Made this twice now, 1st time with edamame and kale instead of cabbage, 2nd time with chickpeas and cabbage.
Loved both version
Thank you
Another winner! The store was out of cabbage, so I used broccoli slaw instead. That made for a great sub, and it was so fresh and crunchy. Flavorful and makes great leftovers!
good for lunch . thanks
Your cooking is very good
thanks
This is an incredible recipe. We added the edamame and chickpeas and I used a quinoa/bulgur mix because that’s what I had on hand. Absolutely delicious! Will make again for sure!
This salad is so flavorful and easy to throw together! I made this last night for dinner and it was so good my whole family enjoyed it. Then next day..EVEN BETTER!! It’s a great salad if you meal prep as well.
Wow this is yummy , I think I need to show this to my sister in cape Town ?
Wow, i learnt alot from here, thank you ambitious kitchen
Made this today and loved it, sooo good..
Thank You for The recipe, I will Try and Make it today. Love Your Blog.
Absolutely!
Delicious vegan and easily gluten-free salad with Thai flavors and a perfect crunch. It’s even better the next day
SO glad you are loving this recipe!
Wow, useful content, I love this so much
Wow, I love this content ❤️
I have not tried this recipe yet, bit it looks delicious. I appreciate you post nutrition information, but it would be helpful for many people watching their sodium intake to know how much sodium is in a serving. That way the soy sauce can be altered. Thank you.
I absolutely loved this recipe. This one is definitely going into my regular recipe shuffle. My husband thought it would be good with fish or chicken tacos. Thank you!
Absolutely! So excited that you are both loving this recipe 🙂
teaspoons freshly grated ginger
Nice post so far Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado, Goat Cheese & Hot Honey Vinaigrette. Yummy
This appears to be so lovely! Next week, I’ll be visiting Tobago in the Caribbean, and reading this post has somehow made me even more eager for the trip! Just the sunshine, warmth, and the clear ocean! I would love to go to Curacao someday because it is so gorgeous!
Hello, have a good day
I came here last week through Google and saved it here. Now I looked more carefully. It was very useful for me – thank you
Another AK winner… a well developed recipe with a lot room for customization. The dressing has a great flavor profile and salad has a vibrant color to boot. I didn’t have green onion or edamame beans but it was still delish… the only sub I did was on the extra teaspoon of oil I added toasted sesame oil which gave a nice richness to the dressing. Keep them coming…xoxo
Eliane
So so good! I had a half of head of cabbage leftover from the healthy coleslaw recipe that I used on this. I’m curious if I should mix it all together to eat leftover or leave the veggies separate? I added a little sriracha to the dressing too! So good! As always!
This dish is delicious, I will save this recipe and make a good meal for my family
A great dish full of fiber with vegetables, low in protein but still nutritious. I love it, thanks.
Thank you for this recipe! I liked it, but it was not wow for me! I used maple syrup instead of honey and perhaps that gave it another flavor. But I will definitley try it again! I love new recipes without gluten and lactose!
After seeing this recipe several times, I finally made it. What was I waiting for?? This is so delicious! I love the consistency of the salad and the flavor of the dressing. Delicious! If you’re thinking of making this, don’t delay like I did. You’ll love it!
This was a wonderful and flavorful dinner! I added edamame and chick peas for protein. Since I don’t eat any oils for health reasons I left it out of the dressing and it was still excellent! I also added cucumber and it added even more crunch, which is always good! Very delicious!
Great Dish
This salad is everything! So darn good….very flavorful and guilt free. I added the optional edamame and added crushed red peppers to the dressing to bring some heat. The store was out of red cabbage so I bought a bag of coleslaw mix and just used that…otherwise I followed the recipe. Will see how the leftovers hold up for lunch the rest of the week, but I will definitely make this again.
Perfect! So glad you are enjoying this recipe 🙂
This Thai-inspired quinoa salad looks so delicious! I love how customizable it is, and the creamy peanut ginger dressing sounds amazing. I can’t wait to try it out for meal prep or even bring it to a party as a crowd-pleaser. Yum!
Perfect! SO glad you are enjoying this recipe!
Delicious crunchy quinoa salad that was easy to assemble. Thanks for sharing!
This is SO delicious and easy to make! I added chickpeas for more protein. Chef’s kiss! All your recipes are so bomb Monique!
Ah, thank you so much! SO glad you’re loving this salad ❤️
Ugh cilantro! Is there anything I could substitute for that? It looks so good but I really hate cilantro or parsley because they both taste the same to me.
This dish was incredible! I added chick peas to give it more protein and crunch. Doubled the sauce and mixed half in with the quinoa/veggies and used the rest to drizzle on top of each bowl. I also sauteed the red onion before adding, only because raw red onion can be a little strong for me. I will be making this again and again!!
YUM! SO glad you are loving this salad ❤️
Did this recipe originally use rice noodles? I remember using it in the past but I could have sworn it was a coold noodle salad recipe not a quinoa salad recipe. Either way it is wonderful. I am glad to be bringing it back into rotation as summer rolls around the corner.
Did this recipe originally use rice noodles? I remember using it in the past but I could have sworn it was a coold noodle salad recipe not a quinoa salad recipe. Either way it is wonderful. I am glad to be bringing it back into rotation as summer rolls around the corner.
Nope, I don’t have a Thai-inspired recipe with noodles. But I am glad you are enjoying this version!
this is one of my all time favorite meal prep recipes. ive made it so many time si have the grocery list and recipe memorized. the only modification i do is add chili paste or chili oil to the dressing just to add a little spice 🙂
Yum! Sounds delicious, glad you’re loving this recipe, it’s such a great meal prep option!
I just made this and I am letting it chill a little before I eat it. I used a broccoli slaw in place of the cabbage and carrots and added a little sweet chili sauce to the dressing. Sample bite was delicious.
Sounds absolutely amazing! Glad you are enjoying it, bet it was even better after it has been chilled 😍
Absolutely delicious! I divided it into 5 containers for my work lunches. Perfect! I shared the link on my FB page and a friend made it the next day, using cauliflower rice instead of the quinoa. She loved it! I’m going to try that next time to add more veggies and reduce calories. I am loving your website and look forward to making more of your recipes!!
Aw thank you! I am so glad you are loving this salad and thank you for sharing the tip about the cauli rice, glad it works with that as well!
Really so flavorful and satisfying… WOW! We added edamame, and a bit more ginger. My high school-aged daughters and my husband, and I LOVE this!! Thanks for sharing!!
YUM! So glad this recipe is a hit for the whole family ❤️
So good! The lime and the cashews add a lot so I recommend adding them!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
My brother-in-law game me a five pound cabbage last night. I immediately searched for cabbage recipes. This one popped up and I knew I had to try it. Not only is it beautiful but absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing this!
You found the perfect recipe! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
So delicious, especially the dressing! Hard to get red cabbage at the moment. I did use bell pepper instead. Next time I’ll add some pomegranate or cucumber. Certainly I’ll prepare it more often. Thanks so much for sharing!
Perfect! This one’s great for customizing with most ingredients you have on hand. Glad you liked it!
Delicious – and so colorful!! Served with grilled chicken for a fabulous & easy dinner. Website wouldn’t let me do five stars or I would have!
Ah thank you so much – glad you are loving this salad ❤️
I had company with many different dietary choices visiting at the same time, One a vegan, one a vegetarian, one a carnivore and two who wouldn’t eat Mexican, Asian or Indian foods. One wouldnt eat casseroles but liked salads., I made this salad and they all loved it.!!, For the d the recipe in half and added used chickpeas, For the rest of us I added chicken breast. It was a major hit. I have since taken it to a pot luck with the same success. It is definitely a great summer picnic recipe to make because there is no mayo to spoil in the heat.
THANK YOU
YUM! I am so glad this recipe was a hit for everyone, Sharon! Thanks for giving it a try and sharing it with your company ❤️
nice meal
Made this tonight! It was fantastic – served it with grilled boneless skinless chicken breast sliced on top! Will definitely make it again- my wife gave me a 10 out of 10 for it!
Amazing! Sounds like the perfect dinner!
It Amazing Love It
im sure they are tasty
I quadrupled the dressing recipe because I like it saucy! Also I added cayenne to the dressing to give it a little kick – but Sriracha would work well too! Made the red onion and cilantro on the side to spare my husband who detests both! Love it – like spring rolls without the rice paper!
YUM! SO glad you’re loving this recipe and it turned out great for you, Sienna!
This recipe was a total win at my house! The flavors are excellent, and the texture combos perfection.
I used a little extra cooked quinoa and tossed my veggies in the juice of 1/2 lime before adding in the quinoa. I also used roasted, salted cashews that were already halved/chopped. The edamame was a wonderful addition as well.
But the sauce…it’s so delicious! The fresh ginger really makes this dish shine, so I definitely recommend taking the extra few minutes to peel and grate it instead of using bottled or paste versions.
Thanks so much for this recipe!
WOO! This is the best, Stephanie. I am SO glad everyone is love this salad and it turned out great for you! ❤️ Thanks for coming back and sharing your comment, I really appreciate it!
Its a great content you shared here, thanks
Are the cashews raw or roasted?
Great recipe for lunches!
I made this as written and added a can of chickpeas. The dressing is absolutely delicious and I will be putting this into my regular rotation. It stores well and I took it to work in my lunch for the two days after making it without a change in taste or texture.
DELISH! Glad you gave this one a try and it turned out amazing for you 🙂
This recipe was amazing!!! Such a hit at a dinner party we had – everyone loved it. Such great flavor. Love how many veggies are in it and the colors are beautiful. I had a sweet potato I needed to use and threw that in too. The cabbage crunch is amazing. Going to add this into our weekly rotation.
Thanks for sharing!
Ahh this is so great, Marie. Glad this recipe was a hit for everyone!
The peanut sauce is delicious! And I love how its filled with veggies.
YAY! I am SO glad you are loving this salad and it turned out great for you, Georgia!
Extremely tasty. My husband even had seconds and he never has seconds of salad.
YAY! SO glad this recipe is a hit, Louise!
This is the best salad I’ve made in a LONG time! I made a double batch of dressing because I LOVE peanut dressing so much! I have lunches prepped for an entire week! Serving with seasoned braised chicken breast.
Aww this is so great, Kelly. Glad you are loving this salad and its a hit for you. Seriously the best meal prep!
Easy to make and delicious!
One of my fav salads, too!
Such an amazing recipe! Make it once a week! Even my toddler loves it. The flavor is so good. I do make extra dressing cause it’s so good. Goes great with shrimp or crispy tofu! Yummmm! Thank you, Monique!! 🙏🙏🙏
So happy to hear that! LOVE the idea of serving with shrimp or tofu 🙂
Delicious! Flavor, texture on point. Lime really amps the flavor up. Perfect for work lunches.
Absolutely! One of our fav salads 🙂
This was delicious. Trust me, it tastes better the next day and even an hour later.
Absolutely! It gets even better as the dressing marinates 🙂
Every time I make a peanut sauce, it usually isn’t so good. Always feels like it’s missing something. However, this one was amazing. I used toasted sesame oil and it added so much flavour. Just waiting for my quinoa to cool so I can mix all this goodness together. I’ve never been disappointed by any of your recipes so far. Thank you. 😊
So glad you gave this one a try! One of my all-time favs 🙂
This was so yummy and perfect for lunch meal prep for the week! All I had on hand were pistachios and used those instead of cashews and still tasted great
Love it! This one’s great for customizing.
So fresh and full of flavor. Followed recipe exactly. Even better the next day.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
Holy delicious!!! I was looking for a yummy salad to eat on hot summer day and this blew me away! I omitted red onions but otherwise followed exactly as suggested. SO FREAKING GOOD!!
So glad you loved this one!
5/5
Glad you enjoyed!
This salad is super tasty, crunchy and satisfying! I love the edamame in it for a little bit more protein.
One of my all-time favs!
I would like to try adding edamame to this. Do you recommend cooking it first?
This salad is so good! The dressing is the star of the show! So nourishing and lots of crunch. I added chickpeas for extra protein.
The best! So happy to hear that 🙂
Famous Crunchy Cashew Thai-Inspired Quinoa Salad
For this recipe, I see that the total carb per serving is 27.7 grams, but what’s the serving size?
I’m asking because I have a Type 1 Diabetic in my family and need the info to dose their insulin.
Thank you in advance 🙂
Hi! This recipe serves 6 so I’d recommend dividing it up into 6 portions 🙂 perfect way to meal prep!