This simple Thai Quinoa Salad is peppered with a rainbow of veggies and tossed in a creamy almond butter sauce! Tastes like pad thai, but in salad form!
After spending a few weeks in Thailand last fall, I came home with a new found obsession with all things Thai-flavored.
Visiting Thailand had always been a dream of mine. I'd always loved the food, but there was something about the culture that drew me there. The Buddhist way of life just resonates with me and I felt this intense pull to travel there. And so I hopped on a plane (all by myself!) and went.
I was lucky enough to spend about 8 days there and all my feelings were solidified. The country is inspiring, the people are warm and friendly and the food. Oh guys, the food. It's SO good. (if you want to read more about my trip, check out my travel recap!)
And while I can't necessarily bring you all with me to Thailand, I can certainly help bring those amazing flavors to life and perhaps transport you virtually to the Land of Smiles 🙂 So, on our menu today? This Almond Butter Thai Quinoa Salad.
It kind of reminds me of super healthy version of Pad Thai. Like a Pad Thai but in crunchy salad form.
The blend of vegetables gives the salad the perfect mixture of flavors and textures. The carrots and bell peppers bring a hint of sweetness, while the broccoli and cabbage add their brilliant earthy flavors, which is all balanced out with the brightness from the green onions. And then there’s the quinoa which makes the whole salad feel fluffy and light.
But what makes this salad distinctly Thai-inspired is the wonderful dressing. A typical Pad Thai dressing is made with many ingredients that I simply don’t use in my own kitchen anymore – fish sauce, refined sugar, processed peanut butter and soy sauce being a few of them.
So instead of the traditional route, I went for a clean eating version and made a simple dressing that boasts a ton of flavor and brings this whole salad to life. And since I know many of you have peanut allergies, I chose to make a creamy almond butter dressing instead.
Same great texture, and arguably even better nutty flavor!
The dressing uses just five ingredients, is healthy, and is gluten-free and vegan. It starts with a blend of creamy almond butter, toasted sesame oil and gluten-free tamari. Then for some acidity, I added in brown rice vinegar and lime juice. It’s creamy, nutty and just delicious!
And drizzled over this quinoa salad? Oh my. To die for.
So let’s take a little mental vacation, my friends and take ourselves to Thailand where soaking up the sun, riding elephants and eating this awesome quinoa salad is all we have to do each day. Sounds pretty perfect, doesn’t it?
If you make this recipe, make sure to snap a pic and share it on Instagram using #SIMPLYQUINOA – I want to see your own quinoa creations!
Almond Butter Thai Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup broccoli florets, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- 1 cup red bell pepper, julienned and cut into 2″ strips
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped (optional)
- Dressing
- 1/4 cup creamy almond butter (or peanut butter
- 1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari
- 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 – 3 tablespoons water (to thin the dressing)
Instructions
- Add all the salad ingredients into a large bowl, minus the broccoli and dressing.
- If desired, gently steam the broccoli for 2 minutes (or 40 seconds in the microwave) and transfer to the salad bowl. Toss ingredients together to combine. (<-- this step is optional, you can also just eat it raw!)
- Drizzle dressing over salad and toss again until everything is incorporated and evenly covered by the dressing.
- Serve immediately or store in fridge and serve when desired.
- Enjoy!
by Alyssa
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving Size | |
| Amount Per Serving | As Served |
| Calories 331kcal Calories from fat 132 | |
| % Daily Value | |
| Total Fat 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat 3g | 15% |
| Transfat 0g | |
| Sodium 286mg | 12% |
| Carbohydrate 42g | 14% |
| Dietary Fiber 7g | 28% |
| Sugars 6g | |
| Protein 12g | |
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:
| Calories | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | Less than | 65g |
| Sat Fat | Less than | 25g |
| Cholesterol | Less than | 300mg |
| Sodium | Less than | 2,400mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300g | |
| Dietary Fiber | 25g | |
New to cooking quinoa? Grab your FREE Quinoa Starter Guide!
Become part of the Simply Quinoa community and receive weekly emails with exclusive content that I only share in email, as well as my in-depth guide to starting your quinoa journey.
Alyssa is the quinoa-obsessed girl behind Simply Quinoa. She's passionate about helping you find health, happiness and balance with wholesome recipes and lifestyle tips.
YAY! Your blog is finally back up in my Bloglovin’ feed! And o I love thai flavors! And yes, the sweetness from the peppers and that light crunch and burst! So great! Plus I’m a sucker for the sesame and peanut flavors!
Oh my gosh, I wish we weren’t going out of town tomorrow. I would make a HUGE batch of this. Your Blog and recipes are so great. And I like your stories. Enjoy VT.
Fabulous!!! I haven’t made quinoa in awhile, I am definitely doing this.
Such few ingredients for such a gorgeous, tasty dish! And I love Pad Thai so if this has a similar flavor I know I’ll love it!
Such yummy ingredients! I love the color in this dish. It will certainlly make for a healthy and cooling side dish.
I seriously love recipes like this! They can easily be changed to suit whatever ingredients you have in the fridge. My husband does not like salad, but I bet I could convince him otherwise with this recipe!
Oh I totally agree, that’s the beauty of quinoa! And yes, I bet you could. Especially if you don’t call it a salad 🙂
Salad perfection! Looks amazing.
I love quinoa, I really need to experiment with it more! This salad is so visually appealing, I’m sure it’s delicious!
YuMMY!! This looks SO good! I am going to HAVE to get the ingredients to make this! Yum!
Let me know if you try it! You will not be disappointed 😉
This turned out amazing! Needed a simple cleansing meal and used up all my veg! Super good and the dressing….yumm! Thanks girl! Easy meal for a family, will probably add some cilantro next time!!!
Yay so glad you enjoyed it! The cilantro sounds like a really nice touch! xo
Amazing. So, so yummy!! I made one adjustment – used a spicy sesame/peppers oil (The Spread) instead of toasted sesame oil. A hint of heat. Absolutely delicious. Thank you!
YUMM! Sounds absolutely amazing!
I made a modified version of this tonight using the veggies I had in my frig( sautéed onions, peppers, mushroom and rainbow chard). It was delish. Loved the saice. Huge hit with the hubby.
Yummm! Sounds amazing!
Just made this! Oh my goodness, simply delicious! I added black beans for some additional protein and am using this as a main dish. Thank you!
Sounds delicious! I’m thrilled you enjoyed it 🙂
I absolutely love this salad. Would like to know know the nutritional value please.
Will update it now!
How long will this salad last? If I make it a day in advance, will it still be good?
Thanks!!
Dawn
Absolutely! It’s good for a few days 🙂
Hi Alyssa, I just wanted to share a variation of the dressing/salad.. it has become our fave here with my family 😄 I use only NON-GMO/Organic ingredients
3tbsp almond butter (I prefer fresh ground unsalted)
1tbs raw honey
2tsp toasted sesame oil
2tbsp Coco Aminos (delightful soy alternative)
1/4c Apple Cider Vinegar
1tbsp fresh grated Ginger
I mix all ingredients in a mason jar, let sit for at least 5mins before serving
We usually eat this with a raw cabbage salad; white and purple cabbage, grated/spiralized carrot, chopped celery, and lots of fresh cilantro.. I also like to throw in chopped romaine and red or yellow bell pepper
We love avocado and it tastes great w this salad too, along with sliced raw almonds.
My husband is a personal trainer and this has become a staple in our house. Most times I serve it with chicked marinated with a little avocado oil, lots of COCO Aminos, garlic, onion, pepper, Himalayan Pink salt, and red pepper flakes.. Perfection!
So healing and refreshing! Great detox salad too!
Sounds amazing! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂 xox