Easy Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad

This crunchy, flavorful, easy Thai peanut quinoa salad recipe is filled with a rainbow of veggies and tossed in a creamy peanut ginger dressing. This spicy Thai peanut quinoa salad is delicious cold, served as a salad or hot, and served as a warm quinoa bowl. It's perfect for lunch, dinner, potlucks, picnics, or parties.

Most of my food inspiration comes from eating out and discovering combinations of veggies and flavors I love. For example, this Thai peanut quinoa salad recipe can be made cold or hot and takes under 30 minutes to prepare. That's always a bonus!

Jump to:

• The Inspiration for the Best Thai Quinoa Salad
• Spicy Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad Ingredients
• Optional Ingredients
• Spicy Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad Ingredients
• Peanut Dressing for Salad Ingredients
• Peanut Dressing for Salad Ingredients Substitutions
• Vegan Peanut Salad Dressing Recipe Variations
• How to Make the Best Thai Peanut Salad
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Delicious Vegan Recipes Everyone Loves!
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

The Inspiration for the Best Thai Quinoa Salad

In Arizona, we are blessed with vegan food wherever we go. One of our favorite restaurants, Picazzo's, is a healthy Italian restaurant with a completely separate vegan menu. And the menu is HUGE! This is where I fell in love with their vegan spicy Thai quinoa bowl.

Of course, I made my version of my favorite spicy Thai peanut salad since they weren't sharing the recipe. However, I'm pretty good at eating anything and being able to dissect it with my tastebuds and create my twist on this delicious quinoa bowl.

Spicy Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad Ingredients

• Quinoa: I used tri-color quinoa, but any quinoa works well.
• Vegetable Broth: I used low-sodium vegetable broth to cook the quinoa to give it a richer taste.
• Broccoli: I love broccoli, but I don't care for raw broccoli, so if I eat the Thai quinoa salad cold, I still like it slightly cooked or cooked thoroughly when eating it warm.
• Red Cabbage: It always makes me laugh that red cabbage is purple. Regardless, red cabbage adds bright color and incredible texture to the quinoa bowl.
• Carrots: Shredded carrots add texture, sweetness, and color to the salad.
• Green Onions: I like green onions for this Thai peanut salad because they are light yet flavorful.
• Edamame: I used frozen shelled edamame that was frozen and thawed. However, many stores sell shelled edamame, also called mame, in packages in the produce section.
• English Peas: I bought fresh English peas at Trader Joe's, but frozen ones work well.
• Red Bell Peppers: Red bell peppers provide additional color and sweetness to the quinoa bowl

Optional Ingredients

• Peanuts: I used red skins and peanuts as a garnish to add more crunch to the quinoa salad.
• Cilantro: Cilantro is also used as a garnish, adding brightness and flavor to the bowl.

Spicy Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad Ingredients

• Choose another grain like farro or barley.
• Cook the quinoa in water instead of vegetable broth.
• If you don't like broccoli, add cauliflower instead.
• Red onions or yellow onions replace green onions. Or use spring onions.
• Use frozen peas instead of fresh peas.
• Skip the peanut garnish.
• Pick Thai basil instead of cilantro if you aren't a cilantro fan.

Peanut Dressing for Salad Ingredients

• Homemade Peanut Butter: Homemade peanut butter is made with peanuts pulsed in the food processor until it becomes peanut butter.
• Lime Juice: The lime juice gives the dressing a fresh citrus flavor.
• Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar adds acidity as well as sweetness.
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: I used low-sodium soy sauce because the peanut butter has sodium in it already.
• Pure Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is a natural way to add sweetness without adding sugar.
• Fresh Ginger Root: Fresh ginger root is savory, spicy, and sweet, and while ground ginger retains some of that pepper spice and sweetness, its flavor is much milder. If you seek out high-quality ground ginger, you might find the flavor more intense and reminiscent of fresh flavor.
• Red Pepper Flakes (Optional): Red pepper flakes add a little sass to the sauce. However, if you don't like spicy, skip it.
• Water: The water thins the dressing without including oil.

Peanut Dressing for Salad Ingredients Substitutions

• Instead of peanut butter, use almond butter (or your favorite peanut butter) or 4 Tablespoons of PBfit Peanut Butter Powder.
• Or, choose any creamy peanut butter brand you enjoy.
• If using jarred peanut butter with added sugar, do not use maple syrup; the peanut sauce will be too sweet.
• Try bottled lime juice if you don't have fresh limes available.
• Champagne vinegar is often used instead of rice vinegar.
• Use Tamari or liquid aminos instead of low-sodium soy sauce for a gluten-free option.
• A pinch of cayenne pepper substitutes red pepper flakes in this peanut sauce recipe.

Vegan Peanut Salad Dressing Recipe Variations

• If the dressing feels too thick, thin it with water until you reach your preferred consistency.
• To add a spicier kick to the Thai peanut dressing, add more red chili flakes to taste.
• Reduce the water to make this peanut Thai dressing a dip or spread. Also, please keep in mind it thickens in the refrigerator. 
• Use all-natural peanut butter with no added sugar for a healthy Thai dressing. 
• And, if you want a lower-fat dressing, use PBfit Peanut Butter Powder.

How to Make the Best Thai Peanut Salad

First, decide if you want a cold, raw quinoa salad or a warm, spicy Thai peanut quinoa salad.

Cold Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad Recipe

• Cook the quinoa in vegetable broth for 15 minutes covered.
• Allow the quinoa to cool completely.
• Fluff with a fork.
• Add the broccoli, shredded carrots, green onions and red bell peppers, red cabbage, cooked and cooled edamame, and peas to a bowl.
• If you like your broccoli cooked a little in a cold salad, boil it with the peas and edamame for 3 minutes.
• Now, add the cool quinoa.
• Make the Thai peanut dressing by combining the ingredients in a blender.
• Pour the drssing over the top of the salad ingredients.
• Toss to coat.
• Top with peanuts and cilantro for garnish.

Warm Spicy Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad Recipe

• Combine the vegetable broth and quinoa into a a sauce pan, and bring it to a bowl.
• Cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Leave covered with the heat off.
• In the meantime, heat a wok to medium-high heat.
• Add the green onions and cook for a minutes.
• Then, add the broccoli florets, and stir into the green onions.
• Cook until the broccoli starts to turn dark green.
• If using raw peas, add the peas to the wok. If using frozen peas, wait.
• Now, add red bell peppers, shredded carrots, shelled edamame, and peas if you use frozen peas.
• Stir until the red cabbage begins to wilt (3 minutes).
• Fluff the quinoa and add to the wok.
• Stir the quinoa into the vegetables.
• Pour the Thai peanut dressing over the cooked quinoa and vegetables.
• Garnish with peanuts and cilantro.
• Serve.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Steam, boil, or microwave frozen peas and edamame.
• For a lower-fat option, use homemade peanut butter or PBFit, a powdered peanut butter product.
• Do not add the peanut garnish until right before serving, and add to individual salad to avoid soggy peanuts.
• The Thai peanut quinoa salad can be served raw, partially cooked (broccoli), or warm, cooked in a wok.
• If you don't want to make Thai peanut dressing, buy a vegan bottle of peanut sauce at the grocery store for a shortcut.
• Instead of quinoa, try a vegan Thai noodle salad or vegan pad Thai, zoodle pad Thai.

Cold or warm, this spicy Thai peanut quinoa salad recipe is TO DIE FOR! It's simple and a 30-minute meal perfect for lunch, dinner, or a potluck.

Delicious Vegan Recipes Everyone Loves!

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