Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad

A fresh, flavour-packed Thai peanut quinoa salad made with fresh vegetables, quinoa, and a creamy peanut sauce. This healthy, meal prep-friendly salad is perfect for lunches or quick dinners and can be easily customized with your favourite protein or extra veggies.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Salad

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Author: Deryn Macey

Ingredients

For the Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa rinsed
2 cups water
2 cups red cabbage shredded or thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper diced
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup edamame
1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed (540 mL)
1 cup cilantro roughly chopped
3 green onions thinly sliced
⅓ cup peanuts
⅓ cup cashews
salt and pepper

For the Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup all-natural peanut butter 60 g
2 tbsp tamari 15 mL
1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
2 cloves garlic grated
1 tbsp rice vinegar 15 mL
2 tsp sesame oil 10 mL
1 tbsp maple syrup 15 mL
1-2 tsp sambal oelek or chili garlic paste optional, for heat
1 lime juiced
2-3 tbsp warm water
pinch of salt if needed

Instructions

Cook Quinoa and Edamame: To a medium pot, add quinoa and 2 cups water. Season with salt. Bring to a simmer over high. Once simmering, reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 min, until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat. lift lid and add edamame and then cover again. Set aside still covered while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
Make Peanut Sauce: Combine all ingredients for the peanut sauce in a small blender or mini food processor and blend until smooth. Start with 2 tbsp water, blend, then slowly add more water as needed to adjust the consistency. Taste and season with salt, if needed.
Toss Salad: To a large bowl, add cooked quinoa and edamame, cabbage, peppers, carrots, cilantro and green onions. Season with salt and pepper. Add about half of the nuts and half of the dressing, then stir until combined. Top each serving with more dressing and nuts.

Notes

Makes 6 approximately 1.5 heaping cup servings or 10 cups of salad in total.

If making ahead of time, it’s best to store the dressing separately and add it just before serving for the best flavour and texture. You can store it already mixed, but it will taste fresher and hold its texture better if you keep the sauce separate until ready to eat. If mixed, store 3-4 days in the fridge. Separately, the salad will keep 3-4 days and the dressing can be stored for 5 days.

Nutrition