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This easy crunchy peanut salad (peanut slaw) combines fresh, crunchy veggies with a creamy, tangy, sweet, savory peanut dressing in just 10 minutes—perfect for pairing with a plant protein and enjoying as a main or side dish at picnics, potlucks, BBQs, or a mid-week meal!
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Fresh and Creamy Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing
This Thai-inspired cabbage salad is closer to a slaw like this vegan coleslaw, than a traditional salad, with a combination of shredded crunchy vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, and carrot. The difference is that it’s doused in a super creamy peanut butter dressing for a crisp, flavorful, filling, nutritious, and satisfying Thai crunch salad.
When combined, all the ingredients make for a salad full of flavor, color, and texture, along with tons of fiber, plant-based protein, antioxidants, and several vitamins and minerals in every bite. So enjoy it as a light dinner tonight and save the leftovers for lunch tomorrow—you won’t regret it.
Have any leftover peanut sauce? It’s ready to make almost any dish 100x better. Pour it over buddha bowls, noodles, other salads, tofu, and more! Why not also try more flavor-packed salads, like lemon-garlic Mediterranean quinoa salad, mixed bean salad, or roasted sweet potato salad.
The Ingredients
Just 10 frugal yet nutrient-dense ingredients are all you need to pull together this peanut salad recipe.
You could use pre-packaged bagged coleslaw mix to save time, but the Thai peanut slaw won’t be as fresh or crunchy.
You’ll also need some water to achieve the correct dressing consistency.
Optional Add-Ins
- Noodles: A cold peanut noodle salad is one of the most popular variations. You can use any of your favorite noodles, like thin or flat rice noodles, soba noodles, etc.
- Quinoa: Instead of noodles, adding quinoa (check out this guide to quinoa) is another popular option and helps to add extra fiber and plant-based protein. Millet would also work.
- Avocado: For more heart-healthy fats and creaminess.
- Other veg: You can experiment with many crunchy veggies, like thinly sliced bell peppers, cucumber, or sugar snap peas, and shredded Brussels sprouts or broccoli.
- Mango: Thinly sliced to add juicy sweetness to the Thai cabbage salad.
- Lime slices: To serve with the Asian peanut slaw for added brightness.
- Chili: Use minced red chili/ jalapeño (remove stem and seeds first) to add heat to the Thai peanut salad. Alternatively, add red pepper flakes or sriracha to the dressing.
- Sesame oil: Add a small amount to the dressing for a toasty, nutty depth.
- Fried shallots: To garnish for crunch.
How to Make Thai Peanut Salad?
Step 1: Mince the garlic and ginger, combine all the Thai peanut dressing ingredients in a small bowl, whisk until smooth and creamy, and set aside.
Step 2: Meanwhile, prepare all the salad ingredients by shredding the lettuce, cabbage, and carrots and transferring them to a large bowl with cilantro and the plant protein of your choice. Then, toss the Thai cabbage salad with the dressing, then serve, optionally sprinkling the salad with chopped peanuts to garnish. Enjoy!
Alternatively, add everything to a mini food processor/blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Start with a little water and increase until it reaches a good salad dressing consistency.
It’s best to only add the dressing just before serving for the crunchiest peanut coleslaw/ salad.
FAQs
First, remove any wilting outer leaves, cut the cabbage in half, and cut out the tough core using a V-shaped cut. Then, cut the two cabbage halves into half again and use a long, sharp knife, food processor shredding disk, or a mandoline to slice it as thin/thick as needed.
Though the flavor won’t be the same, you can use almond butter and chopped almonds for a peanut-free Thai crunch salad. As a bonus, this version is also paleo-friendly. For a nut-free version, try sunflower seed butter.
Recipe Notes
- For a well-balanced meal: Make sure to include an added plant protein. For a heartier meal with carbs, also add noodles or quinoa.
- To save time: Use pre-shredded ingredients or use a food processor shredding disk to get the job done in practically seconds.
- Allow it to marinate: We recommend preparing the dressing in advance to allow the flavors to meld. An hour is great, but overnight is even better.
- Tweak to taste: You can adjust any of the peanut dressing ingredients to taste.
Serving Recommendations
This peanut salad makes for a hearty and well-balanced meal already. However, you can also serve it in smaller portions, like a peanut slaw, or as a side alongside:
- Picnic or BBQ-like vegan skewers, kabobs, burgers, and vegan hotdogs
- Tacos like these cauliflower tacos for a Thai-Mexican fusion
- Salad bowls, buddha bowls, etc.
- Wraps like these chickpea BBQ wraps and sandwiches like these vegan pulled pork sandwiches
- Baked potatoes
- Vegan steak—like cauliflower steaks or vegan mushroom steak
- Quick Thai curry
- Easy lemon basil tofu
Storage Instructions
If you’d like to prepare this Thai cabbage peanut salad in advance, you can prepare the vegetables and peanut sauce separately and store them in airtight containers in the fridge for 2-3 days in advance.
Thai peanut salad dressing tastes best when left to meld for at least an hour, but overnight is even better and will last up to 5 days in the fridge.
Once fully assembled, it’s best to enjoy it immediately. However, any leftovers will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, softening over time.
We don’t recommend freezing this crunchy Thai peanut salad because of all the fresh vegetables.
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Crunchy Thai Peanut Salad
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Video
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup of water
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon of minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
- 2 ½ teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of agave or brown sugar or maple syrup
- 2 cups of shredded romaine lettuce
- 2 cups of shredded purple cabbage
- 2 carrots, grated
- ½ cup of chopped cilantro
- Chopped peanuts, optional for garnish
- Plant-based protein of your choice (we used edamame in the photo), optional
Instructions
- In a standard bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, water, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and sweetener, until thoroughly combined.
- In a large bowl, add the romaine, cabbage, carrots, and cilantro.
- Pour in the dressing and toss together. Sprinkle on the peanuts and plant-based protein, if using.
Notes
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- Here’s the grocery list to add to your cart.
- For a well-balanced meal: Make sure to include an added plant protein. For a heartier meal with carbs, also add noodles or quinoa.
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- To save time: Use pre-shredded ingredients or use a food processor shredding disk to get the job done in practically seconds.
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- Allow it to marinate: We recommend preparing the dressing in advance to allow the flavors to meld. An hour is great, but overnight is even better.
Easy and delicious! I added cucumber, orange bell pepper and chickpeas. Next time I’m going to add wonton strips.
Love those additions! Thanks for sharing 🙂