Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing
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Inspired by California Pizza Kitchen’s recipe, this Thai crunch salad with peanut dressing always satisfies.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
This recipe was inspired by the popular Thai crunch salad served at California Pizza Kitchen. It’s made with crisp Napa cabbage, crunchy vegetables, and edamame, but it’s the creamy peanut dressing that makes it so good. I guarantee you’ll want to put it on everything! Serve this salad as a light lunch or pair it with grilled chicken or steak for a more substantial meal. It’s excellent with my honey, lime and sriracha chicken skewers. If you have a hankering for an Asian-inspired salad that is a meal in itself, this soba chicken noodle salad is totally satisfying and this Vietnamese shredded chicken salad uses rotisserie chicken so it’s a cinch to prepare).
This is one of those recipes with a long list of ingredients but don’t let that deter you; you can use many of the prepared vegetables available at the supermarket today, and the dressing is quickly puréed in a blender.
“This salad was such a big hit at dinner last night that my guest requested seconds. It’s so over-the-top delicious that it’s insane!”
What You’ll Need To Make Thai Crunch Salad With Peanut Dressing
What you’ll need to make the peanut dressing
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Provides the rich, nutty base essential for the dressing’s flavor and texture.
- Unseasoned Rice Vinegar: Adds tanginess and helps balance the richness of the peanut butter.
- Fresh Lime Juice: Introduces a zesty citrus note and a bit of tang, enhancing the overall freshness of the dressing.
- Vegetable Oil: Helps emulsify the ingredients and provides a smooth consistency.
- Soy Sauce: Contributes savory depth and a touch of umami flavor.
- Honey and Sugar: Sweeten the dressing, balancing out the acidity and saltiness.
- Garlic Cloves and Fresh Ginger: Infuse aromatic and pungent notes, adding complexity to the flavor profile.
- Salt: Enhances other flavors and helps balance the sweetness.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Provide a subtle heat and depth of flavor.
- Fresh Cilantro: Adds a bright, herbaceous flavor and a pop of color to the dressing.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
What you’ll need to make Thai crunch salad
- Chopped Napa Cabbage or Shredded Coleslaw Mix: Forms the base of the salad, providing crunch and freshness. (I like to toss in a little shredded red cabbage for color.)
- Shredded Carrots: Add sweetness and color, enhancing the visual appeal of the salad. Buying the bagged shredded carrots at the supermarket saves time!
- Red Bell Pepper: Contributes vibrant color and a crisp texture.
- English Cucumber: Also known as hothouse cucumbers, offer a refreshing and crunchy element to the salad.
- Cooked and Shelled Edamame: Provides plant-based protein, a subtle nutty flavor, and adds substance to the salad.
- Scallions: Impart a mild onion flavor and a pop of green color, enhancing the overall freshness.
- Fresh Cilantro: Adds a fragrant and herbaceous note, elevating the flavor profile of the salad.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by making the dressing. Simply combine all of the ingredients except for the cilantro in a blender and process until completely smooth. It’s best to roughly chop the garlic and ginger beforehand, as most blenders aren’t able to process large pieces.
Add the cilantro and process for a few seconds until the cilantro is finely chopped. (If you add it in the beginning, it will completely blend into the dressing and give it a greenish hue.)
It will look like this.
Next, make the salad. I typically use a blend of Napa cabbage, cucumbers, red bell peppers, shredded carrots, shredded purple cabbage and edamame, but you can use any crunchy vegetables that you like.
If you use cucumbers, be sure to remove the seeds, as they can make the salad watery.
Combine all of the vegetables in a bowl along with the chopped spring onions and cilantro, and toss to combine.
If you’re serving the salad right away, drizzle the peanut dressing overtop and toss; otherwise serve the dressing on the side so the salad doesn’t get soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! The dressing keeps nicely refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.
While you can make the dressing and prepare the veggies ahead (the veggies can be prepped up to 2 days in advance), wait until you’re ready to serve the salad to toss everything together.
Sure, you can use almond butter in place of peanut butter.
You can replace the cilantro with flat-leaf parsley. The salad and dressing will still be delicious!
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Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing
Inspired by California Pizza Kitchen’s recipe, this Thai crunch salad with peanut dressing always satisfies.
Ingredients
For the Thai Peanut Dressing
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2½ tablespoons sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1-inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped (see note)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
For the Salad
- 4 cups chopped Napa cabbage or shredded coleslaw mix (I like to toss in a little shredded red cabbage for color)
- 1 cup prepared shredded carrots
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 cup cooked and shelled edamame
- 2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients except for the cilantro in a blender and process until completely smooth. Add the cilantro and blend for a few seconds until the cilantro is finely chopped. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. If serving right away, drizzle the peanut dressing over top and toss; otherwise, serve the dressing on the side so the salad doesn't get soggy.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Serving size: Approximately 2 cups
- Calories: 282
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Sugar: 17 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 7g
- Sodium: 505 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This salad was delicious! The dressing is so flavourful but not overpowering. I will definitely make this again…maybe add some cashews or peanuts. Yum!
I subbed kale for the cabbage and cut the cucumber into matchsticks – no seeding. Because the kale is so solid, dressed entire salad and it was very edible the next day. Great flavour and texture.
My friend Lynn shared this terrific salad last night. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe! There was just the right mix of crunchy veg’s and sauce to make this a terrific dish for lunch, dinner or a side salad. We were all guessing what the sauce was, and thought it was sesame….I think either would be great. Thanks Lyn!
I LOVED this salad, especially the dressing. The only change I made was that I substituted cooked, fresh green beans for the edamame because I couldn’t find them in the store. I doubled the recipe, and I’ll definitely make this again.
Jenn, thanks for the yummy, healthy recipe!
I just made this- absolutely delicious!
I’ve been looking for a tasty, easy to make Thai salad.
I added chicken stir fried with sesame seeds on top and it was just amazing! Will definitely make this again
I substituted fresh mint for the fresh cilantro as I do with almost Thai recipes….for some reason I only like cilantro when it is cooked (coriander).
I made this salad and took it to work to have my staff taste test it. They liked the flavor a lot but the dressing turned into liquid the minute it hit the greens. Is there someway to stabilize the dressing so it stays thick and holds onto the greens? I am wondering if it needs more oil?
Hi Nadine, If you are not eating right away, I would definitely serve this dressing on the side, but it shouldn’t turn thin so quickly. I’m wondering if your greens and veggies were wet from washing? That can make any salad very watery.
I made the dressing without the extra sugar and vegetable oil and it tastes great.
This salad is delicious! I make a new salad every week for a tennis group and this was their favorite so far. I’ve tried many thai salad recipes and this is one of the easiest..and best! Thank you. Love your website. I’m trying the Asian slaw tomorrow!
Made this salad for New Years Eve and it was a definite hit! Substituted snow peas for the edamame and omitted the peanut butter. Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi love thai food. Your salads look so yum. Im diabetic can i skip the honey and sugar? By adding some apples? Thanks
Hi Pascale, The sweetness in this salad dressing really balances out all the flavors. I’ve never tried sweetening a dressing with apples, but if it has worked for you in the past I say go for it. And please come back and let me know how it comes out!
this recipe has become a staple in our house, it is on the lunch rotation. I love the flavors of this recipe. i usually have most of the ingredients in the house.
I made this with grilled chicken on top and instead of lettuce I used a bag of the coleslaw mixed salad. It was amazing! Next time I will make the peanut dressing in bulk so I can have it on all my other salads!
I absolutely loved this salad! I really like an extra crunch in my salads so I added chopped, roasted peanuts right before serving and would highly recommend that.
This is my go to salad for company and parties. I love that I can make it ahead and I actually gets better as sit sits.
This salad was very refreshing and super tasty. I took it to work the next day and I thought it was still delicious. I also like that it’s Asian without a mouthful of ginger. The only thing I had trouble with was prepping each individual veggie and made a giant mess in my kitchen for just a salad. lol
This was great along with the Grilled Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skewers. It is yummy! Thanks for another great recipe!
wow, this was so tasty and filling! i omitted the cucumber bec. i hate how it tastes but it still tasted fantastic and looked great! portioned them out in food keepers and stored in the ref (separated the oh-so-yummy dressing) so i had a ready healthy meal through the week 🙂 thank you! i love your blog!
I do not cook at all, but was craving this salad tonight from CPK. Being to lazy to go get it I discovered this online. Despite not having several of the key ingredients and having to use soy sauce from leftover Chinese takeout packets, it turned out pretty great! Thanks for sharing and can’t wait to try it again.
Made this today substituting lima beans for the edamame, delicious! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
I made the Thai Crunch Salad tonight & it was just delightful! It’s a keeper! Many thanks Jennifer!
Going to try tonight!
Made this last night. Really delicious!! We had it with spring rolls on the side. I was running short on time, and found the shredded carrots, peppers and edamame on the salad bar to save some prep time (obviously not money though 🙂 ).
I tried this just now and it is INCREDIBLE!! I’m going to make this weekly 🙂 So delicious OMGG
I used to order this salad all the time at California Pizza Kitchen. Just made it and it’s fabulous!
Jenn, this salad was outstanding. We all loved the dressing and practically licked our bowls clean! (It earned the coveted “Mo, peez” from my two-year-old.) I’ve tried so many of your recipes and have yet to encounter one that isn’t delicious. You’ve become one of my most trustworthy sources for reliably good recipes–keep up the great work!
Thank you, Allie! Very impressed with your two-year-old…my kids wouldn’t go near this 🙂
This is a favorite at my Husbands work and at home!!! All the different flavors combine in an amazing dish.. Thank you
This was REALLY REALLY GOOD! Even my he-man husband liked it. I should have doubled the dressing, though. Can’t wait to try your chilled tomato soup too!
Loved the Thai flavours in this dressing and it was perfect drizzled over a crunchy salad. I didn’t have the edamame either, so I substituted mange tout. Will definitely visit your site again to see what other recipes you have.
Just made this. It is awesome! I will add some chicken to it through the week to make it a meal in itself! Thanks!
This salad was crazy good. Everyone in the family loved it! Thank you! It is on my list of favorites!
The Thai Crunch salad is amazing. I also made the lime chicken as well. Wonderful. My daughter is in love! I now keep a jar of the peanut dressing in the refrigerator. It is great on leftover spaghetti with cucumbers. A take on cold sesame noodles. You’re the best!
Delicious! Just made this today and loved it!
This salad was wonderful…served it with your honey lime sriracha chicken and it was all devoured. Thanks for all the great recipes!
Made this and really enjoyed it. Thank you so much for sharing this.
I made both the salad and chicken skewers the other night for dinner. It was a really nice combination. Yummy!
Hello. What can I use as a substitute for rice wine vinegar? My bf is allergic.
Hi Sophia, You can just substitute more lime juice. Hope that helps 🙂
Hi there,
I’m excited to try this. I am unfamiliar edamame. I have seen it in the freezer section of the store though. When you say “cooked,” how does that apply to the frozen stuff? Thank you.
Hi Julie, The frozen shelled edamame is already cooked, so all you need to do is defrost it. That’s what I use.
Hi there,
I just made it. It’s delicious! Thanks for your help.
What can I use instead of edamame it’s not available
Meera, I would probably just add extra carrots or red bell peppers, but the great thing about this salad is that you can use any veggie you like. Be sure to check your supermarket’s freezer section — it is often sold frozen, and already shelled.
This needs to be tried immediately. what can I use instead of edamame?
Hi Meera, Anything you like, or you can just substitute more of the other veggies.
At last I have the recipe! Loved eating this salad in CPK on visit to SFO
Another winner!!
Ohhh yes..totally pinned this one! Love the peanut-y dressing!
Would you recommend this dressing with out the peanut butter due to food allergies or would you suggest another dressing?
Hi Simone, You could use tahini (sesame paste) or another nut butter if that works for you — other than that, there really are no other possible substitutions.
This salad is pure deliciousness!!! I love Thai flavors.
This salad looks absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS! I personally have issues with peppers (I like them but they DON’T like me) so I would substitute tomatoes (of which I LOVE!) in their place. As with the cucumbers if I seed them it should keep the salad from being too watery. Thanks for this great recipe!
how long will the dressing last in the frig?
Hi Mikki, It would probably last about a week.
Maybe, I’m missing it…but I didn’t see the
quantity to be used for red cabbage.
Hi Sharon, Good question, thank you. I replaced some of the Napa cabbage with red cabbage for color. You can use any mix of veggies you like.
This looks sooooo good. Can’t wait to try it. Thank you!
What can be substituted for peanut butter? My daughter is allergic to peanuts.
Hi Debbie, If she can have tahini (sesame paste), that would be a good substitute, or any other nut butter.
I substituted almond butter and it tastes great.