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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I made this dressing I love it
I made the Thai crunch salad last night and it was delicious. Such a nice change from most salads. The peanut butter dressing is just the right balance of sweet & spicy. One thing I did was drain the cucumbers in a strainer while I was preparing the rest of the salad. Even after being seeded they produce a lot of water. Also you could add some crispy wontons or Chinese noodles on top just before serving.
I made this for my family at home and had it the next day for lunch. It was amazingly delicious! It really tasted like a restaurant-prepared meal and was very easy. I made it with the honey sriracha chicken skewers as well. I might add in some chopped roasted peanuts next time for added texture. I like how you can vary the ingredients with whatever you have on hand, though I followed the recipe mostly to the letter.
This was YUMMY with a few tweaks….I left out the cilantro and edamame (personal preference) scallions (I forgot to buy them!). I used less cayenne, subbed 1/4t of dried ginger for the fresh, and added 1/2t of sesame oil to the dressing. WOW! The dressing was amazing! Absolute perfection! For the salad I used 3C slaw mix and 1C red cabbage. I’ll definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing!
This is a delicious, refreshing and easy salad. Wonderful with grilled chicken.
This salad is delicious. My husband just loved it.
I’ve made the salad twice, getting rave reviews and requests for the recipe both times. Once I used only red cabbage and both times I subbed pea pods for the edamame. It’s a great new summer recipe!
This is by far the best salad I’ve ever made. The dressing is so delicious. The mix of vegetables is awesome. So crunchy and colorful. I will add, though, that I am NOT a cilantro fan, so I substituted the cilantro with fresh parsley, and it was fabulous!!!
I meant to put 5 stars on this!!
Made this last night for dinner, and have to say this tasted great. The dressing was smooth and creamy with a little kick from the crushed chili flakes. I think it would make a great dip as well. Will be making this again, thank you!
This was absolutely delicious! The peanut dressing is killer. Thank you for the recipe, Jenn!
We loved the salad but couldn’t taste the peanut flavour – or any other flavour- in the dressing as they were overpowered by the ginger. I used fresh ginger root, 1″ square, but manoman, the dressing just tasted like ginger! Will try again but with just a tiny bit of ginger. Also added a bag of broccoli slaw available in our grocery store- super crunchy and great taste.
This salad was soooo yummy! I put in snap peas from the garden in place of edamame. The dressing, too, was fantastic; my boyfriend and I used the leftover for dipping veggies. 🙂
This is incredible! I made a few changes, namely using all red cabbage and substituted papaya for the edamame.It was like eating a rainbow. So colorful and delicious!
I made this for dinner tonight. I added grilled chicken to the salad and it was a huge hit. Even my picky, picky little girls loved it. Thanks for sharing it!
I also thought adding chicken would be a great way to make this a complete meal!!
My family LOVED this salad. It will be a regular around here!
Thanks for the great site and recipes!
Sharon
I made the Thai salad last evening and it exceeded my expectations. Love the dressing! So much so, I am going to make another batch of the dressing tonight.
Yesterday morning-My mom discovers your site.
Yesterday lunch- We make delicious Black Bean and Corn Salad.
Yesterday dinner- I make amazing Baja Fish Tacos.
Today’s Lunch- continues the trend and we make this wonderful Thai salad.
Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
I can totally relate – we’ve tried three recipes in three days and are hooked! Lol
We loved this. I only added a tiny bit of red pepper flakes because some of us don’t like much spice and there was a kick from the ginger already, We all had a very generous fist serving and a more modest second serving. We also had some leftover cold steak from the night before.
Wonderful dinner!
I have made the Thai Crunch salad many times for parties and it is always the first dish to empty. I always make a large salad, using a full napa cabbage and adjust the other ingredients for the larger salad. The dressing is phenomenal, such wonderful flavors.
I did not have Edamane this last time so I replaced them with some blanced snow peas, cut them into 1″ pieces (cut at an angle) and it was still wonderful. This recipe will stay in my permanant recipe file.
Thanks for all the great recipes! My partner and I really enjoyed your French lentil soup tonight.
I am keen to make this salad but have a serious allergy for peanuts (and all nuts in fact).
Can you recommend an alternative dressing that would suit the salad?
Thanks 🙂
Emma from Melbourne, Australia
Hi Emma, So glad you guys are enjoying the recipes! Unfortunately, there’s really no good substitute for the peanut dressing, but what about the classic Japanese carrot ginger dressing instead? Here’s a link to a recipe (omit the sesame oil if necessary): http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Carrot-Ginger-Dressing-233572
Hope that helps!
Sunflower butter!
This is the salad I take/make when I want to impress my friends. It is perfect as is. To make the prep work easier I use shredded cabbage and carrots from the grocery store. I’ve also discovered I can use frozen edamame cooked for one minute in the microwave and cooled and it’s 1/4 the cost of fresh and every bit as good in the salad.
Was very sour and thick. I added more oil and little more sugar.
I use this dressing on spaghetti for my family’s new favorite version of sesame noodles. It’s a real crowd pleaser!
Is this salad okay if you make it a day or two in advance?
Hi Penny, You can make the dressing in advance and prep the vegetables but I wouldn’t toss it all together until the last minute.
If you love Thai food, you will love this salad. It’s refreshing and will be a hit with friends and family.
I made this salad last night for my spouse and me, and we both loved it. I’m looking forward to the redux tonight. I used broccoli slaw,which was tasty and crunchy, and added some dry roasted peanuts. The dressing was wonderful, and I will use it on other salads, also. I look forward to making this salad for my vegetarian daughter. Thanks for this
and the other summer salads!
Kate in Jax
This salad is amazing! I made it twice in one weekend. I brought it to a BBQ at a friend’s house and everyone asked for the recipe. I would definitely make the dressing alone to top other salads with. A definite winner at my house!!
This recipe is heaven in a bite! I made it just as the recipe recommends and it was delicious. I made the cabbage salad, and added basil and mint to that mix, it was a nice surprise bite every once in a while. I also have since made this recipe as a dipping sauce for fried shrimp…it was spectacular. The seasoning is just right. I plan to try in on chicken k-bobs, brushing this sauce on after they come off the grill. Excellent, versatile recipe.
Love, love, love this salad! We have eaten it as a side salad, 3X this week. I added some corn to the salad – I think I will often keep a jar of the dressing made up in the refrigerator.
I made this for the first time recently and it is so easy, refreshing and a “show stopper”. I cheated by using a prepackaged coleslaw mix which also had carrots in it. I found the frozen edamame in the store and that was that. I basically keep the rest of the ingredients in my stock of food and that was that. It was a breeze to whip up and I used my immersion blender to blend everything. For me it is an easier clean up! This can easily become a meal with added protein!
It was so great, all the flavors blended together. Made a double batch and it was almost all gone.
THANK YOU JEN! Made this recipe tonight and it certainly lived up to its raves! Really nice. It will be a staple at our house.
This salad is outstanding! Made it tonight and my husband and I couldn’t get enough! It’s amazing! Next time I will add chicken and make it a main meal!
Hi! My mom made this salad last night for dinner, and it was beyond perfection when she paired it with your “Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skewers.” I have to say, that this is by far one of my favorite salads (with or without the addition of the skewers) I have EVER had. The balance of the sweet and savory dressing is amazing, and just brings the entire salad together. Crunchy, easy, flavorful…thank you thank you. I cannot get enough! 🙂
what is the nutrition facts?
So I changed this recipe a bit cause I don’t like peppers. ( I made it twice , once I added some chopped cherry tomatoes). Instead of using it as a side and make some extra (hot) meat/tofu I just decided to add it on top. I once used some veggie fake meat cubes and the other time I used fried tofu. For the sauce I added COCONUT MILK. Without the coconut milk the soy sauce was so dominant.. but with the coconut milk and a bit of chili. wow…
I love this salad!!! Thank you a lot !!
Love it! Added a few chunks of rotisserie chicken and it’s a fantastic lunch.
Thanks!
I made the Tai crunch salad last night, my family loved it. Easy to make, very healthy.
I had a thi shrimp salad at a neighnorhood restaraunt and this was just as good if not better. Thank you. I will have this often and skip going out.
I had the actual salad at the restaurant and it was an amazing taste experience. Does this recipe call for the crunchy noodles, too? I didn’t see them on the ingredient list.
Hi Suzie, I’ve left them off to keep it a bit healthier but you could certainly add them. Here’s a link with a instructions on how to make them: http://www.otakufood.com/restaurant-style-crispy-wonton-strips/
What can you use instead of cilantro? My husband doesn’t like it and this recipe looks so good!
Hi Alixe, You can just leave it out; it will still be delicious.
HOLY COW! I just made this and it was so stinkin’ good, my husband and I were both searching for a STRAW to drink it up. Thanks for posting/sharing this, and thank you Google for leading me to you. Amazing!
Served this salad with your Honey Lime Sriracha Chicken as recommended and it was a hit all around. Thank you!
Will another vinegar work?
Hi Sandy, Sure, you could try white wine vinegar.
OMG. I just made this salad and the dressing in UNBELIEVABLE! I originally tried to skimp on the sugar and peanut butter to save a few calories. Let me tell you – it is not worth it. This recipe is perfect as written. I added in the rest of the sugar and the PB and whirred the food processor back up and what came out was pure heaven in my mouth. Going into the regular rotation immediately. Thank you for this!
Hi Jen
Tonight I made your Thai Crunch Salad with Parmesan chicken for our friends. It was amazing, as you are! Everyone loved it, especially Harry.you continue to make me look like I know what I’m doing in the kitchen. Love you!
Frannie
I made this tonight for lunch tomorrow to put over cucumber vegetti. I sampled some and it’s delicious!
This is amazing, my husband and I this dressing for for lettuce wraps. Would not change a thing, thank you for sharing
Raving compliments from all sorority girls!
Have made this 6x in the last month. It is amaze! We are trying the dressing with spring rolls tonight. Thank you!