Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing
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Inspired by California Pizza Kitchen’s famous version, this Thai crunch salad recipe is a colorful, satisfying mix of fresh veggies and creamy peanut dressing. It’s pretty much what salad dreams are made of.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
This recipe is a nod to 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 also pairs nicely with chicken satay or honey, lime and sriracha chicken skewers. 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, 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!”
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients except for the cilantro in a blender and blend until completely smooth. Chopping the garlic and ginger first prevents the dressing from being gritty or uneven, especially if your blender isn’t super powerful. Add the cilantro.
Blend for just a few seconds until the cilantro is finely chopped. (Adding it at the end keeps the dressing a creamy, natural color instead of muddy green.)
Step 2: Combine the veggies. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, cucumber, edamame, scallions, and cilantro. Seeding the cucumbers is key for keeping the salad crisp and avoiding excess water that can dilute the dressing.
Step 3: Dress and serve. If you’re serving right away, drizzle the peanut dressing over top and toss to coat. Otherwise, store the chopped veggies and dressing separately—the veggies will keep for 2 days and the dressing for up to a week. The peanut dressing may thicken slightly as it chills, so give it a good stir (or a quick whisk) if you’ve made it ahead.
More Asian-Style Salad Recipes You May Like
Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing
Modeled after CPK’s Thai crunch salad, this salad has bright veggies, bold flavors, and a dressing you’ll want to eat by the spoonful.
Ingredients
For the 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.
- Here's some easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger.
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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Just made this and it’s as good as the other reviews say! Love the dressing and can’t wait to use it on other things. Thanks Jenn!
All the thumbs up for this salad.
A coworker brought this to a potluck and shared the recipe. It’s full of flavor, color and perfect for light meal or summer side.
Hi Jenn – this salad looks great but I’m one of those people who does not like cilantro. Any suggestions for modifying the dressing to omit cilantro? Thanks. Peggy M
Hi Peggy, It’s perfectly fine to leave it out. You could also try basil. Hope you enjoy it!
My family loves this salad! I have made it about 5-6 times now and it’s always a hit. I make a double batch and eat it all week long. I just leave the dressing on the side until ready to eat. Yum!
Love love love this salad and so do the kids which is a tremendous feat! We are trying to reduce sugar in our diet. Have you tried almond butter vs peanut butter? Any suggestions on how to reduce sugar without negatively impacting the fabulous taste?
Glad everyone in your house enjoys it! Yes, you can definitely use almond butter if you prefer. And you can cut back on the sugar a bit too. It’ll still be very tasty– just a little bit tangier.
Christine, I had to modify the dressing for myself because I can’t do any sugar or honey. I used an organic sweetener called Pyure. Crazy good.
This is an excellent recipe! Made it for a large dinner party…lots of vegans and vegetarians. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. Great fresh, clean flavors! Doubled the recipe and there were NO leftovers!!!
I made this for lunch today and it was delicious.
This is one of those rare salads that everyone enjoys! Even with using less sugar (only 2 tsp) and half the salt (only 1/2 tsp) in the dressing to save some calories/sodium. I knew it would be tasty with the entire amount, but the result was still flavorable with a tang to it. If you want to try reducing the honey/sugar/salt, just try less and then season to taste. Based on other reviews, I also added 1/2 tsp sesame oil since I use it in many Asian foods. This amount was so subtle, perhaps another 1/2 tsp (total 1 tsp) could be added…or maybe none at all. I also made one dressing batch substituting cashew butter and eliminating the cilantro. Also very good. Another keeper recipe. Thanks, Jenn!
yum yum for the tastebuds! easy and sooo tasty.