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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Move over Greek salad — you’ve been replaced. This is now my favorite salad; sometimes I eat it as is or top with shrimp. I also appreciate that you show the exact products you use to create the recipe. Nice touch!
I went to CPK every week for this salad! Your peanut dressing was spot on! My new vice is Cheesecake Factory, Thai Lettuce Wraps and use this dressing as one of the sauces they serve. But they also serve a sweet red chili and a tamarind-cashew. Any suggestions how to make those? Love every one of your recipes❤️
So glad you like the dressing, Kristen! I don’t have recipes for red chili or tamarind-cashew dressings — I’ll have to add them to my list of recipes to potentially develop! 🙂
This is delicious!! I make a couple changes. I don’t use Edamame, Napa Cabbage or Coleslaw mix, I use Romaine or Green Leaf Lettuce to make it more of a “salad” but still gives it the crunch. My husband and I don’t like cilantro, so I omit that but use some dried cilantro in the dressing (a couple good hard shakes – it’s not as powerful as fresh cilantro) I also use a little more garlic than suggested in the dressing, 3-4 cloves instead of 2.
This Thai Salad was the hit of the women’s Bible study potluck! Everyone wanted the recipe, so I told them about your blog and book. You are a beautiful lady who makes beautiful, tasty food. Many blessings!
❤️❤️
This is amazing! My husband and son just devoured it with the chicken she links with this recipe! Great for summer. Thank you!!!!
I didn’t have all of the salad fixings on hand but I made the dressing and really the only thing you would need to put it on is a spoon. 😋 It’s wonderful! I put a bowl together with chicken, rice, carrots and cucumbers and topped it with the dressing and it was delicious. I can’t wait to try it on the crunchy salad. This might be my new favorite salad dressing. How long do you think it will keep in the refrigerator?
Glad you enjoyed the dressing! It will keep well for about a week in the fridge.
My wife, who is a big fan of your recipes, made this salad for our dinner tonight. It was superb! The colors of the ingredients and the wonderful dressing really makes this dish stand out. Can’t wait until we have it again. Dan Albee, Escondido, CA 92026
Made this salad and my husband and I really liked it. I have just been diagnosed with a fatty liver and have changed my diet
Draftily. Jenn, we are enjoying many of your healthy recipes. Thank You
I made this last night. I have to say I wasn’t sure about this recipe. The smell bothered me as I’m not a big vinegar fan. Husband grumbled as he helped me put the salad together “We used half the kitchen for a salad?” Then he ate two big bowls, so you made another new fan. We loved it! Reminds me of the great Asian salads Pei Wei used to make years ago. Great texture with lots of crunch and big flavor. I left off the edamame as I am a hormonal cancer survivor but I didn’t miss it.
Hi Jenn, I made the Thai Crunch Salad last night, and my husband who normally eats a scant half cup of salad, devoured a huge bowl! It is so good I am going to make it again and serve it for Father’s Day. Keep the recipes coming, they are always very good!
Hi Jenn! I’ve made this salad countless times and it’s always a hit! I’d like to bring this to a potluck next week, but I’d like to make it peanut free. Any suggestions ? Will almond butter work instead?
Glad you like it! Yes, almond butter will work here. 🙂