Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing
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This Thai crunch salad is crisp, colorful, and tossed in a creamy peanut dressing that’s so good, you’ll want to drizzle it on everything.
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.
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Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
For the Peanut Dressing
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 1 lime
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2½ tablespoons sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- (1-in) square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 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
- 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, white and green parts, 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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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/