This delicious and satisfying plant-based Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad combines crunchy rainbow veggies and an irresistible peanut dressing. Make a batch of this healthy vegan recipe for flavorful lunches or pack it for summer picnics and family potlucks. A simple dish you’ll have on repeat!
I love bringing a hearty quinoa salad like this to parties…it’s my security blanket when I’m not sure what other vegan offerings might be available. If you like this, you’ll also love: Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Chickpea Salad, Quinoa Tabbouleh, Smoky Broccoli Quinoa Sunflower Crunch, Grilled Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Dill Dressing, and Super Green Gluten-Free Quinoa Veggie Burger Sliders.
Eat the Rainbow…in a Plant-Based Quinoa Salad
One tip for healthy eating is to eat a rainbow of colorful plant-based foods. All of these colors ensure you’re getting a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other key nutrients in your diet. Plus, the beautiful colors help bump up the plate appeal of recipes, making them even more enticing.
How to Make a Simple Oil-Free Peanut Dressing
The simple oil-free vegan peanut dressing used for this salad is a cinch to make, especially if you have a few key ingredients in your pantry.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Provides the base of the dressing. It naturally has fat so there’s no need to add extra oil. Check the ingredients to ensure there isn’t extra oil or sweeteners added.
- Tamari: Adds a salty, umami flavor. Naturally gluten-free. You can also use soy sauce
- Maple Syrup: Provides a touch of sweetness. You can also use agave syrup or brown rice syrup
- Rice Vinegar and Fresh Ginger: Add brightness and some “zing”. Be sure to use unseasoned rice vinegar, which has no added sugar.
- Water: A little bit of H2O helps thin out the dressing to a drizzle-able consistency.
Chef Katie’s Dressing Tip: Warming the dressing up for 15-20 seconds in the microwave will help the peanut butter emulsify with the other ingredients.
How to Add More Protein, Different Veggies, and Your Own Spin on this Vegan Recipe
This salad is a great base for adding your own veggies and boosting with extra plant-based protein. You can swap out vegetables like cucumber, radish, broccoli slaw, shredded napa cabbage, and crunchy snap peas. For adding vegan protein, I love tossing in a batch of Simple Plant-Based Baked Sesame Tofu, thawing frozen shelled edamame, or adding a can of chickpeas.
Cooking Quinoa in Plant-Based Recipes
Quinoa is a gluten-free whole grain used often in plant-based recipes. Full of healthy vegan protein and fiber, it is satisfying and delicious. Quinoa comes in four color options: white, red, black, and tri-color (a mix of the three). You can use it in breakfast porridge, salad and grain bowls, soups, stews, and even cookies. For this recipe, I like using plain white quinoa. It cooks in 12 minutes and has a light, fluffy texture.
For more Quinoa Tips and Recipes: QUINOA COOKING: RINSING, OIL-FREE TOASTING, AND HOW TO KNOW WHEN IT’S DONE
Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips:
Prepping Ahead: This salad is great when prepped ahead of time. If prepping ahead for a party, you can make the salad and dressing a day (or two) ahead of time. Pack the two separately. Then, when it’s time to serve, drizzle the peanut dressing over the salad.
Nut-Free: If you have a nut allergy, you can modify this recipe. For the roasted cashews in the salad, swap out with roasted sunflower kernels, toasted sesame seeds, or omit the nuts (there’s tons of crunch from the veggies). For the dressing, swap out the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter.
Tamari vs. Soy Sauce: Tamari is the gluten-free version of soy sauce. Use it in this recipe to ensure a gluten-free recipe. If gluten isn’t a concern for you, you can use either tamari or soy sauce.
Oil-Free: I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories, like those found in refined oils. This recipe skips oil and uses parchment paper to keep the bars from sticking to the pan. This makes a healthy, low-calorie recipe.
How to Make a Plant-Based Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Medium
- Servings: 6
- Ready In: 20 minutes
- Yield: 7 cups salad + 1/2 cup dressing
Plant-Based Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- ¾ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 4 green onions diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
- ½ cup roasted cashews roughly chopped
For the Peanut Dressing:
- ¼ cup 64g all natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons 30g tamari
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
Instructions
To Cook the Quinoa:
- Combine the quinoa and water in a small pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to simmer. Cook until done, 11-12 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool while preparing the rest of your salad ingredients and the Peanut Dressing. To cool faster, transfer to a large bowl and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
To Prepare the Salad:
- Combine all of the chopped vegetables, cilantro, cashews, etc in a large bowl with the cooled quinoa. Toss well to combine.
To Prepare the Peanut Dressing:
- Place the peanut butter in a microwave- safe container along with 2 tablespoons of water. Microwave 20-30 seconds, until the peanut butter is warm. Use a fork or small whisk to blend the peanut butter with the water
- Add the remaining dressing ingredients to the bowl with the peanut butter: tamari, rice vinegar, maple syrup, ginger. Whisk together. Add more warm water, if needed, until you reach a smooth pourable consistency. Taste to adjust seasoning. You can add more salt, a touch of sriracha, more maple syrup, or more peanut butter, depending on your tastes.
- Drizzle the peanut dressing over the salad and enjoy!
Nutrition Info:
Servings: 6
Serving Size: About 1 1/8 cups salad + 2 tablespoons of dressing
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 6.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 240 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 12 g | 18 % |
| Saturated Fat 2 g | 9 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 5 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 3 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 193 mg | 8 % |
| Potassium 370 mg | 11 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 27 g | 9 % |
| Dietary Fiber 4 g | 15 % |
| Sugars 5 g | |
| Protein 8 g | 17 % |
| Vitamin A | 13 % |
| Vitamin C | 51 % |
| Calcium | 5 % |
| Iron | 14 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Shopping List:
- Teddie All Natural Smooth Peanut Butter
- Terrasoul Superfoods Organic White Quinoa
- Marukan Genuine Brewed Rice Vinegar
- Cashews Roasted Unsalted
- Gluten Free Tamari Soy Sauce
- Maple Grove Farms Organic Pure Maple Syrup
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