Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Ginger Dressing
This Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad is packed with fresh veggies and tossed in a flavorful peanut ginger dressing. Perfect for meal prep, it’s a quick and healthy vegan lunch or dinner option that’s ready in 25 minutes!
This post was updated in March 2025 with new photos.
If you’re looking for a flavorful and veggie-packed vegan meal, this Thai quinoa salad recipe is it!
Loaded with fresh veggies, nutty quinoa, crunchy peanuts, and tossed in the most flavorful peanut dressing. This salad is bursting with flavor and nutrients!
I often forget how amazing this salad is—it’s one of my go-to lunch options. The best part? It only takes 25 minutes to make and is perfect for meal prepping!
I’m a huge fan of quinoa and love incorporating it into bowls like my Baked Tofu, Spinach & Chickpea Quinoa Bowl or my Vegan Butternut Squash & Kale Quinoa Bowl. Quinoa is a complete protein, rich in fiber, naturally gluten-free, and packed with essential minerals like magnesium and iron, just to name a few of it’s many health benefits. It’s light but filling with a delicious nutty flavor!
Why I Love This Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad
- The Peanut Ginger Dressing: I could literally drink this dressing! It’s so fresh and packs a flavor punch. Plus, it’s incredibly versatile—make a big batch and pour it on everything!
- Quick and Easy: Once the quinoa is cooked, the veggies prepped, and the dressing mixed, you just toss everything together in a bowl. That’s it!
- Light, Fresh, and Healthy: This salad is packed with fresh veggies, nutty quinoa, and edamame and peanuts for plant-based protein. It’s light but filling, nourishing your body with wholesome ingredients. Totally vegan, gluten-free, and plant-based!
- Perfect for Meal Prep: The dressing holds up well when mixed into the salad, or you can store it separately. You can even layer the ingredients in a mason jar for easy grab-and-go lunches all week long!
Ingredients Needed
Scroll down to the recipe card to get the full recipe with measurements!
- Quinoa: A great source of plant-based protein and fiber. It’s hearty with a subtle, nutty flavor.
- Veggies: There’s not shortage of veggies in this salad! This salad is packed with cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, shredded red cabbage, green onions, and cucumber. The more veggies, the better! Feel free to swap veggies based on what you have.
- Edamame: A great source of plant-based protein.
- Peanuts: Roasted peanuts are my go-to for crunch, but you can also swap them for roasted cashews if you prefer.
- Peanut Ginger Dressing: Made with peanut butter, coconut aminos, lime juice, freshly grated ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and salt.
How To Make Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Ginger Dressing
- Make the Quinoa: Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. Once cooked, set aside to cool slightly.
- Prepare the Veggies: Shred the carrots and red cabbage, slice the green onion, chop the cucumber, and halve the cherry tomatoes.
- Make the Dressing: In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, coconut aminos, lime juice, freshly grated ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and salt. If needed, add a splash of water to achieve your desired consistency.
- Assemble the Salad: Toss the cooked quinoa, prepared veggies, and dressing together until everything is well coated. Garnish with roasted peanuts for extra crunch, and enjoy!
This Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad is the perfect vegan lunch option, a healthy dinner recipe, or flavorful side dish! However you enjoy it, I hope it’s a hit!
Substitution Ideas
This salad is totally customizable, allowing you to make use of the ingredients you already have on hand.
- Swap the Veggies: Feel free to use any veggies you have on hand! Some great alternatives include shredded brussels sprouts, red onion, red bell peppers, cilantro, or even adding some fresh kale or spinach for extra greens.
- Quinoa Alternative: This salad would work with couscous as a base.
- Switch up the Dressing: If you’re not a fan of peanut butter (or have a peanut allergy), you can easily swap it for tahini, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter. I often make it with tahini, and it’s still delicious!
- Add Crunch: I like to add roasted peanuts for crunch, but roasted cashews work just as well!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prep this salad in advance?
Yes! You can make it ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just keep the dressing separate until you’re ready to serve, or mix it in ahead of time if you prefer, it should be fine. You can even layer the ingredients in a mason jar for easy grab-and-go lunches all week long!
Can I make this Thai quinoa salad nut-free?
Yes! You can swap the peanut butter in the dressing for tahini. Swap the peanuts for cashews or crunchy seeds like sunflower or pumpkin seeds. You can also leave out the peanuts entirely if you prefer.
More Quinoa Recipes You’ll Love
- Baked Tofu, Spinach & Chickpea Quinoa Bowl
- Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls with Mango Corn Salsa
- Cauliflower, Sweet Potato & Chickpea Buddha Bowls
- Fall Harvest Quinoa Bowl
- Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ★★★★★ star rating below. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!
Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
Salad
Peanut Ginger Dressing
- ¼ cup coconut aminos, or tamari or soy sauce
- ¼ cup peanut butter, or tahini
- ½ lime, juiced
- ½ inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 3-4 tbsp water, to thin the dressing
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. Once cooked, set aside to cool slightly.
- In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, coconut aminos, lime juice, grated ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and salt. If needed, add a splash of water to achieve your desired consistency.
- Toss together the quinoa, edamame, carrots, red cabbage, cucumber, scallion, cherry tomatoes and dressing until everything is well coated. Garnish with roasted peanuts for crunch. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to mix/swap for any veggies you have on hand! Some great alternatives include shredded brussels sprouts, red onion, red bell peppers, cilantro, or even adding some fresh kale or spinach for extra greens.
I really enjoyed this dinner. So many yummy flavors. Can’t wait to have this again. #happyholidays
This meal was amazing. All the flavors and ingredients worked so I well together. Need to find other things to use this dressing on. #happyholidays
This recipe is so fresh and delicious. The sauce is simple and AMAZING! I will be keeping a container of it in my fridge at all times. Great recipe!!!
I’m SO happy you loved it Alyssa, especially the sauce, it’s a staple of mine too! Thanks so much for sharing your review 🙂
Ginger isn’t mentioned in the method for the peanut sauce
Going to try this as sounds delicious. Now that lime juice is missing from the recipe card – juice of a whole lime?
Thanks for catching that, Peter! I just updated the recipe card. I hope you enjoy it!