Thai Noodle Salad with the BEST EVER Peanut Sauce

Thai Noodle Salad with the BEST EVER Peanut Sauce- loaded up with healthy veggies! Vegan and Gluten-Free!
Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable. ~Mary Oliver~

The other day I got a hankering for an old standby we used to have on the Mizuna menu, the vegetarian restaurant my friend Tonia and I started together way back when. Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce. Here it’s made with rice noodles and a boatload of crunchy veggies- cabbage, carrots, bell pepper and radish, then tossed in the most flavorful, balanced peanut sauce eeeeeeeeeever!

This Thai Noodle Salad is great made-ahead, and keeps well for 3-4 days in the fridge -perfect for midweek meals and lunches, or potlucks and gatherings.  Top this with flavorful  Sesame Ginger Tofu or baked chicken for added protein if you prefer.  So delicious!

How to Make Thai Noodle Salad! |30-second Video

Yes I may be biased – I’ve had many versions of Thai peanut sauce, here and throughout Thailand, but this Thai Peanut Sauce is still hands-down my all-time very favorite!  Not too sweet, perfectly balanced.

The secret ingredient is fresh orange juice, giving it a delicious brightness.  I highly recommend making a double batch of the Thai Peanut Sauce to use with spring rolls or buddha bowls. If you are like me you will be eating it by the spoonful. It’s that good! ( Also know that this works with almond butter too!)

It starts with 6 ounces of dry noodles. So here again, the salad is actually, by volume more veggies than noodles! My kind of salad.

Use linguine, soba noodles,  pad Thai-style rice noodles, brown rice noodles or seriously any pasta you have in your pantry. Toss the pasta with 4 cups of shredded veggies. Add scallions, jalapeño and cilantro (or basil) and toss with the flavorful peanut sauce. Top with toasted, crushed peanuts.

The salad gets more and more flavorful each day.

Veggies like cabbage, carrots and radishes, stay crunchy in the salad, even over several days. The light and creamy peanut sauce is a nice contrast.

Make this as spicy as you want. I love adding fresh, finely chopped jalapeño to the salad for a little added heat.

Toss it up and serve it in a cute serving bowl.

Garnish with the roasted crushed peanuts and chopped scallion at the end ( so they stay fresh and crunchy).

Healthy, delicious and filling- I love having this Thai Noodle Salad on hand for a quick healthy snack too!

Here it is with the Sesame Ginger Tofu….so good!

A fridge full of make-ahead salads, that’s what we’ve been feasting on at home this week. Super handy and time-saving, these are easy mid-week meals! Make a batch on Sunday and have throughout the week!

RELATED:  MAKE-AHEAD VEGAN SALADS!

Hope you enjoy this one and if you do, please pin or share!

xoxo

Sylvia

SHOP! Serve your beautiful salad in our Wooden Bowls or  Ceramic bowls – both found at our Bowl and Pitcher Store!

Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

★★★★★

4.9 from 89 reviews

A simple delicious recipe for Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce, loaded up with healthy veggies. Vegan and Gluten free, this make-ahead salad is perfect for midweek lunches or large gatherings.  Add Sesame Ginger Tofu for added protein!

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Vegan, Salad
• Method: Tossed
• Cuisine: Thai

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 6 ounces dry noodles (brown rice noodles, pad thai style rice noodles, soba noodles, linguini)
• 4 cups mix of cabbage, carrots and radish, shredded or grated
• 1 red bell pepper, finely sliced
• 3 scallions, sliced
• ½ bunch cilantro, chopped (or sub basil and mint)
• 1 tablespoon (or less, or more) jalapeño, finely chopped
• ¼–½ cup roasted, crushed peanuts ( garnish)

Thai Peanut Sauce ( make a double batch and save the rest for another use)

• 3 thin slices ginger- cut across the grain, about the size of a quarter.
• 1 fat clove garlic
• ¼ cup peanut butter ( or sub almond butter!)
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice ( roughly ½ an orange)
• 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice ( 1 lime)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or GF Braggs Liquid Amino Acids (Note: Tamari will turn this unpleasantly dark)
• 3 tablespoons honey or agave
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• ½ –1 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( or a squirt of sriracha sauce)
• ½ teaspoon salt

Sesame Ginger Tofu ( Optional) Go to Link

Instructions

Cook pasta according to directions on package. ( See notes for rice noodles) Drain and chill under cold running water.

In the meantime, blend the peanut sauce ingredients together in a blender until smooth.

Place shredded veggies, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro and jalapeño into a serving bowl. Toss. Add the cold noodles to the serving bowl and toss again. Pour the peanut sauce over top and toss well to combine.

Taste, adjust the salt and serve, garnishing with roasted peanuts and cilantro and a lime wedge.

Notes

If cooking pad thai style rice noodles, add the noodles to a pot of boiling water. Turn heat off, stir and let steep 2-3 minutes until tender, drain and run under cool water.

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