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!
Watch how EASY it is to make Thai noodle salad!
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
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!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Vegan, Salad
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: Thai
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.
Keywords: thai noodle salad, thai noodle salad recipe, thai salad, best peanut sauce, peanut sauce recipe, vegan thai noodle salad recipe
Hi Sylvia!
My #1 favorite sauce is peanut sauce. Your recipe sounds superb however, two of the ingredients are missing from the recipe. 1/4 cup ??? (or sub almond butter). Also 3T toasted ??? (listed below 3 T honey.
Looking forward to making your recipe for Thai noodle salad with peanut sauce.
Thanks!!
Hi, Sorry about that….and I’m not sure why it is not showing up for you? Did you print the recipe? or looking on a screen? So strange! It is ¼ cup peanut butter and 3 T sesame oil.
Great recipe, just want to say it was delicious but you said it would last for 4-5 days I’m at day 3 and it is off so not overly good for a week of lunches.
I made it to take to a BBQ the night before and was still great.
★★★★
I never review anything but this salad is seriously AMAZING. Am meant to be making it for lunches for the week but I can’t stop eating it, thanks so much for the recipe!
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Great to hear… thanks!!!
I have 2 family members who have lost gallbladders & unable to digest peanuts is it possible to use cashews. As they don’t cause same pain
Fantastic recipe! I made this with Soba noodles yesterday and am looking forward to some more for lunch today. I followed the recipe mostly although didn’t have a red pepper and used pre packaged cabbage. I used agave since I had that on hand and worried honey might be too pronounced. I also added an extra tablespoon of peanut butter to offset the strong citrus flavor from my limes. I added a diced serrano pepper from our garden along with the crushed peanuts and cilantro garnishes. My husband who loves peanut butter was skeptical and pleasantly pleased too. As a seasoned cook, I rarely find recipes that are flawless. This is certainly one I will keep on hand. Yum!
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So simple and delicious! I feel like I would add more than the recommended amount of ginger because I just love me some ginger! I will definitely be making this in the future and it doubles as a delicious lunch the next day!
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I don’t have orange juice in he house. Is there a substitute I can use?
Not really. The orange makes it in my opinion. Im so sorry…
Loved, loved the Thai peanut sauce.!!
Made it recently with the marinated sesame ginger tofu!!
Simply delicious! I will definitely make this again! I froze the leftover peanut sauce.
Thank you so beautiful Sylvia!
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Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe, I made it, my family and I loved it.
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I cannot rave about this recipe enough! It is absolutely, mind blowingly, delicious!!!
Its simple, whole and fresh. Pro tip though, I used coleslaw mix for carrot, radish, cabbage mix!
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I made this yesterday, and I’ve already eaten it all one day later. I could eat this every day….!
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Delicious!
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The winner here is the sauce. Do what you want with the veggies, get creative, but the sauce really is the bomb.
Just wrote and sent a question about the garlic. I wondered because the ginger is sliced. Didn’t mean to post anonymously, just an oversight.
I haven’t finished it yet, making it for company tonight…..however, how should I prepare the garlic for the peanut sauce – sliced, whole, grated, minced?
Thanks
It’s going in the blender, so whole is OK. Ginger is sliced to prevent “strings”.
I definitely want to try this. Can it be made with broccoli slaw? How about Ramen noodles? Just trying to add more “green” into dish. Reviews are so inviting.
Give it a try! I haven’t personally tried it with either but you could definitely try it! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
I made this exactly as written and am eating it regularly. Can’t get enough of it. I use the the brown rice and millet ramen noodles from Costco and sometimes add sliced skinless and boneless chicken thighs marinated in a little soy sauce and half as much sesame oil then quickly sautéed. Thank you for this favorite!
★★★★★
Thanks for sharing your adaptations! So glad you are liking it 🙂
OMG!! I have never made anything Thai and I’m here to tell you that this is exactly what I was looking for. I followed the directions without changing anything and it turned out beautiful.
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I’m so happy you enjoyed it Christy!
I’m allergic to citrus. What can I substitute? I can’t do any red or white vinegar..
How about using a little more rice vinegar? Honestly, I worry it just won’t be the same. The Orange juice makes this!
You are not kidding! This sauce is amazing! Thank you for sharing. Now back to shoveling this salad in my belly.
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Your blog is so beautiful and I love everything I’ve ever made. Love your style and all these amazing recipes. Thank you!
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Awww… thanks Ellen! Appreciate you. 🙂
Love this version. Lots of veggies. But, it’s the sauce that got me! (I tried another recipe I got on-line & their sauce was too thick, leaving noodles dry and leaving me trying to doctor it up) This recipe is thin enough to cover everything while having excellent flavor.
★★★★★
Delicious! And fabulous peanut sauce just as claimed
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Great mix of flavors and perfect for using up spring veggies. Thank you!
★★★★★