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Home / Latest Posts / Recipes / Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad

Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad

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By: Leigh Anne WilkesPosted: 1/15/20Updated: 3/02/22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.

Thai Quinoa Salad is a delicious, easy and protein rich with a delicious Thai peanut sauce.  Lots of color and crunch!

overhead shot of thai quinoa salad

Quinoa is so versatile.  It works well in salads, side dishes and even main dishes. One of my favorite quinoa dishes is BBQ  Chicken Quinoa Salad  and I love using it in a bowl instead of rice like in this Korean BBQ Beef Quinoa Bowl.  Find all my quinoa recipes here.

What is Quinoa?

We have been on a bit of a quinoa kick at our house lately.  Quinoa is an ancient seed that has been around for thousands of years but has only recently, the last ten years or so, become popular in the culinary world  It is an amazing source of protein and so versatile.  It is a nice healthy alternative to pasta or white rice.

My favorite way to cook quinoa is in the Instant Pot and you can find all the details for Instant Pot Quinoa here.

veggies with quinoa in a bowl.

How to Make Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad

  • Quinoa  It cooks just like rice and can be done in the Instant Pot or on the stove top. I use a ratio of two cups of water to one cup of quinoa on the stove top and a 1:1 ratio in the Instant Pot.  After it has cooked just fluff it up with a fork and then you are ready to add in whatever you’d like. See this post for complete instructions of cooking quinoa.
white bowl of thai quinoa salad
  • Sauce This Thai Quinoa Salad has a delicious peanut butter Asian flavored sauce. In addition to peanut butter it calls for soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, honey, and vinegar.  Stir to coat your quinoa in the sauce.
quinoa salad with peanut dressing
  • Veggies  I love all the colors the vegetables give  in this dish.  The combination of red cabbage, carrots, red onion, red pepper, green onions and cilantro are not only pretty but so delicious! Feel free to add in any of your favorite veggies.
  • Crunch  Add in cashews or peanut to give the salad a great crunch.If you wanted a little heartier fare you could add some shredded chicken to the dish too.
bowl of thai quinoa with wooden spoon

Can I Make Quinoa Salad Ahead of Time?

Quinoa salad holds up really well in the refrigerator and will last for 3-4 days.  The peanut sauce does absorb into the quinoa as it sits and sometimes I like to add a little bit more sauce on the second or third day to give it a bit more flavor.

spoonful of thai quinoa salad

For other delicious salad and Thai inspired recipes try:

  • Crunchy Quinoa Salad
  • Thai Basil Chicken
  • Thai Noodle Salad
  • Thai Cashew Chicken
  • Instant Pot Quinoa
5 from 4 votes
spoonful of thai quinoa salad

Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad

Recipe From: Leigh Anne Wilkes
Thai Quinoa Salad is a delicious, easy and protein rich with a delicious Thai peanut sauce.  Lots of color and crunch!

serves: 8 servings
Prep:10 minutes
Cook:20 minutes
Total:30 minutes
Rate Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • ½ red bell pepper diced
  • ½ red onion diced
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • ¼ cup green onions diced
  • ½ cup cashews or peanuts

Dressing

  • ¼ cup natural peanut butter creamy
  • 1 tsp fresh minced ginger
  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Instructions

  • Cook quinoa in a medium pan. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add quinoa, stir and cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Cool.

Dressing

  • Place peanut butter and honey in a microwavable bowl and heat for about 25 seconds.
  • Add in ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and oils. Stir until smooth.
  • Add dressing to quinoa to taste.
  • Add in remaining ingredients.
  • Garnish with nuts
  • Chill or serve at room temperature

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 416kcal (21%) Carbohydrates: 48g (16%) Protein: 14g (28%) Fat: 20g (31%) Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) Sodium: 509mg (22%) Potassium: 697mg (20%) Fiber: 6g (25%) Sugar: 10g (11%) Vitamin A: 6210IU (124%) Vitamin C: 36.1mg (44%) Calcium: 61mg (6%) Iron: 4mg (22%)
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Course:Salad
Cuisine:Mediterranean, Thai
spoonful of thai quinoa salad
Did you make this?I love seeing what you made. Be sure to share a picture and tag @yourhomebasedmom on social media!
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Originally posted August 22, 2013

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  1. Tracy says

    Posted on 10/1 at 3:39 pm

    Made this for my teenage girl’s lunches. We all absolutely loved it! Yum, yum, yum!

    Reply
    • Leigh Anne says

      Posted on 10/6 at 2:49 pm

      So glad everyone enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. Michelle says

    Posted on 4/30 at 10:23 am

    I thought this was a bit heavy on the peanut butter. Made the dressing and then had to cut it in half and make it more of a vinegar/lime based dressing. It was just a personal preference. I like a sour and sweet flavor

    Reply
  3. foody schmoody says

    Posted on 9/1 at 11:36 am

    Thanks for sharing this recipe and your yummy dessert recipes at Tuesday Tastings last week. I have a new obsession with quinoa so this recipe comes at the perfect time. Just when I was running out of things to do with it! So a super special thanks for this!
    Don’t forget to come back Tuesday to see if you get a feature.

    Reply
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