This Thai Noodle Crunch Salad recipe is a healthy and refreshing side dish or light meal of fresh vegetables, vegan noodles, and protein-rich beans tossed in a flavorful, mildly spicy Thai Peanut dressing! It is gluten-free, kid-friendly, and so delicious!
The Best Thai Peanut Noodle Salad
This scrumptious salad will make even the pickiest vegetable eater ask for seconds! With its mix of brightly colored veggies, crunchy texture, and bold Asian flavors – this is one dish that you will make again and again, guaranteed! Especially since it is super easy to make! Cook the noodles, chop the vegetables, make the peanut dressing from scratch in 3 minutes, then assemble and serve. It’s seriously that easy!
Also, it is made up of superfoods like edamame, radish, and bell peppers that make it super nutritious and nourishing too! Need I say more?
Homemade Vegan Thai Peanut Dressing
The peanut sauce gives this Thai Noodle dish an authentic Asian flavor. This peanut-loaded goody is creamy, savory, zesty, and as spicy as you want it to be! I use it a lot because it goes great with so many dishes as a sauce, seasoning, and even for dipping summer rolls. All you need to make this are a few simple pantry staple ingredients and a blender, whisk, or shaker.
Customize your Thai Noodle Salad to your liking!
Take this recipe and make it your own by adding more of your preferred vegetables like cucumber, onions, Napa cabbage, kale greens, different beans, and more! You can also infuse some sweetness to it by adding some exotic fruits like mangoes, papaya, pineapple, and avocadoes. Also, feel free to use other roasted and salted nuts like curry cashews or sub seeds or kernels.
Is it Gluten-free?
Yes, this healthy salad recipe is gluten-free as long as you use rice noodles and tamari sauce for the dressing. All other ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
What if I am allergic to peanuts?
You can try using sesame butter, sunflower butter, or cashew butter as a substitute for peanut butter. You can also swap the roasted peanuts with sunflower seeds and still get that nutty flavor and crunch. It won’t taste exactly the same, but you still get to enjoy this salad.
Tips when making Thai Noodle Salad
- Rinse your noodles under cold running water after cooking so they do not turn gummy and sticky in the salad.
- If you are making this ahead, it is better not to add the dressing right away and wait until you are ready to serve. This will keep your veggies crisp and fresh, not soggy and coleslaw-like in texture.
- Add more water or coconut milk to your peanut dressing to make it thinner so it can coat the vegetables and noodles well.
How to make the best Thai noodle salad
As always, I recommend checking out this step-by-step instruction first. Then you’ll find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Cook the noodles & prepare the vegetables.
First, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water according to package directions until al dente. Meanwhile, thaw the edamame and chop the vegetables. I use red cabbage, carrots, red bell peppers, radishes, and scallions but feel free to get creative. Once the noodles are done cooking, rinse with cold water and drain. Then place the noodles and vegetables in a bowl.
Step 2: Make the peanut sauce & serve.
Prepare the peanut sauce according to this recipe. You can also make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge until ready to use. Then pour the desired amount of peanut sauce over the noodle salad. Top with peanuts and toss to combine.
Step 3: Add toppings and serve!
Now serve your vegan Thai noodle salad on plates or in bowls and top with remaining sauce, sesame seeds, and lime wedges on the side if desired. Enjoy your meal!
How to store any leftovers?
Leftover vegan peanut noodle salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If possible, place the salad and dressing in separate containers. Leave the dressing at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving to allow it to soften again. If it is still too thick, you can gently warm it in the microwave or on the stovetop before serving or simply add a bit of water.
What to serve your Thai Noodle Salad with
Though it can stand alone as a light meal for days when you want something less heavy to eat, this salad makes a great side dish for some Vegan Burgers, Vegan Meatballs, or some Vegan Sausages too. It is great for meal prep, potlucks, barbecue parties, and picnics in summer!
This crunchy vegan Thai Noodle Salad is:
- 100% plant-based
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Kid-friendly
- Stunningly vibrant
- So quick and easy to make
- Healthy and nutrient-packed
- Customizable
- Fresh and light
- Crunchy
- The perfect savory side dish
- Utterly delicious!
More vegan salad recipes to try:
Looking for more light and refreshing salads to make on your next meal? Try some of these:
- Mexican Pasta Salad – this is one of my favorite salads! Made with fresh veggies, grilled corn, protein-rich beans, vegan feta, and a creamy chipotle dressing, it’s just incredibly delicious!
- Greek Orzo Pasta Salad – loaded with various and crunchy vegetables, this is perfect for the summer!
- Best Broccoli Salad Recipe – if you love broccoli like me, this will be a treat for you! It has a sweet and salty flavor, the best combo.
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad – another easy and refreshing salad that you will also love. It’s gluten-free, filled with healthy ingredients, and perfect for grilling!
- Turkish Bulgur Salad – I love serving this salad as a side dish with vegan cevapcici or falafel and vegan tzatziki.
- Vegan Caprese Pasta Salad – If you have some vegan mini mozzarella balls leftover, you should definitely try this salad! It tastes also great on top of homemade bread or crostini as bruschetta.
If you try this vegan Thai Peanut Noodle Salad recipe, please leave me a comment and rating because I’d love to hear your feedback! And if you take a photo of your vegan pasta salad and share it on Instagram, please tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka to be sure I won’t miss your post! Enjoy! 😊
Thai Noodle Crunch Salad with Peanut Sauce
Author:Ingredients
For the salad
- 4.2 oz (120 g) noodles rice, wheat, or homemade pasta (*see recipe notes)
- 1-2 tsp (1 tsp) sesame oil optional
- 1 cup (150 g) edamame frozen (150g)
- 1 ¾ cups (150 g) red cabbage shredded
- 1 (100 g) carrot cut into thin sticks or grated (100g)
- 1 (150 g) large red bell pepper finely diced (150g)
- about 5 (100 g) radishes cut into thin sticks (100 g)
- ⅓ cup (30 g) scallions thinly sliced (30 g)
- ½ cup (65 g) roasted salted peanuts 65g
To serve (optional)
- 3-4 tbsp (3 tbsp) sesame seeds
- fresh limes
- fresh herbs to taste, e.g. parsley and coriander
- 1 Recipe Peanut Sauce
Instructions
*Note: Find step-by-step photos above!
- In a pot of salted water, cook the noodles until 'al dente' by following package instructions.
- Then drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain well again and place in a large bowl. (If you cooked the noodles in advance, toss them with a little sesame oil to prevent them from sticking together. Otherwise, combine with the veggies and peanut sauce immediately.)
- Meanwhile, put the frozen edamame in a bowl, pour hot water over it and let it thaw.
- Cut the vegetables and add them to the bowl with the noodles.
- Mix all the ingredients for the peanut sauce until creamy by following this recipe. (If it is too thick, add a little water). Then pour the desired amount of sauce over the noodle salad, add the peanuts and toss to combine.
- Arrange on plates or bowls and serve with remaining sauce, sesame seeds, and limes if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Find the recipe for homemade vegan pasta by clicking here.
- Leftover salad can be stored separately from the dressing in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remove the dressing about 30 minutes before serving to allow the dressing to soften again.
- I recommend adding the peanuts just before serving. I wouldn't leave them out though because they add a great flavor and crunch to the salad! Alternatively, you can also use other roasted and salted nuts like curry cashews or sub seeds or kernels.
- You can also add other additional veggies or swap them out for your favorites.
- For more tips and information be sure to read the article above!
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Was delicious! I made without scallions or radishes but added extra carrots and bell pepper !
Great! 🙂
Looks terrific, is absolutely delicious and very quick to make! Thank you Bianca. I passed this recipe onto friends ☺️
Thanks for your feedback, Yenthe! Im glad that you enjoyed the taste. 😀