Full of veggies and with a dressing that’s creamy, sweet, and just a little sour, this Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing is the perfect vegetarian-friendly quick meal that you will be sure to pick over take-out any time!
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Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Description
Great as a make-ahead dish as well as a delicious impromptu dinner, my Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing is loaded with vegetables, including traditional cabbage, green onion, and carrots, along with romaine lettuce and mango, which add a burst of freshness to balance out the rich and flavorful dressing.
Prepping the Noodles and Veggies
First, I like to start with the noodles. Thai rice noodles are naturally gluten-free and are available fresh or dried, but I’m using dry here for convenience.
Cooking them first ensures they have enough time to cool down before adding the other ingredients. While Thai noodles are my favorite option, feel free to use soba noodles if that’s what you have on hand.
Then comes the chopping. While this may look like a lot of vegetables, you might find you’ll want to double the recipe as everyone goes back for seconds! Romaine and cabbage provide the greens, bell pepper, carrots, and green onions add color and flavor, and the dish is finished with juicy mango, pungent cilantro, and crunchy peanuts.
And finally, the dressing adds creaminess in the form of peanut butter, a caramel-like taste from coconut sugar, tang from lime juice and vinegar, and spice from sriracha, ginger, and garlic.
If you don’t have fish sauce and sesame oil, they are worth a trip to the store, as they can transform any dish with their deep flavor. You will find many more uses for them outside of this recipe, including right here on RunBuzz.
Need More Protein?
Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing is great on its own, but feel free to add more protein to it like grilled chicken breast, baked tofu, or even some cooked shrimp. All you need to do is add them just before serving. If making this ahead of time, you might want to add the peanuts last, so they stay fresh and crunchy. Can’t do peanuts? Almonds and cashews work well in this recipe too.
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Ingredients
For the salad:
8 oz. (225 g) pad Thai rice noodles, dry
1 romaine lettuce, sliced thinly
¼ head red cabbage, shredded
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 carrot, shredded
4 green onions, sliced
1 mango, peeled and sliced
4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
4 tablespoons roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
For the dressing:
4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 ½ tablespoons lime juice
1 ½ tablespoons water
1 ½ tablespoons coconut sugar
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons tamari
1 teaspoon sesame oil, untoasted
¼ teaspoon fish sauce
½ teaspoon sriracha
½ teaspoon root ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool a little. If they start to stick together, a quick rinse in cold water will separate them.
- Make the dressing by placing all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and whisking until smooth.
- To serve, mix the noodles with the vegetables, mango, cilantro, and dressing. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top, and a little extra cilantro for a burst of color if desired. If making this ahead of time, keep the veggies and dressing separate until ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: lunch
- Cuisine: plant-based
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 476 grams
- Fat: 16 grams
- Carbohydrates: 77 grams
- Fiber: 7 grams
- Protein: 8 grams
- About the Author
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Steve Carmichael is a running coach, sports performance coach, nutrition coach and has been a recreational runner for over 18 years. Steve holds multiple certifications as a certified running coach through the RRCA and USA Track and Field as well as he is a NASM certified personal trainer, and PN1-L1 certified nutrition coach.
Steve has been coaching since 2010 and has helped thousands of runners online and in the Central Ohio area maximize performance and run injury-free.
Steve is the founder of RunBuzz and Run For Performance.com. If you are interested in working with Steve though his online running and strength coaching services, feel free to reach out.