Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing

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!

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.