This Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad is a colourful, crunchy vegan meal perfect for a light lunch or dinner! It’s loaded with Thai inspired ingredients and dressed with a divine peanut ginger sauce!!
The other day I did a poll on Facebook asking you all what recipes you want to see more. I get an overwhelming response of “weeknight dinners!” and “lunches!” so I thought, why not do a combination of both? Something that would easily be eaten for dinner, but is also completely fuss free for lunch. I got to work immediately and thus, this Thai Quinoa Salad was born.
Before I even get into this salad, can we talk about this peanut ginger dressing? It’s honestly the best sauce/dressing, one I would totally order over and over at any restaurant, and one I want to put on every single salad, forever. I would exchange it now and then for my Creamy Vegan Avocado Dressing, of course. It stores perfectly and is the perfect compliment to this beautiful salad.
Now, how about we get into this total dreamy rainbow effect of a salad?
You may recognise the colours, ingredients and the dressing from my Fresh Spring Rolls recipe. It’s one of my favourite quick meals, so delicious and I wanted to find a way to make it even more accessible. It came immediately to mind when I thought of a quick lunch/dinner, except transformed into this Thai Quinoa Salad.
P.S. I love can’t get over these colours. ?
Of course, I eliminated the wraps and noodles so you had ingredients that were also super easy to find at any supermarket or market. The main adjustments I made here from my Spring Rolls were using kale instead of lettuce, and adding cashews and quinoa. I just always have kale in the house (so yummy and curly), cashews rock, and quinoa adds protein, texture, and delicious flavour. This means you’ll eat this Thai Quinoa Salad and actually be full afterwards.
I love how absolutely easy this meal comes together, more importantly. You literally dump it all into a bowl, pour the dressing over, and mix. So simple, so fuss free, and so available for lunch or dinner! You could even have it as an appetiser before a meal, because well, hello salad. Also, I’m I think this salad is so fun to eat because of the beautiful colours.
Speaking of beautiful colours, these veggies are loaded with loads of amazing vitamins:
Bell Peppers – Vitamin C (especially in the red ones), anti-inflammatory properties, and a good source of Vitamin E
Carrots – beta-carotene, loaded with fibre and rich in Vitamin A
Red Cabbage – Vitamin C & Vitamin K.
Kale – Vitamin K & Vitamin A.
Ginger – Relieving digestive problems such as nausea, loss of appetite and motion sickness.
Enough rambling on my part – give it a try, and ENJOY!!
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Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
Thai Quinoa Salad:
- 1 large carrot, julienned
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 3 cups (200g) sliced Red Cabbage
- 1 cup (104g) chopped Red bell pepper
- 1 cup (104g) chopped green bell pepper
- 2 cups kale, removed from stems, washed, dried and chopped
- 1/4 cup cashews , chopped
- 1/2 small lime
Peanut Ginger Sauce:
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons tamari or liquid aminos (gluten free low sodium soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
Peanut Ginger Sauce
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a deep bowl until combined. Set aside until ready to use.
Thai Quinoa Salad
- Add all the ingredients together in a bowl. Squeeze half a lime over it if desired to add a touch of brightness.
- Drizzle the sauce over the salad and mix everything in to combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
If you try this Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Ginger Sauce please let me know in the comment section below, or tag me on instagram with the hashtag #jessicainthekitchen! For more exclusive recipes follow me on Instagram AND on Snapchat: jessinkitchen.
You can store your salad in a Tupperware container in the fridge for 5 days.
The Peanut Ginger Sauce can be stored in the fridge and covered in saran wrap or in a small mason jar. Stir before using since it may thicken a bit in the fridge.
by Jessica
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Definitely my kind of meal. I love that Asian inspired peanut ginger sauce.
Thanks so much Angie!! That sauce is my fav!
Hello Jessica,
I have been enjoying the recipes and will definitely try this salad. I am new to your blog so you may have already addressed this. Do you provide calorie information for the recipes? I have been trying a pseudo-fast diet (limited calories 5 days per month) and would need to know how many calories are in this well balanced meal.
Thank you for sharing your ideas!
Hi Pat,
So glad you’ve been enjoying it! I don’t know how many calories are in this salad, but if you’re on a limit you can remove the cashews and it will definitely be a lower calorie salad. The peanut butter will have a lot of calories too, so you can always swap it for PB2 powder. I hope that helps!! Also, you’re very welcome!
I would follow and share your blog if you provided nutritional information for your recipes.
Jessica, can you enlighten me about PB2? How does it taste compared to real peanut butter?
Hi Jane,
It tastes pretty close to be honest! You can spread it just like regular peanut butter, it’s maybe just a little bit thinner, so you can always add in more powder. I hope that helps!!
Yes, it helps thanks. I keep thinking I should buy it for when I want PB flavor.
What would the measurement be for the PB2 As opposed to using regular peanut butter? Thanks and can’t wait to make it!
Can you store the salad all mixed up with dressing in fridge for 5 days , or did you mean undressed ?
Thank you
Hi Lisa,
You can store is all mixed up, that’s what I did! Undressed it would last that long too!
I struggle making quinoa just right… Suggestions?
Hi Kelly,
I did a post all about cooking quinoa: https://jessicainthekitchen.com/how-to-cook-quinoa/
I find that covering the pot slightly with its lid helps it to get as soft as fluffy as possible, then when it’s finished I literally fluff it with a fork. By the way red quinoa takes longer to cook than white quinoa, so I prefer white quinoa. I hope that helps!
Can you omit the ginger in the sauce? My family members don’t love ginger (weird, I know!)
Hi Erin,
Yes you can omit! You can make it without, or even use garlic instead. My best friend is allergic to ginger (!!) so I totally get it! I hope you enjoy!
I am only three days into eating a more plant based diet and just made this salad today – YUM!! Thank you for the great salad and dressing.
You’re so welcome Heidi!!
What can I substitute the tarimi with. Just realize I don’t have any.
Oops! Here is the question again: What can I substitute the Tamari with?
Hey Madelyn,
If you aren’t gluten free, you can use regular soy sauce, just try a little less first because Tamari is very low sodium so the amount I used may result in a salty dip with regular soy sauce. Just taste test it a little bit, like one tablespoon first!
Not sure if the problem is on my end or yours, but I can’t “pin” this to my Pinterest board. All the images say “Can’t fetch image” 🙁
Hi Clare,
All fine over here! It should be working for you too! 🙂
Just made this. Very good. Lots of crunch! I love the peanut butter dressing/sauce, but found mine to be very thick, hard to toss with the salad. I had left it out at room temperature until ready to toss, hoping that would help, but it didn’t. Perhaps microwave it just prior to tossing to really liquify it? Suggestions? Thank you.
Hi Debbie,
Thanks so much!! The dressing definitely shouldn’t be that thick, so maybe your peanut butter is very thick? You could just add more water to thin out the dressing. The flavour is strong so more water wouldn’t affect the flavour much (you could add more tamari/liquid aminos if necessary). Hope that helps!
Looks yummy, thanks for sharing!
What kind of kale did you use? Is there a particular type of Kale you recommend?
Hi Sheila,
I just used regular curly kale that I got at the farmer’s market! It was pretty soft. If you like a coarse kale, dinosaur would be great, otherwise light curly kale or even spinach would work great!
Love the concept. NO oil in the dressing? Oil is not a sin anymore, so I added some.
Hi Kristine,
Thanks, I hope you enjoyed! I never thought oil was a sin (especially evoo and coconut oil – I use those daily) – I just didn’t add oil, because this dressing didn’t need it. So glad to hear your alteration worked out!
Do you have nutrition info for this recipe?
Hi Debbie, you can check it on: https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594
It says I cannot post to Pinterest. 🙁
Hey Alana,
I know 🙁 Pinterest has been going crazy for me! For now you can pin directly from this pin: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/517984394629396066/
Thanks so much!
Why distilled white vinegar? Can I use apple cider vinegar?
Hi Meghan,
Yes you can use ACV! I hope you enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe, it was yummy! Just made it for the second time and now have lunches for the rest of the week.
Hi Megan,
So happy to hear you enjoyed it so much!! I really appreciate your feedback! :).
I just made this and I LOVE it!!! The sauce…yum! Meal prepped for the week and I’m so excited to eat this for lunch all week! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Eileen,
I’m SO happy to hear this!! You’re SO welcome!!
So autumnal, tasty and beautiful! Well done, Jessica.
Thanks so much Juegos!!
Jessica- this is one of the best salads I’ve ever eaten. Thanks so much for posting this recipe!
A quick tip for anyone making it for the first time- if you don’t want to spend money on the cashews, leave them out. The dressing has so much flavor, you won’t even miss them. And it saves on fat. Although they were a delicious touch.
Also- go SUPER easy on the dressing. Start with a little, shake it all up with the salad and see how much it covered. I found that I only had to use a little bit and it spread really well. Saving those calories where I can!
Seriously, one of my favorite salads now!
Hey Heather,
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this so much! Love your tips and suggestions too. Thanks so much for your feedback!!
This was amazing!
Hey Lindsay,
Yay!! So happy to hear – thanks so much for your feedback!!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made this today and it turned out great. It’s good to find nutritious, vegan recipes like this, especially when trying to save money on meals. No need to buy food between classes when I have delicious food like this packed!
Hey Ken,
So happy to hear this!!! Thanks for your feedback – you’re so welcome!!
THIS RECIPE IS SOOOOO AWESOME. ONE QUESTION, I AM HAVING 8 PEOPLE OVER FOR A LIGHT LUNCH. HOW MUCH SHOULD I PREPARE? DOUBLE THE RECIPE? THANKS.
This is excellent! I made it with the peanut butter sauce.I really love all your recipes. I enjoy trying them and they are ingredients that I usually have on hand or can easily find. Thank you so much for this wonderful selection of recipes.
Thank you so much for this recipe! My husband and I both enjoyed it, and I have printed it out to make sure I never lose it!
Hi Nicole,
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for your feedback and you’re so welcome!!
Is there something that would be a yummy substitute for the peanut butter? What other nut butter would be best in your opinion?
Our personal favourite switch is almond butter! Cashew butter works in a pinch as well!
It is one of my favorite now! Thank you for sharing this. Tastes great! and I am Thai 😉
Aww I’m so happy to hear that Little!! Thanks so much for sharing and you’re so welcome!!
How many servings is this recipe?
Hi Crystal,
About 6-7 people!
I made this for dinner last night. Added chunks of grilled chicken!! A must try. Dressing was awesome. Amazing recipe.
Hi Mary Ann. We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for the kind words!
Hi!
Do you think almond butter would work ok as a sub for peanut butter?
Thanks!
Hi Kim! We’ve never used almond butter in this recipe so we can’t guarantee that it would work. It does sound as if it could work though so tell us how it turns out if you try it! Thanks for commenting!
Have made this before … making it again for tonight. Delicious!
I’m so happy to hear that Bernadette! Thanks for letting me know!!
This is a delicious salad! I’ve made it 3 or 4 times now. It’s the perfect salad to make at the start of the week so we have a few days of lunches! Thanks for sharing
Wow we love this feedback Kelly! Thank you for trying it and then even commenting on it!
Great tasty salad. Hated the dressing so made one with peanut butter, maple syrup, liquid aminos, ginger and crushed pepper. Very yummy
Love this salad. So easy to. put together, flavourful, and the cashew adds a nice crunch