Thai Salad Peanut Sauce (Printable)
Crisp vegetables meet creamy peanut dressing in this fresh Thai-inspired salad ready in 15 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad Vegetables
01 - 2 cups shredded green cabbage
02 - 1 cup shredded carrots
03 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
04 - 1 cucumber, julienned
05 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
06 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
07 - 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
→ Peanut Sauce
08 - 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
09 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
11 - 1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
13 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
14 - 1 garlic clove, minced
15 - 1-2 tablespoons warm water (to adjust consistency)
16 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or sriracha (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Shred the green cabbage and carrots. Thinly slice the red bell pepper. Julienne the cucumber and thinly slice the green onions. Place all prepared vegetables in a large salad bowl.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes if using.
03 - Gradually add warm water, one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly until the sauce reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
04 - Drizzle the peanut sauce evenly over the prepared vegetables. Gently toss the salad until all ingredients are lightly coated with the dressing.
05 - Top the salad with chopped roasted peanuts and additional fresh cilantro leaves. Serve immediately while vegetables remain crisp.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like you spent hours perfecting the balance of tangy sweet and savory flavors
- Its one of those rare dishes that actually gets better after sitting in the fridge making it perfect for meal prep
02 -
- The sauce will thicken in the fridge so always thin it slightly more than you think you need to if storing it separately
- Room temperature vegetables absorb the dressing better so dont ice your veggies before tossing
03 -
- Toast your peanuts in a dry pan for 2 minutes before chopping to unlock their natural oils and amplify the flavor
- Let the salad sit for 10 minutes after tossing so the vegetables slightly soften and absorb more sauce