When your plate's feeling a little beige and boring, it's time for Thai peanut noodle salad to enter the stage. This delicious mix of noodles and a vibrant ensemble of red bell pepper, shredded carrots, cabbage, and a delicious peanut sauce is an eye-candy feast that can be eaten warm or cold in about 20 minutes.
Just like my Saucy Gochujang Noodles, Vegan Tom Yum Noodle Soup, and Vegan Thai Basil Fried Rice, this vegan Thai noodle salad is a delight!
It leaves you feeling great without being heavy or oily, and it's not lacking in flavor. Packed with fresh ingredients, it's delicious and quick to make.
The Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce is the real star of the show.
It has just the right amount of sweetness, savory, and spice. This dish is perfect for a light and refreshing lunch or dinner. It can be customized with different vegetables or plant-based proteins such as tofu or tempeh for a delicious plant-based meal.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's plant-based
- Easy to prepare
- It's customizable. You can add or subtract vegetables, adjust the amount of sauce, and use any noodles to suit your tastes, including rice noodles, udon, ramen, or soba.
- It is perfect for meal prep. You can make a large batch on the weekend and enjoy it throughout the week for a quick and easy lunch or dinner.
- It can be eaten warm or as a cold noodle salad
Ingredients
Here is what you'll need to make this Asian noodle salad. It's very customizable. Think of it as a road map, but with all the detours and pit stops left up to you. See recipe card for suggested quantities.
- Noodles: I love the ramen noodles, udon, or soba noodles for this salad.
- Scallions: These are also known as green onions.
- Peanut Butter: I use any peanut butter for this sauce - including the standard 'Jiffy' kind or the natural kind with only peanuts as the ingredient.
- Soy Sauce: Sub with Tamari or liquid aminos for a gluten-free version.
- Sesame Oil: I use toasted sesame for a rich, nutty flavor.
- Maple Syrup: I use agave syrup as a substitute, but brown sugar can also be used.
Variations
- Enhance the salad with additional crunchy vegetables like snap peas or cabbages like Napa, green, or savoy. You can also use a bag of pre-shredded broccoli.
- Use Thai basil instead or in addition to the cilantro.
- Diced mango or pineapple adds a tropical sweetness that pairs well with the peanut dressing.
How to Make Thai Peanut Noodle Salad
Here is the process in pictures. See the recipe card for details.
Step 1: Boil the noodles according to the package instructions.
Step 2: While they boil, make the creamy peanut sauce by placing all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisking them together. Add water as needed to thin it out.
Step 3: Slice up the vegetables and put them into the large bowl with the peanut sauce.
Step 4: Drain and run the noodles through cool water. After draining, add them to the other ingredients and toss well. Top with crunchy peanuts, red pepper flakes, lime wedges, and more fresh cilantro if desired.
Top Tips
- Adjust the Thai peanut dressing to your taste—light or generous. It absorbs over time, so save extra or make a double batch for leftovers.
- To prevent noodles from sticking, let them sit in cold water after cooking.
- Use a mandoline for thinly sliced cabbage and peppers. Swap in veggies like cucumbers, bean sprouts, or red onions. For less chopping, grab pre-cut cabbage or broccoli slaw.
- No need to cook the veggies—keep them raw for fiber and freshness!
Serving Suggestions
- This salad is delicious, either chilled or at room temperature, perfect for picnics or potlucks.
- Add toasted sesame seeds or crispy fried shallots for added texture.
- Serve the noodle salad over a bed of mixed greens or baby spinach for a refreshing, leafy base.
- Pair with grilled or roasted vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, or asparagus for a smoky complement.
- Serve with slices of ripe mango for a sweet and tangy contrast.
- Top with smoked tofu or tempeh.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice over your bowl for a bright, citrusy kick.
- Add a spoonful of chili garlic sauce or sriracha for some extra heat.
Storage
For the best texture, store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The noodles may absorb the dressing and soften over time, so make extra sauce to refresh it.
For optimal freshness, store noodles, veggies, and dressing separately. This works well for meal prep! When ready to serve, toss everything together for the best flavor and crunch.
Recipe FAQS
You can use cashew, almond, or other nut butter.
This dish can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free noodles and substituting soy sauce for Tamarind, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Coconut Aminos.
You can use any noodle you like. Rice noodles, soba, or udon noodles are delicious in this dish.
Have a minute? I'd love for you to dive into the comments and rate this Thai Peanut Noodle Salad. Your feedback is invaluable—did you love it? Did you make any fun twists? Let me know how my directions worked for you so I can keep improving my recipes. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for inspiration.
Thai Peanut Noodle Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 8 ounces noodles use soba, ramen, udon, or any variety
- ½ cup edamame frozen or fresh
- 1 cup cabbage red or green, shredded
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- ½ red bell pepper thinly sliced
- ¼ cup scallions chopped
- ½ cup cilantro 15 g, chopped roughly
- 1 handful spinach 40 g, chopped roughly
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts chopped
Peanut Sauce
- ½ cup natural unsweetened peanut butter (125 g)
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup alternatively, use agave or brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons of soy sauce or Tamari for gluten-free
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar alternatively, use lime juice
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder alternatively, 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes alternatively, use sriracha or chili paste
- 2-4 tablespoons of water as needed
Instructions
- Prepare Pasta: Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. If you use frozen edamame, boil them with the pasta for 30 seconds.
- Prepare Dressing: While the noodles boil, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl until well combined. Add water to thin it to your desired consistency.
- Prepare Vegetables: Prepare all the vegetables. Slice or shred the cabbage, carrots, peppers, scallions, spinach and chop the cilantro. Place them in the large bowl with the peanut sauce.
- Assemble: Add the noodles and edamame and mix until well combined.
- Serve: Divide the noodle salad among serving bowls and top with chopped roasted peanuts, fresh cilantro, and red pepper flakes if desired. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Anonymous says
Delicious!!