Why you’ll love this Thai noodle salad
This Thai noodle salad can be served for so many different occasions. It’s an impressive dish to serve to guests but it also makes a great lunch on a hot summer day.
This salad would be great served alongside skewers smoked shrimp or topped with chilled, sliced grilled chicken thighs. We have also served alongside other more American style barbecue fair like brats and burgers.
More dairy free salads: shaved brussels sprouts salad / sun dried tomato pasta salad / romaine wedge salad / summer farro salad
Ingredient notes:
- Agave nectar – You can substitute honey if you would like, although the recipe would no longer be vegan.
- Red onion – Give your onions a cold water rinse to make them slightly more mild if you would like.
- Cabbage – To make this salad a little easier, I like to use coleslaw mix instead of shredded cabbage, but if you prefer to shred the cabbage yourself, that’s totally ok!
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Melissa’s tips & tricks
- Rinse your onion! Rinsing the onions takes away some of their intensity and can make them more enjoyable in salads. I recommend doing this, but it’s definitely optional.
- Peanut butter tip: To make mixing the peanut butter a little easier, I like to measure that first in the microwave and warm it up a bit.
Make the dressing. In a mixing bowl or mason jar, combine the dressing ingredients.
Mix the dressing ingredients together until smooth. You can even use a blender if you want. I like to use an immersion blender right in a mason jar, but the method is totally up to you.
Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to boiling and cook the spaghetti according to the package directions for al dente. When they’re ready, drain and rinse them with cold water until they’ve cooled.
Assemble the salad. Add the cooled spaghetti to a large mixing bowl. Mix in the cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, red onion, cilantro and green onion. Pour in the dressing a toss to coat everything in the dressing. Sprinkle sesame seeds and garnish with extra cilantro and green onion before serving.
More pasta recipes: one pot pasta puttanesca / dairy free alfredo sauce / pasta fresca recipe / beef bulgogi noodles
Thai Noodle Salad with Light Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti noodles
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced and rinsed in cold water*
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, optional, for garnish
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1 tablespoons agave nectar
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl or mason jar, mix the dressing ingredients together. If needed, warm the peanut butter to make it easier to incorporate into the dressing. Set aside.
- Cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package instructions until al dente in salted water. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool them down.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked spaghetti with the remaining salad ingredients.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss everything together until well coated.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and additional green onion and cilantro before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Yumm. Have made several times. Made extra sauce for stir fried chicken. 😊