Thai Quinoa Salad

5 from 4 votes

This crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad is packed with crisp veggies, sweet mango, fresh herbs, and greens, all tossed in a quick peanut dressing. Healthy, vibrant, and ready in no time!

Prep Time35

Cook Time15

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Salad, Vegetarian

Cuisine: Healthy

Keyword: Thai Quinoa Salad

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $13.81

Equipment

Ingredients

Salad

1/2 cup uncooked white quinoa
2 cups kale
1 cup edamame see note 1
2 cups coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
1 red pepper coarsely chopped
1 cup matchstick carrots or shredded carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped mango 1 large or 2 small mangos; see note 2
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro 1/2 bunch
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions 3 to 4 onions
1/2 cup cashews coarsely chopped, roasted and lightly salted

Dressing

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons hot water
1 clove garlic coarsely chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
Salt and pepper

US - Metric

Instructions

Rinse quinoa under cold water in a fine mesh sieve to remove the bitter saponin coating. Combine quinoa and 1 cup water in a small pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, add in 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste), reduce heat to low, and cover the pot. Simmer 10–15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, keeping the quinoa covered, and let stand 10–15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and place in the fridge or freezer to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, bring a pot with 6 cups of water to a boil, then add 1 tablespoon salt and shelled edamame. Cook 2–3 minutes or until edamame is tender. Drain thoroughly.
Remove the thick stems, then very thinly slice (ribbon) the kale. The smaller the shreds of kale, the better! Once chopped, put it in a colander (or the base of a salad spinner) and give it a quick rinse. Rub and massage the kale for about a minute, then give it another quick rinse. Allow kale to dry completely before using in the salad, or spin in the salad spinner to dry it quickly.
Thinly slice the cabbage or measure out 2 cups coleslaw mix. Coarsely chop the red pepper, mango, cilantro (and then loosely measure to get 1/2 cup) and the cashews. Thinly slice the green onions.
Place all dressing ingredients in a small blender. Season with 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth and refrigerate while preparing everything else.
Combine cooked and completely cooled quinoa, shredded kale, coleslaw/cabbage, red pepper, carrots, mango, cilantro, green onions, and cashews in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing. This salad doesn’t sit well with the dressing, so only dress what will be enjoyed the same day. Add to desired preference; I use all the dressing, but you may prefer less. Toss to combine and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Note 1: Edamame is sold fresh or frozen in the store, but I typically use these frozen shelled soybeans since it’s hard for me to find fresh in my area.

Note 2: I love honey mangoes (also known as Ataulfo or yellow mangoes) in this salad. They’re sweeter and creamier than regular mangoes and don’t have the typical fibers throughout. To tell if your mangoes are ripe, gently squeeze the fruit. If ripe, it will give slightly. Wait until your mango is at peak ripeness to make this Thai Quinoa Salad for the best flavor and texture. Here’s a quick and helpful visual guide on how to cut a mango!

Storage: This salad doesn’t sit well with the dressing, so only add what will be enjoyed the same day. Store any leftover salad and dressing separately.

Nutrition