This vegan Thai quinoa salad is the most refreshing meal! Fluffy quinoa, edamame, bell pepper, carrots, cabbage all drizzled with a delicious almond butter dressing. This colorful salad is the BEST!
Oh hi, did this rainbow salad grab your attention?
Well, it should!
It’s LOADED with healthy ingredients making it a filling, plant-based meal.
Ingredients in Thai quinoa salad
Here’s what we got going on:
- Greens – spinach, kale, super greens… whatever you want to use here
- Red bell pepper
- Purple cabbage
- Edamame
- Carrots
- Quinoa
- Thai almond butter dressing (think of a yummy peanut sauce, but with almond butter!)
How to make Thai quinoa salad
- Cook the quinoa
- Prepare the veggies
- Make the dressing
- Combine and enjoy!
How to cook quinoa
- Rinse uncooked quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under cool water for about 20 seconds
- Bring vegetable broth to a boil and add quinoa
- Reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes
- Remove quinoa from the stove and let sit covered for 5-10 minutes
- Fluff with a fork before serving
Tips for making delicious quinoa:
- The ratio for quinoa is 1 part quinoa, 1.5 part liquid. Any more will turn quinoa to mush
- Cook with vegetable broth instead of water! This adds lots of flavor to the quinoa
- Let sit covered when done cooking. The steam makes the quinoa nice and fluffy.
How to make Thai almond butter dressing
Whisk all the ingredients together. Add more warm water (1 Tablespoon at a time) until a nice dressing consistency is achieved. I say this because no almond butter is alike. Some almond butter is really dry and tough and some almond butter is oily and liquidy.
Use your judgment here based on your ingredients!
This refreshing Thai quinoa salad recipe is perfect for Summer! So colorful and healthy.
How to make this salad for meal prep:
- Cook the quinoa in advance and keep in a separate container
- Prepare veggies and keep in containers
- Make the dressing in advanced
When ready to eat, just assemble the salads with all your ingredients prepared and you’re ready to go!
If you tried this vegan Thai quinoa salad, let me know in the comments below and share a photo using #mindfulavocado. I’d love to hear from you! Want to see more recipes? Let’s get social! CONNECT WITH ME on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest to see what I’m currently cooking up!
If you like this salad recipe, you should check out:
Vegan Hippie Salad + “Cheesy” Cilantro Dressing
Kale Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
Thai Salad with Red Curry Tofu
Thai Quinoa Salad with Almond Butter Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth can use water
- 4-6 cups greens of choice spinach, spring mix, kale, etc.
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- chopped cashews for topping (optional)
Thai Almond Butter Dressing
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup tamari can substitute with coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons agave nectar
- juice from 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch of salt
- red chili flakes optional
Instructions
Cook Quinoa:
- Rinse uncooked quinoa in a fine mesh strainer
- Bring pot of vegetable broth to a boil. Add rinsed quinoa, reduce heat to low-medium and cover. Let cook for 12-15 minutes
- Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5-10 minutes
Make Dressing:
- Whisk all ingredients for dressing in a small mixing bowl. Add more warm water if needed to make a nice dressing-like consistency.
Assemble Salad:
- Combine greens, veggies, quinoa, and dressing. Top with chopped cashews if desired.
Nutrition
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