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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Recipes

    Peanutty Thai Quinoa Salad

    Published: Jun 9, 2019 · Modified: May 12, 2023 by Dianne · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Drizzled with spicy peanut dressing and loaded with fresh veggies, Thai Quinoa Salad is the ultimate quick and easy meal. This recipe is perfect for lunch on the go or a light dinner at home. It’s vegan and gluten-free.

    Thai quinoa salad with text overlay

    Thai Quinoa Salad

    The weather is warming up, which means it’s time for lighter meals. During this time of year, I tend to turn to salads, whole grain bowls, and light sandwiches. This recipe is a combination of two of my go-to meals, as I’ve combined a quinoa bowl and a salad.

    Bowl of Quinoa

    Cooking with Quinoa

    I love quinoa because it’s easy to make and super versatile. Unlike other grains, it’s doesn’t take very long to cook. When preparing quinoa, give it a quick rinse before you cook it. This is to remove saponin, the grain’s bitter coating. Saponin helps to protect quinoa from pests while it’s growing.

    uncooked quinoa in pot
    cooked quinoa in pot

    Quinoa uses a 1:2 ratio with water. So, if you’re making 1 cup of quinoa, you’ll need two cups of water. Combine quinoa and the water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until all water has been absorbed. Then remove it from the heat and let it stand for about 5 minutes. Fluff it with a fork, and you’re ready to go!

    I like to cook up a big batch of quinoa and then freeze it in portioned containers, so that I have it at the ready when I want to cook with it. This recipe will come together even quicker if you happen to have cooked quinoa on hand.

    quinoa salad close up

    Health Benefits of Quinoa

    • It contains all eight essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.
    • Quinoa is high is B vitamins, iron, zinc, potassium, calcium & vitamin E
    • It’s gluten-free and easy to digest.
    quinoa salad ingredients

     

    Making a Thai Quinoa Salad is Super Easy!

    • First, you cook the quinoa.
    • While the quinoa is cooking, you slice the cucumber, cabbage, and carrots.
    • Once the quinoa is cooked, you divide it among four bowls and top with the vegetables, edamame and tofu.
    • Finally, you drizzle on the peanut dressing and top with chopped cilantro and peanuts.
    Chopping cucumber and cabbage
    Drizzling peanut sauce on thai quinoa salad

    How to Customize Your Thai Quinoa Salad

    I’ve used carrots, purple cabbage, cucumber, and edamame in my quinoa salad. If you prefer different veggies, feel free to switch things up. This quinoa salad would be just as tasty with red peppers and mung bean sprouts.

    I’ve used my favorite homemade baked tofuin this recipe. If you don’t want to make your own, you can use store-bought baked tofu. I’ve also used my homemade spicy peanut sauce, but again, if you don’t want to make your own, you can use a bottle of store-bought peanut dressing.

    This quinoa salad travels well, so you can pack it up and take it with you to work at the office or even on a picnic.

    two bowls of thai quinoa salad from above with cilantro, limes, and forks
    quinoa salad in bowl from above with peanut sauce and limes

    Thai Quinoa Salad

    Dianne
    Drizzled with spicy peanut dressing and loaded with fresh veggies, Thai Quinoa Salad is the ultimate quick and easy meal. This recipe is perfect for lunch on the go or a light dinner at home. It’s vegan and gluten-free.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine Thai
    Servings 4
    Calories 515 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup quinoa rinsed
    • 2 cups water
    • 1 cup shredded carrot about two medium-sized carrots
    • 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
    • 1 cup sliced cucumber about half of an English cucumber
    • 1 cup shelled edamame
    • 1 recipe Baked Tofu or 16 ounces store-bought baked tofu, cut into cubes
    • ½ cup Peanut Sauce
    • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
    • 2 tablespoons peanuts chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Add the quinoa and water to a medium-sized pot and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a bowl, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer until the quinoa is tender and all of the liquid has absorbed. This will only take about 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes.
    • Divide the quinoa among four bowls.
    • Top each bowl with the shredded carrot, shredded cabbage, sliced cucumber, edamame, and baked tofu.
    • Drizzle two tablespoons of peanut sauce onto each bowl and top with cilantro and peanuts.
    Calories: 515kcal
    Tried this recipe?Tag @diannewenz on Instagram!
    quinoa salad in bowl from above with peanut sauce and limes

    Other Quinoa Recipes You Might Enjoy Include:

    • Quinoa and Tofu Burrito Bowl
    • Quinoa and Kale Bowl
    • Springtime Quinoa Salad
    • Fruit and Nut Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
    • close up of quinoa breakfast bowl
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    « Spicy Peanut Sauce to Slather on Everything
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    About Dianne

    Dianne Wenz is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Vegan Lifestyle Coach, Plant-Based Diet Nutrition Specialist, and Plant-Based Chef, as well as the author of Truly Healthy Vegan Cookbook.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Susan

      June 09, 2019 at 10:35 pm

      It's pretending to be winter here.... not very well but I am wearing a hoodie inside right now. But eventually we'll go back to our 9 months a year of hot weather. I am always looking for nice, big salad recipes so I will add this to my list.

    2. Dianne

      June 10, 2019 at 1:17 pm

      You could serve this with warm quinoa and cooked veggies like broccoli and bell peppers and it would be great for colder weather! I hope you enjoy it!

    3. Cadry

      June 12, 2019 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      What a satiating and colorful vegan bowl! I love the variety of textures & tastes. Plus, peanut sauce is always a big winner in my book.

    4. Dianne

      June 12, 2019 at 11:10 am

      Thank you, Cadry!

    5. Susan

      September 15, 2019 at 11:17 pm

      5 stars
      The weather is warm again and this was so great. I switched up a few of the components, but this was lovely and fresh and so many great flavours and textures. I mentioned in the sauce recipe that I had left out the chili, so I served this with sriracha for those who like things spicy.

    6. Dianne

      September 16, 2019 at 9:38 am

      Hi, Susan! I'm so glad you liked it!

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    Hi! I'm Dianne Wenz, a Board-Certified Health Vegan Health and Lifestyle Coach. I empower my clients to build new habits so they can reach their healthy living goals. I love to show others how easy it is to live a vegan lifestyle as well as how to cook deliciously easy plant-based meals. Contact me today to learn more and to schedule a complimentary breakthrough session!

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