Name: Thai Quinoa Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Thai-Inspired
Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked quinoa; 1 1/2 cups chopped red cabbage (about 1/2 medium head); 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into thin strips; 1 cup edamame; 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced; 6 green onions, cut into 1/4″; 2/3 cup roasted cashews; 1/4 cup cashew butter; 1/2 TBSP red curry paste (see notes); 3 TBS coconut aminos (soy sauce or tamari); 2 TBS honey (or agave or maple syrup); 1 tsp rice vinegar (can sub apple cider vinegar); 1 tsp minced garlic; 1″ cube fresh ginger, grated; juice of 1 lime; 2-4 TBS non-dairy milk or water, plus more to thin as needed

A delicious crunchy cashew Thai quinoa salad – an easy recipe ready in less than 30 minutes! Vegan friendly, gluten free and the best healthy salad for any occasion.

Quinoa salads are one of my favorite things to make! Whether you’re looking for something to bring to a backyard BBQ, a meal prep recipe for lunch, or just a side salad to go with dinner, quinoa salads are the way to go.

You can pack so much goodness into them, too. With whole grain quinoa, various veggies and flavorful sauces, you can’t go wrong.

Another one of my personal favorites – anything Thai-inspired.

Like my crunchy Thai slaw, Loaded Thai Chicken Salad, Thai Tempeh Buddha Bowl, and meatballs, too.

So it was only a matter of time before this Thai style salad happened!

Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad Recipe

Thai Quinoa Salad Ingredients

quinoa
red cabbage
carrots
edamame
red bell peppers
green onions
roasted cashews

thai salad ingredients on marble board and in glass bowl

Cashew Curry Dressing

I first started making what I call my “cashew curry dressing” many years ago now, and it has made its way into some of my favorite FMK dishes since then.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:

creamy cashew butter
red curry paste
coconut aminos (soy sauce or tamari)
honey, agave or maple syrup
rice vinegar (can sub apple cider vinegar)
minced garlic & fresh ginger
lime
milk or water, to thin as needed

If you don’t have Thai Red Curry paste on hand but you have everything else, the dressing will still taste delicious.

cashew dressing in bowl of veggies with quinoa

Tips for Making this Thai Cashew Quinoa Salad

Prep Veggies While Quinoa Cooks

While the quinoa cooks, chop the veggies and make the sauce.

CLEAN UP TIP: use a second large bowl as a “garbage scraps” bowl so as you’re peeling, seeding and dicing. Anything you don’t need can go right into the bowl and it helps with cleanup.

Cashew Dressing vs. Peanut Dressing

For the cashew dressing, feel free to sub peanut butter and make a Thai peanut dressing if you’d like. You can also sub almond butter!

Sunbutter would work as well if looking for a nut-free option. Tahini would be quite strong but if you know you like tahini already, then you could sub with that as well.

Make Ahead!

This salad can be made ahead of time – whether that’s parts of the recipe or all of it. The quinoa can be made 1-2 days in advance, as well as the chopped veggies.

You can combine the quinoa and veggies together in a bowl and add the dressing right before serving.

If you love creamy peanut dressing (or cashew in this case) and chopped crunchy veggies, then you need this Thai Cashew Quinoa Salad in your life!

Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley

☆☆☆☆☆

How to Make…

Thai Quinoa Salad

Thai Cashew Quinoa Salad with the best cashew dressing! Loaded with crunchy veggies, quinoa and a flavorful sauce. Vegan friendly and gluten free, perfect for any occasion.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Diet: Gluten Free

Yield: 10–12 1x
Scale:

Rate

Ingredients

for the salad

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chopped red cabbage (about 1/2 medium head)
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into thin strips
1 cup edamame
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
6 green onions, cut into 1/4“
2/3 cup roasted cashews

Cashew Dressing

1/4 cup cashew butter
1/2 TBSP red curry paste (see notes)
3 TBS coconut aminos (soy sauce or tamari)
2 TBS honey (or agave or maple syrup)
1 tsp rice vinegar (can sub apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp minced garlic
1” cube fresh ginger, grated
juice of 1 lime
2–4 TBS non-dairy milk or water, plus more to thin as needed

Instructions

Rinse quinoa through fine mesh strainer and cook according to package instructions. (Notes on Instant Pot method below). Allow quinoa to cool in separate bowl; set aside.
Meanwhile, chop all of the veggies and place in large bowl.
Make the dressing: add all dressing ingredients to small blender or food processor; blend until smooth, adding milk or water to thin as needed. Dressing should be somewhat thick and creamy, but not thin.
Combine quinoa with chopped veggies, add about half of the dressing, toss and continue adding more dressing as you stir and toss to combine. Serve immediately or chill in fridge.

Recipes Notes:

Instant Pot Quinoa Method: Place 1 cup rinsed quinoa with 1 1/2 cups water in Instant Pot. Seal lid/vent, set pressure to HIGH; cook on MANUAL for 1 minute. Allow pressure to release for 10 minutes, unlock lid, fluff and transfer to heat-proof bowl.

To roast cashews: place raw cashews on baking sheet and drizzle with about 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. stir to coat. Bake at 325ºF for about 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove and allow to cool before adding to salad.

Thai red curry paste – if you don’t have this on hand, the dressing will still taste delicious without.

Make ahead: Salad can be made 1-2 days in advance. If serving a crowd, I recommend tossing with dressing prior to serving.

Category: side Method: stovetop Cuisine: Thai-Inspired
Keywords: crunchy cashew, thai salad, thai quinoa salad
Author: Ashley @ Fit Mitten Kitchen