Thai Salad Peanut Sauce (Printable Version)

Fresh vegetables tossed in creamy peanut dressing for a quick, vibrant Thai-inspired dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Salad

01 - 2 cups shredded green cabbage
02 - 1 cup shredded carrots
03 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
04 - 1 cucumber, julienned
05 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
06 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
07 - 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

→ For the Peanut Sauce

08 - 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
09 - 2 tbsp soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
10 - 2 tbsp lime juice (about 1 lime)
11 - 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
12 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
13 - 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
14 - 1 garlic clove, minced
15 - 1–2 tbsp warm water (to thin, as needed)
16 - 1/2 tsp chili flakes or a dash of sriracha (optional, for heat)

# Method:

01 - Shred the green cabbage and carrots, thinly slice the red bell pepper, julienne the cucumber, and slice the green onions. Place all prepared vegetables in a large salad bowl.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, honey (or maple syrup), rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, and chili flakes if using.
03 - Add warm water one tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously, until the sauce reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
04 - Drizzle the peanut sauce evenly over the prepared vegetables. Toss gently to coat all ingredients thoroughly.
05 - Top the salad with roughly chopped roasted peanuts and fresh cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.

# Chef's Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in literally two minutes and keeps for weeks in the fridge
  • Its one of those rare salads that actually tastes better the next day
  • You can customize the vegetables based on whatever needs using up
02 -
  • The sauce will seem too thick at first but keep adding water gradually
  • Natural peanut butter separates so give it a really good stir first
  • This salad needs to sit for at least 10 minutes for flavors to meld
03 -
  • Use a microplane to grate the garlic so it disappears into the sauce
  • Toast the peanuts in a dry pan for 2 minutes before chopping

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