Name: Thai Quinoa Salad at Home
Yield: 4

This Thai Quinoa Salad is loaded with crunchy veggies, sweet mango, fresh herbs, hearty quinoa, and a creamy peanut dressing that pulls it all together.

author’s note

a reliable Bakery Salad, Recreated!

I live near a local bakery that has the most incredible honey whole wheat bread, a reliable turkey bacon avocado sandwich, and a turkey bacon avocado salad I order almost every time I go.

I’ve recreated a bunch of favorites from this bakery already, but their Thai salad was never on my radar. Then one day my sister convinced me to order it, and after just one bite I had a new favorite. It is outrageously good!

While their version didn’t have quinoa, It is satisfying to a good quinoa salad, so adding it felt like an straightforward choice. It makes the salad a little heartier and filling enough to work as lunch or dinner.

And the peanut dressing? So good. It ties everything together and adds so much flavor to every bite. This salad is seriously next level and I can’t wait for you to try it!

All the ingredients in this recipe prepped out for straightforward assembly including the mango, dressing, cabbage, edamame, pepper, carrot, kale, cilantro, green onion, quinoa, and cashews.

Ingredients In Thai Quinoa Salad

Ingredient	Let’s Chat About It
Quinoa	Rinse well before cooking to remove bitterness. Let it cool completely before adding so the greens stay crisp.
Kale & Cabbage	Thinly slice the kale and massage it for a minute to soften it. Smaller shreds make a big difference here.
Mango, red pepper, carrots & green onions	Wait until the mango is ripe for the best sweetness and texture. Prep everything about the same size so you get a bit of everything in each bite.
Edamame, cilantro & cashews	Roasted, lightly salted cashews add extra flavor and crunch in this Thai Quinoa Salad. Sometimes I swap in honey-roasted cashews, which are also so good! Shelled frozen edamame cooks in just a few minutes.
Peanut Dressing	Blend until smooth. If needed, add an extra splash of hot water to thin the dressing.

Featured Comment

“Took for a birthday potluck at work. Everybody loved it and wanted the recipe.”
– Sue

All the Thai Quinoa Salad dressing ingredients prepped and ready to go, including red pepper, peanut butter, soy sauce, oil, honey, vinegar, cayenne, and water.

Quick Tip

To quickly cool quinoa, spread it on a sheet pan in an even layer and pop it in the fridge or freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Or make it a day ahead. This Thai Quinoa Salad comes together much faster with the quinoa ready to go!

The dressing blended together in a blender bottle.

How To Make Thai Quinoa Salad

Cook Quinoa: Follow my directions for cooking quinoa, then fluff and cool completely.
Cook Edamame: Boil until tender, then drain well.
Prep Produce: Thinly slice, chop, and prep the greens, veggies, herbs, and mango.
Make Dressing: Blend everything until smooth and creamy.
Assemble: Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl, add dressing, and enjoy!