Chopped Thai salad with creamy peanut dressing
Now that it’s getting warmer outside, my cravings have shifted from warm, hearty soups and stews to light and refreshing salads.
And with my weekly CSA boxes that I’ve been ordering since we began self-isolating 9 weeks ago, I’ve been forced to get creative with the dishes I prepare as each week’s box is full of surprises.
This week my box came with a vibrant head of purple cabbage, and as soon as I saw it I knew what I’d use it for: A fun, colorful and crunchy Thai salad.
While there were a few ingredients I would have like to include if I had them (like mango or shelled edamame), it turned out just perfect using what I had on hand: purple cabbage, tofu, carrots, cucumber, scallions, quinoa, mint and cilantro.
And since I’ve been working on my sauces and dressings cookbook, my pantry, thankfully, had everything I needed to throw together a quick peanut dressing too.
Apart from the flavor, what I love most about this salad is the beautiful colors. For me, this is a great reminder that I’m getting a good variety of food in my diet, since each ingredient offers different nutrients and health benefits.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Chopped Thai Salad with Creamy Peanut Dressing
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Yields: 2-4 servings
Ingredients:
(for the salad)
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 large purple cabbage
1 carrot, peeled
1/3 package firm tofu, chopped into small squares
1/2 cucumber, sliced
2 scallions, green parts only
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1 handful mint, chopped
1 lime, juiced
Handful chopped unsalted peanuts
(for the dressing )
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp tamari
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 garlic clove
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp salt
Directions
For the salad:
Cook the quinoa, set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad
Combine cabbage, carrot, tofu, cucumber, cilantro, mint and lime juice in a bowl and mix well.
Stir in cooled quinoa and scallions , mix well.
Once the dressing below is poured over the salad, add chopped peanuts over the salad and mix well.
For the dressing:
Combine all ingredients, except chopped peanuts, in a high speed blender. Start to blend on a low to medium speed and slowly increase to the highest speed until the dressing is completely smooth.
Pour over salad, and mix well until salad ingredients are well coated.
Transfer the leftover dressing to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for no more than a week.
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