Simple Thai Salad Peanut Sauce (Printable View)

Fresh vegetables meet creamy peanut dressing in this quick Thai-style dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ Salad Vegetables

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

→ Peanut Sauce

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

# How to Prepare:

01 - Shred the green cabbage and carrots, thinly slice the red bell pepper and green onions, julienne the cucumber, and roughly chop the roasted peanuts. 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, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, and chili flakes if using. Mix until smooth.
03 - Add warm water one tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously, until the sauce reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
04 - Drizzle the peanut sauce over the prepared vegetables and toss gently to coat evenly. Top with chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro leaves before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The peanut sauce comes together in minutes and keeps in the fridge for a week, so you can whip this up anytime
  • Its one of those rare dishes that actually tastes better after the vegetables marinate in the dressing
  • The combination of cool, crisp vegetables with rich, tangy sauce is somehow completely addictive
02 -
  • The sauce will thicken in the fridge, so always thin it with warm water before serving leftovers
  • Cabbage gets better as it sits, so do not be afraid to make this a few hours ahead
  • Room temperature sauce coats cold vegetables much better than cold sauce does
03 -
  • Toast your peanuts in a dry pan for 2 minutes before chopping for an even more intense flavor
  • If the sauce tastes too acidic, add another teaspoon of honey or peanut butter to balance it
  • Use a vegetable peeler to create long, elegant cucumber ribbons instead of julienne strips

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