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Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad (vegan & gluten-free)

Delicious vegan and easily gluten-free Thai quinoa salad with a great crunch. Fantastic for meal prep lunches, parties or picnics.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 260kcal
Author: Feodora Nastashia

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 cups shredded red cabbage, depending on how much crunch you like
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup diced green onions
  • 1/2 cup cashew halves or peanuts (honey-roasted is good)
  • 1 cup edamame or chickpeas (optional)
  • Fresh lime, for a bit of tang

For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup all natural peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • 3 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos
  • 1 tablespoon honey (use agave or pure maple syrup if vegan)
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoons olive oil or more sesame oil
  • Water to thin, if necessary

Instructions

Step 1

  • To cook quinoa: In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil. Add in quinoa and bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all of the water. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with fork; place in large bowl and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. You should have a little over 2 cups of quinoa.

Step 2

  • To make dressing: Add peanut butter and honey or agave to a medium microwave safe bowl; heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Add in ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and both sesame and olive oil and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. If you want a thinner dressing, simply stir in a teaspoon or two of water or olive oil.

Step 3

  • Add as much or as little dressing as you’d like to the quinoa. I always start out with a little bit of dressing and usually add more to suit my taste preferences. Alternatively you can save the dressing for later and add when you are ready to eat; however the flavors of the dressing usually soak into the salad so I love adding it to the quinoa first.

Step 4

  • Next fold in red pepper, onion, cabbage, carrots, and cilantro into the quinoa. Garnish with cashews and green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature with lime wedges, if desired.