Thai Salad Recipe with Peanut Dressing (2025)

• Vegetables and Fruit: This colorful mix of thinly sliced kale, red bell peppers, red and napa cabbage, carrots, and ripe mango slices balances the bitterness of the kale with the natural sweetness of the fruit and sweet peppers.
• Herbs: Fresh cilantro, mint leaves, and sliced green onions add enticing herbaceous notes.
• Peanut Dressing: The rich dressing combines creamy peanut butter, lime juice, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, finely chopped ginger, and minced garlic. It is the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and tangy, with a hint of spice.

See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).

Ingredient Substitutions

It’s easy to switch up the flavor of this delicious Thai salad recipe. Try these options!

• Vegetable Swaps: Try other types of lettuce, such as crisp romaine, iceberg, or butterleaf. Add baby spinach or spring mix instead of kale. Add slices of crunchy cucumber for a refreshing bite.
• Add More Fruit: Pineapple chunks or papaya pairs well with the Thai dressing.
• Make the Dressing Gluten-Free: Use coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce.
• Change the Nut: Add almond butter or cashew butter, and make sure it’s creamy in texture.
• Add Protein: Instantly turn this salad into an entree by adding some baked tofu, shredded rotisserie chicken, grilled shrimp, or marinated skirt steak.

How to Make Thai Salad

Step 1: Combine the Vegetables

Add the sliced kale, cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, mango, cilantro, mint, and green onions in a large bowl. Set aside while making the Thai salad dressing. If not serving right away, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 2: Make the Peanut Dressing

A creamy peanut dressing complements the crunchy salad ingredients. Use a blender or food processor to quickly prepare the Thai salad dressing. Combine the creamy peanut butter, fresh lime juice, honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, spicy sriracha, roughly chopped garlic, minced ginger, and water. Puree until smooth.

Alternatively, hand whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl. It will be slightly more chunky.

Experimentation Encouraged:If you want to amp up the umami flavor, add a dash of fish sauce. My readers love this salad dressing! You can even serve it with shrimpspring rolls.

Step 3: Garnish and Serve

Drizzle some peanut dressing onto the salad ingredients and toss to combine. I like to serve any extra peanut dressing on the side or add more on top. It’s so delicious! Add some chopped roasted peanuts and more fresh herbs to garnish for extra crunch.

What is Thai salad made of?

A crunchy blend of fresh vegetables like red and green cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, kale, green onions, cilantro, and mint. Mango is added for a hint of sweetness. It’s served with a sweet, tangy, and creamy peanut dressing. It’s an easy-to-customize salad!

Can I make the Thai Salad ahead of time?

The salad ingredients can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The peanut dressing can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. To meal prep the salad for lunch during the week, portion it out in containers with the dressing on the side so the greens don’t get soggy.

What is the difference between peanut butter vs. peanut spread?

Peanut butter must contain at least 90% by weight of peanuts and may not be any added artificial colors, preservatives, or sweeteners. The other 10% can be seasoning and stabilizing ingredients like salt, sugar, palm oil, or peanut oil. If the amount of non-peanut ingredients exceeds 10%, it will be labeled as a spread. You’ve likely seen natural ground peanut butter separate over time and have oil on the top when you open the jar. Oils like palm oil are added when processing to prevent separation and make a more creamy spreadable product.

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