Easy Thai Salad

This Easy Thai Salad is absolutely sensational and one of my most tried and tested favourites. So simple and easy to prepare it belies it's big flavour punch from the thai salad dressing. Full of incredible Asian flavours, pimp it up or down to suit your hottest desires.

It tastes decadent even if it is light, healthy and gluten free. Plus it only takes 15 minutes or so from start to crunchy finish.

If you like the whole Asian Peanut Butter, Lime, Coriander thing then this is so your bag, trust me.

I fell hard for these flavours when I visited the country a few years ago. I could eat a dustbin full of it.

I serve it as a main meal or as a side to suit.

*Scroll down for the full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.*

Thai Salad Recipe

Ingredients

600 grams (21 oz) white cabbage (stalk removed)

half a large cucumber

1 red pepper

half a large yellow pepper

3 medium carrots

Thai Peanut Dressing

1 lime juiced

6 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

30 grams (1oz) fresh coriander

10 grams (0.35 oz) mint leaves

5 tbsp water

1 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp ground nut oil or similar

100 grams (3.5 oz) of peanut butter

Method

STEP 1

• The only taxing thing about this recipe is the chopping and grating. Make sure your knife is sharp and watch out for the sake of your fingers.
• Slice the 600 grams white cabbage thinly, about 2-3 mm wide.
• Slice the red pepper into 1 cm slices.
• I use my grater thing on my food processor to grate my 3 carrots but a normal box grater is fine.
• I cut my ½ a cucumber in half and then use a teaspoon to scoop out the watery seeds.
• Use the largest mixing bowl you have to place all the sliced peppers, cucumber and cabbage.

STEP 2

The thai salad peanut dressing is also very simple to put together.

• Put  the juice of a lime, 6 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 30 grams coriander, 10 grams mint leaves, 5 tbspwater, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 4 tbsp ground nut oil and 100 grams of chunky peanut butter in your food processor and whizz until everything is blitzed.
• I challenge you not to lick the bowl.....It is incredibly lush.

• All that is left is to bring the two together. You do need a big bowl. The bigger you have the easier it will be to dress the salad.
• I use two forks and keep turning it over until I get the coverage throughout.
• Serve immediately or cover for up to an hour before serving.

How to Store Thai Salad

I have stored it in the fridge covered and eaten it the next day. The slices of cucumber look rather sorry for themselves but the rest of the salad stands up rather well. It has lost some kerb appeal though I admit.

Sometimes some water may collect at the bottom so I just scoop it off or soak the worst of it up with a kitchen paper towel.

But it is best served soon or up to an hour after it has been dressed with the Peanut Dressing.

So generally if you want to make this more than an hour ahead then keep the salad and the dressing separate and all will be super fabulous and crisp.

Equipment Required

• Grater
• Digital Scales
• Peeler
• Sharp Knife
• Food Processor
• Large Mixing Bowl

Thai Salad Tips

• Make sure your knife is sharp enough
• To make ahead simply make the salad up but don't add the dressing until you are ready to serve.
• Add more water if your sauce is too thick.
• Shred the cabbage thinly.
• Use a large and shallow serving bowl to make it easier to toss the salad in the dressing.

Serving Suggestions

It is a favourite of mine for any outdoor eating and easy entertaining.

I have made it for girly dinner parties too, as it is light to eat later in the evening and free from garlic and onion which is, lets face it, not great for the middle aged digestion.

It is both  vegetarian and vegan but I do often add chicken or serve it alongside my BBQ Chicken Kebabs. 

I sometimes make the chicken as I do here in my Bang Bang Chicken dish and it goes perfectly with it (I use 4-

5 chicken breasts). But you could use store bought rotisserie chicken, supermarket bread crumbed chicken or roast some plain chicken breasts for an even simpler option.

I quite often use leftovers from my Slow Cooker Roast Chicken too.

I love to serve either my No Bake Lemon Cheesecake or my No Bake Lime Cheesecake for afters. Goes down a casual dinner party storm.

I don't add any fresh chillies to it as I am a wimp but you could add a tsp/tbsp of chilli paste to the dressing depending on the heat in the paste and your palate.

I like the gentle heat from the sweet chilli sauce but I know that I am a real spice big girl's blouse.

It serves four/six as a main meal or 8 as a side. But leftovers are never a bad thing so I make it as it is in the recipe and then enjoy it for lunch etc the next day.

If you fancy a bit of that then you might fancy a bit of this

Chicken Caesar Salad

Panzanella

Salmon Pasta Salad

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Potato Salad

Moroccan Cous Cous Salad

Coronation Chicken Salad

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Do let me know how you got on in the comments below. I do love a good old hairy chinwag.