This Thai Quinoa Salad comes together in less than 30 minutes and is a total crowd pleaser! Quinoa, veggies, herbs and cashews get mixed up and topped off with a creamy sesame tahini vinaigrette. It’s a healthy recipe that’s vegan and gluten-free!
A healthy quinoa salad recipe
There’s nothing I love more than having an easy healthy lunch or dinner on the table in under 30 minutes on those bust weekdays.
Quinoa is one of my favourite go-to ingredients to use in a healthy meal. It takes 15 minutes to cook, is gluten-free, high in protein, high in fibre and has a ton of nutritional benefits.
It’s a great versatile ingredient that can be used in chillis, enjoyed for breakfast or made into delicious salads!
This recipe for Thai Quinoa Salad is made with a mix of quinoa, veggies and herbs and is topped off with a super creamy sesame tahini dressing. This salad is versatile and can be adapted to add any veggies you love to it or topped off with your favourite lean protein if you’re looking for a more complete meal.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This quinoa salad is healthy, vegan and gluten-free so everyone can enjoy it!
- It’s a great recipe to make for meal-prep and stores well in the fridge for up to a week.
- The combination of quinoa, edamame, cashews and tahini is packed with protein, so this salad will keep you feeling full and satiated throughout the day.
Ingredients in a Thai Quinoa salad
- Quinoa
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Red pepper (or any colour pepper you love)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Cashews
- Herbs
This recipe is super versatile, and you can add in any ingredients you love to it. Here are some optional ingredients you can try adding in:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Snow peas
- Cubed tofu
- Chickpeas
How to make Thai Quinoa Salad
Add the cooked quinoa to a large mixing bowl with the other salad ingredients chopped up.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together then pour the salad dressing into the bowl and mix everything together until well combined.
Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge!
Tips for making this recipe perfectly
- Let the quinoa cool completely before adding it to the mixing bowl. Hot quinoa will make all the veggies hot.
- When making the salad dressing, look for traditional tahini that is runny, not a tahini spread. Runny tahini will be much easier to blend up into a dressing. If your dressing is too thick, simply add a couple of tablespoons of water and mix together.
- If you want to make this recipe for meal prep, store the salad and the dressing separately and mix together when you’re ready to enjoy to maximize freshness.
More quinoa salads to try
If you tried this Thai Quinoa Salad or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
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This Thai quinoa salad comes together in less than 30 minutes for a delicious healthy meal!
Ingredients
- 2 cups quinoa, cooked
- 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup carrots, grated
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup cucumber, chopped
- 1/2 cup steamed edamame beans
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 1 large handful basil leaves, chopped
- 1 large handful cilantro leaves, chopped
Creamy sesame ginger dressing
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 2–3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Mix all the quinoa salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside while you prepare the dressing.
- Mix all the salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or small blender until smooth and creamy. If you’re dressing is too thick, add a bit more water.
- Pour the dressing onto the quinoa salad and mix together unitl combined.
Notes
Let the quinoa cool completely before adding it to the mixing bowl. Hot quinoa will make all the veggies hot.
When making the salad dressing, look for traditional tahini that is runny, not a tahini spread. Runny tahini will be much easier to blend up into a dressing. If your dressing is too thick, simply add a couple of tablespoons of water and mix together.
If you want to make this recipe for meal prep, store the salad and the dressing separately and mix together when you’re ready to enjoy to maximize freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6th recipe
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 10g
Keywords: Quinoa salad recipe, thai salad recipe, healthy quinoa recipe
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Love this recipe. It’s a staple in our home.
★★★★★
Thank you so much Naomi, glad to hear you love it! 🙂
I made this for meal prep this week and it was so yummy! I made the dressing and as soon as I tasted it, I made a second batch! highly recommend this recipe!
★★★★
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for the kind review, Natalia!
I love flavors like this when I’m trying to eat a bit healthier! Also a great meal prep option!