April 25, 2025
I know it might sound weird, but salads are my favorite food.
Not the sad little side salads. I mean the big, colorful, satisfying kind—the kind that feels like a meal, not a compromise. So when I find one that’s vegetarian (so my daughters can eat it), full of veggies and protein, and drizzled with a creamy peanut butter dressing? I’m hooked.
This Vegan Thai Peanut Salad has officially entered the rotation at our house.
I actually found it in the most 2025 way possible: a Facebook post with no link, just a picture and a recipe in the caption. So I took a screenshot, tucked it away, and finally made a Trader Joe’s run to gather everything. We devoured it. The next week, I made it again.
The first time, I misread the ingredients and added both tofu and chickpeas. Turns out, we love it that way. Now the girls specifically request an extra block of tofu every time I make it. (If you’re looking for a great way to prepare tofu, here’s my go-to.)
This recipe makes a generous amount, but the leftovers are delicious—just the kind of lunch you’ll actually look forward to.
Vegan Thai Peanut Salad
A bright, crunchy, flavor-packed salad with protein, texture, and a creamy, tangy-sweet peanut dressing. This one hits every note.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 4 cups Mixed Greens or Shredded Romaine (I usually use 1–2 cups)
- 1 cup Shredded Red Cabbage (or a 10 oz. bag of cabbage mix from Trader Joe’s)
- 1 cup Shredded Carrots (10 oz. bag from Trader Joe’s)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 Cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 cup Cooked, Shelled Edamame (10 oz. frozen bag works great)
- 1 can (15 oz) Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 block Baked Tofu, cubed (or use both tofu and chickpeas like we do)
- ½ cup Fresh Cilantro, leaves picked
- ¼ cup Fresh Mint Leaves, leaves picked
- 3 Scallions, thinly sliced
- Optional: Chopped Roasted Peanuts for topping
For the Creamy Vegan Peanut Dressing:
- ½ cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- ¼ cup Fresh Lime Juice
- ¼ cup Water (more if needed to thin)
- 3 tbsp Tamari or Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar
- 1 tbsp Grated Fresh Ginger
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
Directions
- Build the salad base: In a large bowl, combine your mixed greens, cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, cucumber, edamame, chickpeas, and tofu.
- Add the herbs and scallions: Toss in the fresh cilantro, mint, and sliced scallions.
- Make the dressing: In a bowl or jar, whisk (or shake) together the peanut butter, lime juice, water, tamari, maple syrup, ginger, and garlic until smooth and creamy. Add water a tablespoon at a time if you need to thin it out.
- Toss everything together: Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat.
- Top it off: Sprinkle with chopped roasted peanuts just before serving, if you’d like.
- Serve immediately—or chill for a bit to let the flavors really meld.
Why It Works
This salad is a meal. It’s got plant-based protein, crunchy veggies, a dressing that tastes like something you’d get at a Thai restaurant, and enough leftovers to make your next lunch effortless. And the best part? It’s totally customizable. Sub in kale, add rice noodles, swap the edamame for tempeh—go wild.
For us, it’s a weeknight winner and a weekend craving.
Let me know if you try it—and definitely tell me if you make your own happy accident version like we did. You might just stumble into something even better than the original.
