Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad
Mar 24, 2015 in dairy-free, epicurious, recipes, salads, taste, vegan, vegetarian, broccoli, carrots, peanut butter. Read the original on: Simply Quinoa
Visiting Thailand has always been a dream of mine. There’s just something about the country that I feel drawn to. Perhaps it’s because they call it “The Land of Smilesâ€, or maybe it’s the fact that you can ride elephants, or the fact that it has some of the world’s most stunning beaches, OR the fact that I’m simply obsessed with Thai food. And the list goes on…
But while I can’t necessarily help you ride elephants or bask in the Thai sun, I can bring you delicious recipes that reflect this healthy cuisine.
Up on the menu today? This Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad.
It kind of reminds me of super healthy version of Pad Thai. Like a Pad Thai but in crunchy salad form.
The blend of vegetables gives the salad the perfect mixture of flavors and textures. The carrots and bell peppers bring a hint of sweetness, while the broccoli and spinach add their brilliant earthy flavors, which is all balanced out with the brightness from the green onions. And then there’s the quinoa which makes the whole salad feel fluffy and light, and the peanuts for some added crunch.
But what makes this salad distinctly Thai-inspired is the wonderful peanut-y dressing. A typical Pad Thai dressing is made with many ingredients that I simply don’t use in my own kitchen anymore – fish sauce, refined sugar, processed peanut butter and soy sauce being a few of them. So instead of the traditional route, I went for a clean eating version and made a simple dressing that boasts a ton of flavor and brings this whole salad to life.
The dressing uses just five ingredients, is healthy, and is gluten-free and vegan. It starts with a blend of organic crunchy peanut butter, toasted sesame oil and gluten-free tamari. Then for some acidity I added in brown rice vinegar and lime juice. It’s creamy, nutty and just delicious!
And drizzled over this quinoa salad? Oh my. To die for.
So let’s take a little mental vacation, my friends and take ourselves to Thailand where soaking up the sun, riding elephants and eating this awesome quinoa salad. Sounds pretty perfect, doesn’t it?
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Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 - 6 servings
Ingredients
for the salad:
3 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup broccoli florets, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup red bell pepper, julienned and cut into 2" strips
1 cup spinach, chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped (optional)
Dressing
for the dressing:
2 tablespoons organic peanut butter
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon gluten-free tamari
1 teaspoon brown rice vinegar
Juice of half a lime
2 - 3 tablespoons water (to thin the dressing)
Instructions
- Add all the salad ingredients into a large bowl, minus the broccoli and dressing.
- Gently steam the broccoli for 2 minutes (or 40 seconds in the microwave) and transfer to the salad bowl. Toss ingredients together to combine.
- Drizzle dressing over salad and toss again until everything is incorporated and evenly covered by the dressing.
- Serve immediately or store in fridge and serve when desired.
- Enjoy!
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The post Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad appeared first on Simply Quinoa.
Read the original on: Simply Quinoa
Simply Quinoa, Alyssa Rimmer
I'm Alyssa, the writer and photographer behind the gluten-free website Simply Quinoa. My passion is creating wholesome, nutrient-rich recipes all with a little quinoa twist.
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