Peanut-Lime Thai Noodle Salad
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Crunchy, colorful and flavor-packed vegan Thai noodle salad with a red cabbage slaw with kale and Thai noodles tossed in a tangy peanut-lime dressing.
This fresh and simple Thai Noodle Salad recipe packs in a ton of flavor and crunch in every bite.
It starts with Pad Thai-style noodles tossed with a slaw made with shredded red cabbage and chopped kale. The salad comes together with a super-tangy peanut dressing with just the right amount of spice.
I l-o-v-e eating one-bowl meals that feel light yet satisfying, and are full of tasty umami-loaded ingredients.
This combination noodle salad + cabbage slaw pushes all the buttons for me.
I promise you that the combination of crisp, cool texture from the vegetables and peanuts along with and sweet-sour flavors will have you hooked right away, too!
How to make the slaw
This vibrant Asian cabbage slaw is completely vegan, made with a mix of colorful vegetables you can grab straight from the produce drawer of your fridge:
- Red cabbage
- Curly green or purple kale
- Bell pepper – I used purple but any color is great
- Red onion
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Cooked noodles: Hokkein, udon, ramen or pad-thai rice noodles
- Optional: Add in a handful of any other leftover vegetable bits you might have on hand, such as matchstick-sliced carrots, snow peas or snap peas.
Peanut-Lime dressing
The secret sauce behind this flavor bomb salad is a dressing that bursts with tangy fresh lime Here’s what you need:
- Fresh lime juice
- Tamari (gluten-free) or soy sauce
- Toasted peanut or sesame oil
- Roasted unsalted peanuts (cashews work well too)
- Maple syrup
- Korean chili pepper (gochugaru) is a crushed red chili pepper that has a mild heat. You can use crushed red chili pepper flakes or cayenne instead (but use less).
- Chopped shallot and cilantro
- Thai peanut sauce (if you’re not using the Annie Chun’s Noodle Bowl which comes with a sauce packet, use your favorite brand of peanut sauce instead).
Assembling the noodle salad
After you’ve gathered your ingredients and whisked the dressing, you can mix the slaw in a matter of minutes.
Cabbage slaws are perfect to make ahead because they hold up well for hours, and up a day or two refrigerated. Because time allows the sturdy cabbage to absorb the flavor, they often taste even better!
More Asian-inspired dishes to crave:
Peanut-Lime Thai Noodle Salad
Ingredients
Thai Peanut Dressing
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
- 1 tablespoon toasted peanut or sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon roasted unsalted peanuts or cashews , crushed
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Korean chili pepper (gochugaru) or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Thai peanut sauce (if you're not using Annie Chun's Noodle Bowl)
Slaw
- 1 package Annie Chun's Thai-Style Pad Thai Noodle Bowl or 1 1/2 cups cooked udon, ramen or pad Thai noodles
- 2 cups (175 g) shredded red cabbage
- 2 cups (135 g) green or purple kale, sliced into ribbons
- ½ cup (80 g) thinly sliced red onion
- ½ red or purple bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 2 tablespoons crushed unsalted peanuts or cashews (if not using a Noodle Bowl)
Instructions
Make the dressing
- Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until blended. Add the peanut sauce only if you're not using an Annie Chun's Noodle Bowl.
Make the slaw
- Heat the noodles and topping packet according to package directions, using 2 tablespoons water. Transfer to a serving bowl and toss with the peanut sauce packet. Set aside to cool, about 10 minutes. Skip this if you're using other pre-cooked noodles – just add them to a serving bowl.
- Add the cabbage, kale, onion, bell pepper and dressing to the noodles and toss together with tongs. Top with the Pad Thai peanut packet (or 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts or cashews) and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about making cooking fun and doable, with easy to follow tested recipes and incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
Thanks for sharing this! It sounds delicious – probably because I immediately salivate over anything containing peanut butter, whether that be sweet or savoury. This recipe sounds like a healthy way to satisfy my satay cravings 🙂