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Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

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This bright and easy Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce is both refreshing and quick to make! Combining rice noodles with crisp vegetables like carrots, red cabbage, and bell peppers, all tossed in a rich peanut sauce made with peanut butter, lime juice, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Protein-rich edamame and fresh herbs add nutritional value, making this vegan, gluten-free salad perfect for a hearty lunch, light dinner, or a standout dish at your next gathering.
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Thai Peanut Noodle Salad Recipe

Who doesn’t love a meal that is paired with peanut sauce? I for one will always go for a cold noodle salad in the heat of spring and summer as it’s refreshing, easy to make and always provides a satisfying flavor! This Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce is a recipe that embodies Southeast Asian flavors, and a variety of colorful ingredients. Each bite offers a unique blend of crunchy vegetables and silky smooth peanut dressing, providing a delicious mix of textures.

If eating the rainbow and adding more color to your dishes is a goal – then get this noodle salad recipe into your rotation! This salad not only satisfies the palate with its bright and bold flavors but it’s also a health-conscious dinner option. The perfect blend of cooked and cooled rice noodles with a vibrant mix of julienned carrots, shredded red cabbage, and thinly sliced bell peppers, juicy mango, offering a crunchy texture contrasted by the soft noodles. Rich in plant-based protein, shelled edamame adds a satisfying chew to the dish, while a sprinkle of cilantro and mint leaves infuses it with aromatic freshness. The salad is topped off with crunchy roasted peanuts for an added bite.

Ingredients for Thai Noodle Salad

  • Rice Noodles: These gluten free noodles are a staple in Asian cuisine. Best known for their light, delicate texture that pairs well with bold flavors. 
  • Carrots: Add a sweet, earthy flavor and a vibrant orange color to the dish. When julienned or shredded, they provide a delightful and fresh crunch.
  • Red Cabbage: Brings a pop of color and a slight peppery taste to the salad. Its crunchy texture holds up well in the dressing, adding volume and fiber to the dish.
  • Red Bell Pepper: These sweet and juicy peppers provide a nice textural contrast and a burst of vibrant red color. Their sweetness complements the spicy and tangy elements of the peanut sauce.
  • Mango: This vibrant tropical fruit adds a natural sweetness, a juicy texture and a bright, cheerful color to the noodle salad. 
  • Shelled Edamame: Rich in protein and fiber, it contributes a hearty element to the salad. Their mild flavor and slightly crunchy texture make them a nutritious and satisfying addition.
  • Cilantro Leaves: Offers a burst of fresh, citrusy flavor that brightens up the dish. The chopped leaves sprinkle through the salad, infusing it with their distinctive herbal aroma.
  • Mint Leaves: Mint adds a cool, refreshing note to the salad, complementing the spice and tang of the dressing. 
  • Roasted Peanuts: A classic topping for many Thai dishes; roasted peanuts provide a crunchy texture and a nutty flavor that ties the dish together.
  • Creamy Peanut Butter: Peanut butter forms the base of the dressing, offering a creamy texture and deep, nutty flavor that anchors the dish. 
  • Lime Juice: Lime juice adds a tangy zest, cutting through the richness of the peanut butter with its bright acidity. It helps balance the flavors, ensuring the salad feels light and refreshing.
  • Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar brings a mild sweetness and a subtle tang to the dressing, enhancing its complexity. It works with the lime juice to provide a vibrant acidity that complements the richer ingredients.
  • Sriracha: Sriracha sauce introduces a spicy kick to the dressing and deepens the overall taste of the salad. Adjust to your personal preference.
  • Maple Syrup: Maple syrup offers natural sweetness that tempers the heat of the sriracha and the acidity of the lime and vinegar. 
  • Coconut Aminos or Tamari: Coconut aminos provide a slightly sweet, savory flavor that’s a soy-free alternative to soy sauce, while tamari, a gluten-free soy sauce, adds depth and umami to the dressing. 
  • Water: Water is used to adjust the consistency of the peanut dressing.
sliced mint on a cutting board

How To Make Thai Noodle Salad

To create your Thai Noodle Salad, begin by tossing the cooked and cooled rice noodles with freshly prepared vegetables, shelled edamame, and aromatic herbs in a large bowl. This mix provides a vibrant base of textures and flavors, ready to be enriched with the dressing. Next, prepare the peanut sauce by combining peanut butter, lime juice, rice vinegar, sriracha, maple syrup, and tamari in a separate jar. Whisk these ingredients together until you achieve a creamy, tangy blend with just the right balance of sweetness and spice.

Once your dressing is mixed to perfection, adjust its consistency by adding a little water bit by bit. You want to achieve a consistency that easily coats both the noodles and vegetables without clumping. Drizzle the dressing over your salad, tossing everything together to ensure each noodle and vegetable piece is beautifully coated. 

fresh cilantro bunch on a cutting board

What Are the Best Noodles to Buy

For the best version of this cold Thai Noodle Salad, I highly suggest choosing flat rice noodles. They hold up well under the dressing and mix nicely with the bulkier components of the salad. These noodles are ideal for soaking up the rich flavors of the peanut sauce while maintaining their texture. They come in various widths so choose whichever one is readily available!

Can I Make This Salad Ahead of Time

Yes, this Thai Noodle Salad is excellent for meal prep. Assemble the salad components in a bowl and keep the dressing separate, then mix them just before serving to maintain the freshness and crunch of the vegetables. I love dividing the salad into several containers so that I can just grab one out when I’m ready to eat and drizzle with dressing before eating!

Why You’ll Love This Cold Noodle Dish

This salad’s versatility and delightful combination of ingredients make it a refreshing option for any occasion. The fact that it can easily be prepared ahead of time and assembled before eating makes it a wonderful choice for social events or a weekly meal prep. If you’re a fan of hot Thai dishes, give this one a try and see what the hype is all about with these delicious cold noodle salads!

If you liked this recipe make sure you leave a comment and rating below!

If you’re looking for more easy plant based recipes, be sure to try these other fresh and easy salads:

Crunchy Kale Salad

High Protein Citrus Salad

Coconut Crusted Tofu

Jackie Akerberg

Author of the Clean Vegan Cookbook, Food Blogger and Recipe Developer from Des Moines, Iowa. 

Jackfruitful Kitchen has proudly been featured in Forks Over Knives, Vegan Bowls, Vegan Food and Living, and DSM Magazine.

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Thai noodle salad ingredients arranged in a bowl with rice noodles, edamame, peanuts, carrots, peppers, cabbage, and herbs
Jackie Akerberg

Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

5 from 4 votes
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This bright and easy Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce is refreshing and quick to make! Combining rice noodles with crisp vegetables like carrots, red cabbage, and bell peppers, all tossed in a rich peanut sauce made with peanut butter, lime juice, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Protein-rich edamame and fresh herbs add nutritional value, making this vegan, gluten-free salad perfect for a hearty lunch, light dinner, or a standout dish at your next gathering.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Course: Dinner, lunch, Main Course, Salad
Calories: 946

Equipment

  • stove

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz rice noodles, cooked and cooled*
  • 1 carrot, julienned or shredded
  • 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 yellow mangoes, thinly sliced
  • 1½ cups shelled edamame
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  • ½ cup mint leaves, chopped
  • ½ cup roasted salted peanuts
Peanut Sauce Ingredients
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sriracha
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp coconut aminos, or tamari
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • water, as needed, to thin

Method
 

  1. Add all ingredients for salad to a large bowl. Set aside.
  2. Add all ingredients for dressing to a jar and whisk to combine. Season to taste and thin with water if desired.
  3. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Enjoy right away! If preparing for meal prep in advance, wait until right before serving to dress.

Notes

*Once noodles have cooled, rinse them with water and drain completely to prevent from sticking.

Nutrition

Serving 1servingCalories 946kcalCarbohydrates 131gProtein 29gFat 38gSaturated Fat 6gPolyunsaturated Fat 10gMonounsaturated Fat 17gSodium 802mgPotassium 1386mgFiber 14gSugar 42gVitamin A 7163IUVitamin C 134mgCalcium 205mgIron 5mg

*Macros are provided as an estimate for convenience. Your final numbers will vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and how you portion the recipe.

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12 Responses

  2. 5 stars
    We love this salad. Have you ever layered it in the jar? Would the noodles be ok sitting in the sauce for a while?

    Reply

    1. Hey Chava, I haven’t tried this recipe in a jar but if you’re thinking about meal prepping I think it would be just fine for a day or two. Perhaps you could slightly undercook your noodles as they will likely soak up a lot of your sauce. Alternatively you can keep the sauce separate and then just add the sauce before mixing the salad! Let me know how it goes 🙂

      Reply
5 from 4 votes

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