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Spicy Thai Crunch Salad with Rice Noodles and Cilantro

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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 hearty portions

Equipment

  • Medium pot for cooking rice noodles
  • Large Mixing Bowl to toss everything together
  • Small whisk or blender for emulsifying the peanut dressing
  • Chef’s knife and cutting board for slicing and prepping your veggies
  • Vegetable peeler or spiralizer helpful for julienning carrots and cucumbers
  • Salad spinner (optional) to keep shredded cabbage crisp and dry

Ingredients
  

For the Salad Base

  • 5 oz rice noodles thin pad Thai-style
  • 1 ½ cups red cabbage thinly shredded
  • 1 ½ cups Napa cabbage or green cabbage shredded
  • 1 large carrot julienned or spiralized
  • 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
  • 1 cup shelled edamame cooked and cooled
  • 1 cucumber seeded and julienned
  • ¾ cup cilantro leaves roughly chopped
  • ½ cup scallions sliced thin
  • ½ cup roasted peanuts chopped
  • 1 cup crispy wonton strips or crushed ramen noodles optional, for added crunch

For the Spicy Peanut Dressing

  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • ½ teaspoon chili-garlic sauce or Sriracha adjust to heat preference
  • 2 –4 tablespoons warm water to thin

Optional Protein Add-Ons

  • 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken for a thai peanut chicken crunch salad
  • 1 cup grilled tofu or tempeh slices

Instructions
 

Cook the Rice Noodles

  1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add rice noodles and cook according to package instructions (typically 4–5 minutes for thin noodles). Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Toss with a tiny splash of sesame oil to prevent sticking and set aside.

Prepare the Dressing

  1. In a small bowl or blender, combine peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, and chili-garlic sauce. Blend or whisk until smooth. Add warm water a tablespoon at a time to reach your desired consistency. It should be creamy yet pourable.

Chop the Vegetables

  1. While the noodles cool, prep your veggies: shred both cabbages, julienne or spiralize carrots and cucumber, thinly slice red pepper and scallions, and roughly chop cilantro and peanuts. If using edamame, make sure it’s cooked and chilled.

Assemble the Salad

  1. In a large bowl, toss together the rice noodles, all the vegetables, cilantro, and peanuts. If using chicken or tofu, add that in now. Drizzle about two-thirds of the peanut dressing over the salad and toss well to coat. Taste and adjust with more dressing, salt, or spice as needed.

Top It Off

  1. Serve immediately topped with crispy wonton strips, extra chopped peanuts, or even crushed ramen noodles for that crunchy Asian salad vibe. Add a few cilantro sprigs and a final drizzle of peanut dressing to finish.