Packed with colorful veggies and a tangy sesame ginger lime dressing, this Thai chopped salad is the best balanced recipe that's also meal prep friendly!
Thai food is one of my favourite cuisines to explore in Toronto. I love exploring other cultures through their traditional foods, and Thailand is no exception! This Thai chopped salad is in no way traditional, but a delicious salad inspired by Thai flavour. It's crunchy, colorful, and balanced with carbs, plant-based protein and healthy fats. Tossed with the best tangy sesame ginger lime dressing, it's a salad you'll crave!
The best part about this Thai chopped salad is that it's meal prep friendly. Salads are such an easy packed lunch, but it's always disappointing when they get soggy by noon. That won't happen here! Thanks to our base of cruciferous veggies and sturdy kale, this salad actually tastes even better the longer it marinates in the dressing. You'll be looking forward to lunch all morning!
Ingredients
Salad base:
- White quinoa
- Shelled edamame
- Purple cabbage
- Carrots
- Curly kale
- Cucumber
Optional flavour boosters:
- Cilantro
- Roasted peanuts
- Green onions
- Jalapeno
Dressing:
- Olive oil
- Sesame oil
- Lime juice
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Honey
- White vinegar
- Water
Instructions
In a large bowl, mix together all salad ingredients.
To make the dressing, whisk together all dressing ingredients in a medium sized bowl or measuring cup. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
Once the salad is thoroughly coated in the dressing, sprinkle with optional toppings such as cilantro, roasted peanuts, green onions and jalapeno!
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce in the dressing.
To make vegan: Swap honey for maple syrup in the dressing.
To make nut-free: Swap peanuts for roasted sunflower seeds or tortilla strip to keep the crunch factor.
Storage
This is the perfect meal prep salad! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Food processor (handy for shredding cabbage and carrots)
- Salad chopper (optional)
Top Tip
I already hinted to this earlier, but this Thai chopped salad tastes even better if you make it ahead of time and let it sit for a couple hours. Unlike most salads that get soggy, thanks to the use of cabbage and kale as the base, it won't get soggy and will absorb more of the flavour of the dressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! The great thing about this salad is it's the perfect balance of vegetables (for fibre, fullness and vitamins), quinoa (for carbohydrates) and edamame (for protein). Plus, the dressing contains healthy fats! This is truly the PERFECT balanced salad to satisfy your hunger and provide lasting energy to power you through your day.
As much as I love eating this salad on it's own, it also is such a great addition to a wrap! Simply add a large serving spoonful of salad into the center of a tortilla and wrap it up with other fillings of choice.
It also works great as a dip. As all the components are chopped thinly, you can serve it with some low-sodium tortilla chips for the perfect refreshing summer snack!
Yes of course! Grilled/crispy chicken or even steak would make an amazing addition to this salad.
More Yummy Salad Recipes
Are you a big salad fan? Give these recipes a try:
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this Thai chopped salad, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Thai Chopped Salad (Meal Prep Friendly)
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 1 cup cooked white quinoa about ½ cup dry
- 2 cups defrosted frozen edamame beans
- 2 cups purple cabbage shredded (about ½ a medium head of cabbage)
- 2 cups carrots shredded
- 1 cup curly kale chopped (stems removed)
- 1 cup cucumber diced
Optional Toppers
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ½ cup roasted peanuts chopped
- ⅓ cup diced green onions
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno diced
Sesame Ginger Lime Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Juice of ½ a lime about 1 tbsp
- 1 inch of fresh ginger grated
- 3 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together all salad ingredients.
- To make the dressing, whisk together all dressing ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
- Once the salad is thoroughly coated in the dressing, sprinkle with optional toppers such as cilantro, roasted peanuts, green onions and jalapeno!
Mel says
This salad is delicious!! I made it for a potluck at work and 5 of my coworkers requested the recipe!! Everyone loved it.
Dan says
Wait if 8 cups makes 4 serves. And this recipe calls for 125ml of olive oil, that’s actually 30ml of olive oil per serve. Which equals 240 calories from 28g of fat PER SERVE. WOW. I don’t think ppl realise this isn’t the “healthy” recipe option they think it is. Also pretty deceptive to put it in “cups” and then do nutritional info on “cups” when it should be per serve (which you’ve stated is around 2 cups)
Nicole Addison says
Hi there Dan,
There is only 1/4 cup of olive oil which equates to 60mL! The nutritional information provided is per two cups (serving) so you do not need to double any calculations and no deceptiveness here- to make it easier I have also changed the yield value to the amount of total servings so I appreciate the feedback!
Jackie says
Loved this recipe! The dressing is delicious and it came together so easily. Paired it with the ginger chicken meatballs and it was so good.
Lisa says
I love this recipe but I would leave out the word “dry” for the quinoa. I got confused and thought it meant 1 cup of dry quinoa instead of cooked because it’s saying 2 opposing things at the same time. I’ve only ever tried it with a mountain of quinoa. Today I’ll try it with less as intended
Nicole Addison says
Hi Lisa! thank you for the feedback, it's always good to hear how someone else may have been interpreting something!
Wendy Bell says
OMG this salad is delicious!
Mike drop !