Crunchy Quinoa Salad with Peanut Lime Dressing

This Crunchy Quinoa Salad with Peanut Lime Dressing is the crunchiest, most delicious meal prep salad ever. I’m always in the mood for a salad with a ton of texture & crunch, and peanut dressings are my love language. This is a recipe I make time and time again, and it’s always a crowd pleaser. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days, so it makes a great lunch to bring to work. So many textures and flavors going on - you will love this!

Course Lunch, Main, Main Course, Salad, Side, Side Dish

Cuisine Asian Inspired

Keyword crunchy quinoa salad, crunchy quinoa thai salad, peanut lime dressing, quinoa crunch salad, quinoa peanut salad, quinoa salad, quinoa salad with nuts

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 6

Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

For the salad:

¾ cup quinoa
1⅓ cup water
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup diced cucumber
1 cup shredded red cabbage
2 scallions, thinly sliced, plus extra for serving
¾ cup shelled edamame
¼ cup chopped roasted salted cashews, plus extra for serving
¼ cup chopped roasted salted peanuts, plus extra for serving
¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus extra for serving
salt to taste

For the peanut lime dressing:

¼ cup creamy peanut butter (the natural, drippy kind)
juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. water, to thin (if needed)

Instructions

Begin by cooking the quinoa. In a medium saucepan with a lid, bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa, stir, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15-17 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff quinoa with a fork and let cool.
While quinoa is cooking, make the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey, and sesame oil until smooth. If needed, add a tablespoon or two of water to thin the dressing to your desired consistency. Season to taste with a pinch of salt if needed.
To assemble the salad, add the bell pepper, carrots, cucumber, cabbage, scallions, edamame, cashews, peanuts, cilantro, and cooled quinoa to a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing and toss until completely coated. Season the salad with a couple pinches of salt, to taste, and toss again to combine. Serve with extra chopped scallions and cilantro, and chopped peanuts and/or cashews.

Recipe Notes

*If you like a lot of dressing, double it! It makes just enough for the salad with no extra. Sometimes I like to double it and drizzle more on top for serving!

*If you're making this salad ahead of time, I'd recommend keeping the dressing and nuts separate, to keep the salad as crunchy and fresh as possible!

*The quinoa can be made a couple days in advance and keep in the fridge until ready to use!