Crisp peppers, cabbage, carrots and cucumber, and crunchy peanuts are all tossed together with rice vermicelli and a spicy Thai-style peanut sauce in this Super Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad.
I’ve been making this Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad for years, but when I searched for it here on Flavour & Savour, I discovered I had never shared it with you. It’s a long-time favourite of ours. It has vibrant colours, contrasting textures, and you can make it as spicy or as mild as you like. I made a big bowl for our family dinner on the weekend and served my Easy Thai Chicken Skewers alongside.
This salad is healthy enough for a weeknight family dinner and elegant and interesting enough for a dinner party. It’s a popular potluck offering because everyone loves it! Not only that, it’s gluten-free and it can be paleo too, if you replace the peanut sauce with cashew cream or avocado cream or a dressing of your choice.
Crisp peppers, cabbage, carrots and cucumber, and crunchy peanuts are all tossed together with rice vermicelli and a spicy Thai-style peanut sauce. Make it as spicy or as mild as you like by adjusting the amount of chili sauce in the recipe. This Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad is simple to prepare and you can make most of it in advance.
Just break down the recipe into these steps:
1. Prepare the Easy Thai Chicken Skewers (if using)
Find the recipe for the marinade and the grilling instructions here. This Crunchy Thai Salad is also great with fresh shrimp or prawns.
2. Make the Spicy Peanut Sauce
Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Save the remaining half of the can of coconut milk for another use, or toss it in your morning smoothie. You can make the peanut sauce a few days in advance as it keeps well in the refrigerator.
3. Cook the rice noodles
Put the vermicelli in a large pot of boiling water and cook for 3 – 4 minutes, stirring once after 2 minutes to break up the noodles. Drain, rinse thoroughly in cold water, and set aside.
4. Chop the vegetables and toss the salad
Use a julienne cutter or very sharp knife to slice the vegetables. Seed the cucumber to avoid too much water in the salad. Toss the vegetables and the rice noodles together and toss with the peanut sauce just before serving with the Thai Chicken Skewers.
Crisp peppers, cabbage, carrots and cucumber, crunchy peanuts are all tossed together with rice vermicelli and a spicy Thai-style peanut sauce in this Super Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad.
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ½ 14 oz can coconut milk
- ¼ cup coconut aminos, or soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 - 1/2 inch slice of fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 1 12-ounce package vermicelli rice noodles
- 3 cups very finely sliced Napa cabbage
- 1 cup very finely sliced purple cabbage
- 4 large carrots, julienne cut or shredded
- 2 red bell peppers, very thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, very thinly sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper, very thinly sliced
- 1 long English cucumber, seeded
- 8 green onions, chopped
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
- 1 cup sesame seeds optional
- Prepare the Spicy Peanut Sauce first. This can be made up to a few days in advance. Blend all peanut sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Set aside if using right away, or refrigerate (or freeze) if making it in advance.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rice vermicelli to water and cook for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes to break up noodles. Remove from heat, drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Set aside.
Prepare all vegetables and transfer to a large bowl with the cooled noodles. Just before serving, toss with the peanut sauce and garnish with cilantro, peanuts, and optional sesame seeds.
- Make it a complete meal by serving with Easy Thai Chicken Skewers.
Kitchen tools I used to make this Super Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad
Do you have a herb keeper like this one? I am continually amazed at how long it keeps herbs fresh! I used to buy a bunch of cilantro for a recipe, use half of it and find the other half turned to slime in the refrigerator a few days later. This herb keeper has paid for itself several times over.
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Karen Ahmed says
I love Thai and this is so colorful
Flavour & Savour says
Hi Karen,
Honestly, I think I could eat Thai food every day!
Mel @ The Refreshanista says
Wow, this salad looks so vibrant! And I love anything that has a peanut sauce on top so this looks super delicious 🙂
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks Mel,
I’m a peanut sauce fan too!
Samantha @mykitchenlove says
This recipe comes off as totally bright and flavourful! Even the chicken looks juicy! Love the addition of the peanut sauce.
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks Samantha! It’s a favourite meal around here.
Tom M says
Should the salad be reheated before serving leftovers? It looks clumpy cold.
Flavour & Savour says
Hi Tom,
Thanks for your question. I hope I can clear things up for you. I serve this as a cold salad as a side dish for the chicken skewers. The rice noodles are cooked, of course, but they’re rinsed in cold water and set aside to cool before adding to the salad. If they’re looking “clumpy” as you said, the only thing I can think of is that the starch from the noodles needed to be rinsed more thoroughly. I don’t know what it would be like reheated, as I’ve never tried it that way. I sure hope this helps a bit!