Recipe Background
This Crunchy Thai Salad pairs thoughtful textures with a creamy, spicy dressing.
Graduating college is one of those mixed-feelings kind of milestones. I vividly remember the whirlwind that was my graduation dinner, a joyful chaos with friends and family all crammed into my tiny dining area. Among the celebratory dishes, my now-favorite Crunchy Thai Salad was born out of necessity and a bit of leftover inspiration. My shelves seemed perpetually stocked with napa and red cabbage back then, the kale often thrown in as a nod to health. Slicing them up felt therapeutic amidst the alumni chatter.
The dressing turned out to be a game-changer, quite literally a blend of everything I loved. A long-forgotten jar of creamy peanut butter was quickly transformed with lime juice, compelling me to scrape out every last bit. Maple syrup was my sweetener of choice that day, adding a gentle touch of sweetness. I blended it with ginger and garlic, letting the purée work its magic, creating a smooth, cohesive dressing that could effortlessly coat the layers. Pro tip: adding a splash of water tamed the thickness, making it just right for drizzling.
Seasoned with a bit of salt and sriracha, the resultant dressing became the hero of that evening, charming even the pickiest of my cousins. A sprinkle of chopped peanuts was the finale, providing a loud crunch that topped off the endless laughter echoing around the room. Even now, every time I toss kale and red bell peppers into a bowl, I'm spirited back to that vibrant night of new beginnings and crispy, flavorful bites shared with loved ones.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 cups kale sliced
- 1 1/2 cups napa cabbage sliced
- 1 1/2 cups red cabbage sliced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 cup carrots shredded
- 1 mango sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 8 mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon green onions sliced
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon water plus more, to taste
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts roughly chopped, for topping
Directions
- In a large bowl, add the kale, the napa cabbage, the red cabbage, the bell pepper, the carrots, the mango, the cilantro, the mint, and the green onions.
- In a blender, add the peanut butter, the lime juice, the honey, the rice wine vinegar, the soy sauce, the sesame oil, the sriracha, the ginger, the garlic, and 1 tablespoon of the water.
- Purée the dressing mixture until smooth and combined, about 1 minute.
- Add more of the water if needed to thin out the dressing.
- Season the dressing with the salt and the pepper.
- Gradually add enough dressing to coat the salad and toss to combine.
- Once combined, drizzle the salad with any remaining dressing.
- Top with more of the pepper and the chopped peanuts.
- Serve.
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