Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut & Ginger

I discovered a new quinoa recipe a few weeks back. I could not hold myself back to share the recipe with others as I find it very healthy and crunchy. If you are a vegan and prefer a gluten-free diet then you will definitely like to give it a try. Once you will get the taste and health benefits, you cannot resist yourself to include it in your diet. Do not be impatient; I am going to share my discovery with you.

I am telling you about a salad which is prepared by cabbage, carrots, quinoa, cilantro, red pepper, onion, and many more. Mixture all these above ingredients and use peanut butter for dressing. You will be impressed by the dressing itself and will die to have it. I am saying this from my own experience.
I call it Thai Salad. You can have it as a complete meal. Below are the ingredients and preparation instructions for this salad.

Cuisine: Thai, Asian
Cook time: 15 minutes
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Required Ingredients

• 3/4 cup raw quinoa
• 1-2 cups tattered red cabbage, you can increase or decrease the amount depending on the requirements
• 1/2 diced onion
• 1 diced red bell pepper
• 1 cup carrots
• 1/2cup cilantro
• 1/4 cup green onions
• 1/2peanuts and cashew halves
• 1 cup chickpea (optional)

For the dressing

• 1/4cup peanut butter
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoon water (optional)

How to prepare

Quinoa: Rinse the quinoa in cold water. Take 1 1/2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Boil the water and add the quinoa in the boiling water and leave it in low flame for the fifteen minutes. Within this period, the quinoa will absorb all the water. Then remove it from the heat and keep it in a large bowl and leave it for ten minutes to be cooled down.

For the dressing: Mix honey and peanut butter in a medium microwave bowl. Keep it in the microwave for twenty seconds. Then add soy sauce, ginger paste, olive oil, sesame oil and stir them until the mixture becomes creamy and smooth. For a thinner dressing, you can add two teaspoon water or olive oil in the mixture. Once it is done, remove it from the microwave.

Dress the quinoa depending on your taste. As you are having it for the first time, so it is better to start with a little. If you like the taste, you can make a thick layer later.

You can do the dressing immediately after removing it from the microwave and the alternative option is to dress it whenever you are ready to have it. If you want to enjoy the flavor of dressing more, it is better to add it when it is done without waiting for the eating time.

Now you can add red pepper, carrots, onion, cabbage, and cilantro into the quinoa. Give a delicious look by garnishing it with green onions and cashews. Wow, now your salad is ready. You can serve it at room temperature or chilled with lime wedges. A Thai salad is healthy and tasty as well. You can prepare it in less than half an hour and enjoy this delicious food.

If you want to learn more about other salads, visit our additional resources: (quinoa recipes).