Thai Quinoa Veggie Salad

Hello friends! I hope you’re happy and hungry as you’re reading this because you’re going to want to make this Thai Quinoa Veggie Salad to curb that hunger! The first time I posted about this on the ‘gram, someone commented about this type of dish being perfect for meal prepping and I could not agree more. It is SO easy to throw together and the prep is really minimal since all the veggies are raw! If you have a food processor I would definitely suggest getting it out for this one. It speeds things up and prevents you from having to shred all your veggies by hand. So in about 15 minutes or less you’ll have all your veggies chopped and shredded and ready to go! You can do all this while your quinoa is cooking and then all you have left to do is make your creamy, dreamy, peanut sauce!

This is one of those dishes that is perfect for meal prepping, but also perfect for a hot summer night when you don’t feel like turning the oven on, AND it’s perfect for a BBQ or dinner party! It’s got easy and familiar flavors and ingredients so honestly no one can turn their nose up to this “weird” vegan dish…because it’s not weird! It’s delicious! I mean, most vegan/plant based dishes are delicious in my humble opinion but I digress. Quinoa is my favorite grain for this type of dish but honestly this could even be made with brown rice noodles, brown rice, farro, etc. And it’s even better the day after right from the fridge! I don’t recommend eating this warmed up since all your veggies are raw…and cooked cucumbers doesn’t sound too enticing to me. If you serve it right away, I would recommend letting the quinoa cool off quite a bit before adding everything together but this isn’t totally necessary!

After all of the elements are prepared, it’s just a matter of throwing it all in a big bowl and serving immediately! This dish has been a hit with my whole family-toddlers included! And I’ve made it for some friends who rave about it as well! It’s also really easy to double and even triple if you’re in to the sort of thing ;)…that sort of thing being really delicious, spicy, Thai, vegan food that lasts a whole week or more or course! I hope you’ll make this and love it, and then make it again and again and again! If you make any changes or put your own spin on it, let me know! And tag me on social media: @cashewsandcauliflower #cashewsandcauliflower so I can see your creations!

THIS RECIPE IS:

• !00% VEGAN—made with whole food plant based ingredients

• Oil free

• Gluten free

• Easy

• DELICIOUS

Thai Quinoa Veggie Salad

Alix | July 2019

• prep time: 15 minutes
• cook time: 15 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

For the Peanut Sauce:

• 1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce (gluten free if necessary)
• 2 Tbs Rice Vinegar
• 2 Tbs Srirach (more or less to achieve your desired spice level)
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1 T Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 tsp garlic powder

For the Veggies: (be creative and use what you love! Here's what I used!)

• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups red cabbage, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups green cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber that has been deseeded
• 2 red bell peppers, diced (I used 2 small so 1 large may be enough!) For the Quinoa:
• 1 cup dry white quinoa
• 2 cups water

Additional/Optional toppings

• Roasted peanuts or cashews
• Cilantro
• More Sriracha
• Sesame Seeds

Instructions:

• Prepare your quinoa according to package instructions
• While Quinoa is cooking, prepare your veggies and your sauce
• When quinoa is done, let it cool. Add all of your ingredients together and toss until well combined. Serve as a salad or in a wrap!