Quinoa Mango Thai Salad with Peanut Ginger Dressing
Apr 26, 2018, Updated Jul 31, 2020
Quinoa Mango Thai Salad with a delicious Peanut Ginger Dressing! This refreshing summer salad is packed with so much flavor and makes a great lunch!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
A refreshing summer salad which is hearty, delicious and packed with so much flavor! This Quinoa Mango Thai Salad makes the perfect summer lunch!
My favorite part of this salad is the delicious peanut ginger dressing! I could eat it with a spoon! This is also a great salad for outdoor picnics and lunch boxes!
I was going to share a bread recipe with you guys, but at the last minute I decided to share this salad in stead. The reason is that it has been really warm here in Seattle, (its in the 80s today) and I just thought sharing a salad recipe would make more sense. Agree?
I might just have an obsession with thai peanut everything! If you liked the flavors in my Instant Pot Thai Peanut Noodles then you are so going to love this fresh summer salad.
This Thai Salad is fresh, so flavorful and I could drink that peanut-ginger dressing with a spoon!I am not kidding.
I never cared much for salad before. At my home in India, salad pretty much meant cut onions, cucumbers & tomato with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. That was pretty much it when it came to salad. So, I just ate them as a side along with my meals and never as a meal itself.
But when I moved to the US, I was surprised to see and learn so many ways to jazz up your salad. There were different dressings, so many flavors and I was hooked! Now I make a lot of salads, especially during summers.
When it gets that hot outside, I want to eat a light lunch and more often than not salad is my meal of choice. I am obsessed with peanut butter and I think adding it to your salad dressing is just the best idea ever!
What’s in This Peanut Ginger Dressing?
- peanut butter (obviously!)
- lots of ginger
- lime juice
- soy sauce
- honey
- rice vinegar
- & bit of sesame oil to bring in that nutty flavor!
This dressing is so flavorful, has just the right amount of sweetness and pairs beautifully with the quinoa and mango. You know, I still can’t say that I love quinoa. So for me to actually eat it, there has to be a ton of flavor along with. This salad is just that!
This Thai Salad is Not Your Ordinary Thai Salad!
- loaded with protein & the goodness of quinoa
- packed with veggies
- hearty and filling
- can be made vegan by swapping honey with maple
With the mangoes in season, I will me making this quinoa mango thai salad pretty regular in my kitchen. It’s pretty easy to make and leftovers make great lunches the next day.
Tip: To cut short the prep time, you can cook the quinoa in advance. You then just need to stir everything together and eat.
Method
You start by cooking the quinoa. I used my Instant Pot and cooked 1 cup quinoa with 1.5 cups water for 2 minutes on high pressure and then let the pressure release naturally.
While the quinoa is cooking, chop all the veggies (pepper, carrots, green onion, jalapeno, cilantro) and the mango. Once everything is prepped, arrange it all in a big bowl.
To make the dressing, add all the ingredients – peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, ginger, honey, sesame oil and sriracha to a measuring cup or bowl.
Whisk it all together until you have a smooth dressing.
Pour the dressing over the prepared quinoa, veggies & mango.
Toss the salad with the dressing. You may garnish it with some roasted peanuts. Enjoy!
Summer Salads You Might Like
- Summer Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad with Onion & Corn
- Tomato Avocado Cucumber Salad with Feta & Strawberries
If you’ve tried this Quinoa Mango Thai Salad then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
Quinoa Mango Thai Salad with Peanut Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa uncooked, rinsed very well, I usually rinse quinoa for 1-2 minutes
- 1 large red pepper sliced
- 2 medium carrots sliced
- 3 stalks green onion chopped
- 2 large mangoes diced
- 1 jalapeño de-seeded & sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
Peanut Ginger Dressing
- 5 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- lime juice around 1/4 cup, from 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 2-3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon sriracha or to taste
- roasted peanuts to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Start by cooking the quinoa. I used my Instant Pot and cooked 1 cup quinoa with 1.5 cups water for 2 minutes on high pressure and then let the pressure release naturally. You can cook on stove-top as per instructions on the package.
- While the quinoa is cooking, chop all the veggies (pepper, carrots, green onion, jalapeno & cilantro) and the mango. Once everything is prepped, arrange it all in a big bowl.
- To make the dressing, add all the ingredients - peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, ginger, honey, sesame oil and sriracha to a measuring cup or bowl.
- Whisk it all together until you have a smooth dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the prepared quinoa, veggies & mango. Toss the salad with the dressing. Garnish with peanuts (optional) and serve!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely delicious! Substantial enough to feel satisfied but light enough to enjoy during the summer. The roasted peanut garnish really gave it an extra nice texture. Will definitely make again. Intrigued by the comment about adding black beans. May try next time. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!!
Thanks Elaine! glad you enjoyed!
This is one of the best dishes I’ve EVER had – ever! And that includes every kind of dish – I’d almost rather eat this than chocolate mousse – it’s THAT good!! Love it, thank you for the recipe!!
Thanks for this lovely feedback Deepa! 🙂
Thank you so much Manali for all your lovely recipes that always turn out amazing 😍 This salad was devoured and perfect for the Australian summer here.
glad to hear Lalitha!
Manali, I am so grateful for your blog. I have liked so far what I have tried. I love Thai Food and this salad is so wonderful! I am throwing out all my previous peanut sauce recipes and using only yours. This salad is so colorful and full of flavor. I added some black beans and a tad of celery and more cilantro, and lime, cus, well, I’m a lover of both. I told my husband I am probably going to need to make another ‘three ring folder ,amybe a tangerine colored one, for you recipes 🙂 Thank you again.
Thank you Kim, I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Is siriracha sauce mandatory? How abt balsamic vinegar?
nothing is mandatory 🙂 it’s a recipe, in a way I like it! adjust to taste & preference!
Can I replace sesame oil with olive oil?
you may
Looks so good! Can’t wait to try, thank-you.
welcome, hope you like it! 🙂