Featured comment
This salad is packed full of flavor —like punch-you-in-the-face deliciousness. So, so good. Make this! You won’t regret it!
Jennifer
This Thai Salad Is Everything
I have lots of favorite salads, which maybe dilutes the label of “favorite”, but this is an easy addition to my personal Favorite Salad Hall of Fame.
A quick recap of things I love about the Chopped Thai Salad:
- the most zingy Thai sesame garlic dressing (soy honey lime garlic sesame oil lemongrass)
- no chicken or meat (sometimes I just get annoyed of cooking it, ya know? I think I’m one of those half-way vegetarians) – if you DO want some protein, you could add in some shredded rotisserie chicken or serve it alongside a meal like this Thai chicken!
- lots of veggies (kale carrots peppers cilantro edmame scallions cashews yummm)
- lots of nutrition and filling food power (see veggie list and feel amazing)
The flavors in the salad are like a little friendly fresh-summer-explosion in your mouth. Just phenomally delicious. It gives me happy food chills just thinking about it. And I have this core salad belief that texture is ev-er-y-thing. Even the most awkward and intimidating vegetables can become craveabley yummy when sliced or crushed or grated the right way.
What’s In This Salad
This salad is just an absolute explosion of flavor. You’ve got veggies for crunch, fresh herbs for some zip, buttery edamame, a homemade sesame dressing with a punch, and spicy cashews to bring it all together.
Here’s what you need to grab from the store:
- Some pantry basics for the sesame dressing (vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, etc.)
- Edamame
- Vegetables (kale, carrots, peppers)
- Herbs (cilantro and green onion)
- Cashews (chili lime from Trader Joe’s specifically!)
About those cashews… I found the half-eaten bag in that little side door compartment in my car after our road trip to Chicago and Indy last weekend (First Place for best road trip snack), and being a lover of spicy cashews and a hater of excess trash, I resurrected what was left of them into this chopped Thai salad. That might be a little gross orrr it might be ultra resourceful and s-m-a-r-t.
How To Make This Salad
When you start making this salad you will notice that the cutting takes, um, a while. You will be annoyed with me and I will be okay with that. Perks of hiding behind a screen. But in the end, I pinkie promise that you will be rewarded for your time spent chopping and slicing and shredding and peeling in the best possible food way.
Here’s how to make this salad a reality:
- Chop Your Veggies: Put on a show to get a podcast going and start CHOPPING! Chop your kale, peppers, carrots and get them together in a large bowl.
- Cook the Edamame: Boil it for just a few minutes, and then place it in a food processor to chop it up. This texture is everything.
- Make The Dressing: Blend together all the dressing ingredients to make the most delightful homemade sesame dressing.
- Toss It Together: Place the edamame, cashews, cilantro, and green onion in the bowl with the chopped veggies and pour the dressing on top. Toss it all together and eat!
Goodness this is so good.
Swaps and Substitutions
You can really make this one your own – the basic formula is just this: veggies, protein, dressing, nuts, and herbs. Here are some ideas!
- Veggies: I also love this salad with cucumbers and cabbage, and snap peas would work too.
- Protein: Chicken or sliced steak would be an excellent addition!
- Dressing: I do love a thai salad with peanut dressing.
- Fruit: I’ve added mango and/or papaya to this salad, and they add a delicious burst of brightness and sweetness!
- Nuts: Use roasted peanuts or almonds instead of cashews.
- Herbs: Mint and basil are also delicious here!
How To Make This Salad (Video)
Chopped Thai Salad with Sesame Garlic Dressing
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This Chopped Thai Salad with Sesame Garlic Dressing is THE BEST! A rainbow of power veggies with a yummy homemade dressing.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste (ginger would also work)
- a squeeze of lime juice
For the salad:
- 16 ounces frozen shelled edamame
- 5–6 cups baby kale
- 3 large carrots
- 2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow)
- 1 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup green onions
- 3/4 cup cashews (if you can find them, Trader Joe’s Thai Lime and Chili Cashews are the bomb)
Instructions
- Puree all the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Taste and adjust to fit your preferences. Transfer to a dressing jar and rinse the food processor out for use later.
- Cook the edamame by boiling it for 3-5 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Drain and allow it to cool. Meanwhile, slice up the kale, carrots, peppers, cilantro leaves, and green onions into thin strips or shreds.
- Place the cooked edamame in the food processor and pulse 5 times to get a minced texture. Transfer to a bowl and repeat the same process for the cashews. Toss the kale, carrots, peppers, cilantro, green onions, edamame, and cashews together until well combined. Drizzle with the dressing, toss gently a few times, and serve immediately.
Notes
The salad will stay fresh longer if you store the dressing separately from the salad ingredients, tossing them together just before serving. Agave nectar or sugar would work in place of the honey for vegans. Those 3 cloves of garlic pack a spicy garlicky punch, so if you don’t love garlic, use less.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: chopped thai salad, sesame dressing, thai salad
Frequently Asked Questions About This Salad
Yes! Chicken would be an excellent addition (pulled rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, air fryer chicken) or some grilled steak would also be a 10/10.
Roasted peanuts or almonds would work great in this too!
A peanut dressing would be an option here. Check out this other delicious thai salad too!
I love how versatile this one is. Some extras that I love: cucumbers, cabbage, broccoli, snap peas.
Sure can! This keeps really well for meal prep, or to just prep in advance before dinner. Just keep the veggies separate from the salad and you’re good to go.
Three More Colorful Salads
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our best healthy summer salads page. Check it out!
Spectacular salad. So fresh, crunchy, flavourful, and delicious.
I’ve been making this salad regularly for probably 10 years now! I still can’t believe that my kids loved it as a main course, even when they were little. They still love it as a adults!
This recipe is SO GOOD!!!!!!
I made this chopped Thai salad last night, and it was absolutely delicious! The combination of fresh veggies, cilantro, and that zesty sesame garlic dressing was incredible. I loved how all the ingredients came together with a perfect balance of crunch and flavor. The dressing is so simple to make, but it really ties everything together. This will definitely become a regular in my salad rotation—thanks for sharing such a vibrant, healthy recipe!
Hello! My husband and I are having so much fun with your fall menus, thanks for creating it, the food is delicious! I’ve looked high and low, from Whole Foods to Safeway and everywhere in between. Where does one find lemongrass paste? Thanks!
We typically get ours at Cub Foods (local to MN) but it also looks like Walmart carries it as well!
Can I use avocado oil instead of canola oil? Trying to use healthier oils when I cook.
Yep, that’s just fine!
So delicious – definitely worth the effort 🙂
I’ve made this for many years and will bring to Memorial Day event this weekend…… This dressing is amazing! The balance of flavors, just wow!
I made this last night – excellent! It does make A LOT! It is only 2 of us so I split it in half, only dressed the one half which we ate along w/some bread & will eat the leftovers for lunch. I really like the dressing! I think I am going to marinade some chicken with it & throw it on the grill. Thank you for a healthy meal option!
The salad was delicious. I used a mixture of Kale, Spinach. and Romaine Lettuce. Also added extra seasame oil. Next time. Think I’ll add some Avocado slices.
Looks amazing, Me and my family loves salads.And come summer or any warm days we will have a bbq,and always make a salad,Your look amazing and I am definitely going to make it.Maybe before the summer. I just love your vegan and vegetarian recipes, thanks very much.
So delicious – worth every bit of effort!
Lindsey this is the best salad ever! I have made it more than 10 times! I usually never comment on recipes but this is outstanding. Friends request it at dinner parties and my boys 20 something friends absolutely love it.
To all of you out there a heads up yes the chopping takes some time but sooooo worth it.
Janis
Do you think this dressing would work subbing coconut oil in for the canola?
Hi Whitney! Coconut oil often solidifies, even at room temperature, so it wouldn’t be a great option for this recipe.
Super delicious salad
Sounds great!
Avocado oil would definitely be a better option than canola, which I would never use 4 any type of cooking or oil supplementation.
I made this salad last night for our wine club dinner…Thai theme and it was delicious. Only pro blem was no one left me any leftovers…that big bowl was gobbled up! I’m saving this one.
Such a delicious salad, went down a storm with my guests. Thank you
Hi, can I make the Thai Salad the day before & keep the dressing separate?
I have a dinner party I want to serve it at.
Kind regards
Lisa
Hi, Lisa! Yes, that should work. We’d also just recommend keeping the cashews and edamame separate.
This salad is amazing.
As I sit here eating this salad for a second day in a row, I am compelled to write a review to share how amazing this salad is. I also made a few changes (some on purpose, some on accident) that I’ll share.
– I added rotisserie chicken for extra protein
– I bought & used pre-cooked/ready to eat edamame from Trader Joes for easier prep
– I used both ginger & lemongrass in the dressing (full amount of lemongrass, about a tsp of grated ginger)
– I used apple cider vinegar because I was out of white vinegar
– I forgot the 1/3 cup of canola oil. I was going to reduce the oil and then I forgot it and honestly, I’m ok with it. It’s a very potent dressing but I really like the strong flavor and probably won’t add it again in the future
This sounds amazing! Question though, is it definitely white vinegar for the dressing or should it be white wine vinegar? Thanks so much, looking forward to trying!
Hi, Leah! We suggest white distilled vinegar here. 😊
Perfect salad! I just made it for lunch and it was easy even with a 2 month old in the carrier and a 3 year old running around! Delicious acid from the lime and vinegar, onion goodness, salty and sweet, plus a lottle creaminess from the soy beans. Absolutely in love.
I used fresh ginger in the dressing and I minced it in the food processor with the garlic and some lime zest to mimic the citrus flavors of lemon grass. Since I had the food processor out anyway I used it to shred the carrots to cut out some work 😉
As always, thank you for the tasty meals!!
Could you tell how to make Lemongrass paste? I found some recipes online but they include other ingredients. I imagine the paste for this recipe is just lemongrass. Thank you.
Hi Terri! We’ve actually never made lemongrass paste! We use store-bought paste that you can typically find in the produce aisle!
This salad is literally one of the best salads I have ever made/eaten. I added some chopped turkey breast, but otherwise made it exactly as written……….so delicious