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This raw Pad Thai salad is reminiscent of the flavors of the noodle dish and is vegan and gluten-free, featuring crunchy vegetables and a peanut dressing.
Photos like this one may give the impression that our lives are full only of the freshest ingredients, and that we expertly cook and eat beautifully styled meals each day. Let me be the first to admit that my dinner this evening consisted of some brown rice, cottage cheese, and a piece of chocolate, and for Alex a pickle, some refried beans, and a Clif bar. And we’ll most certainly have popcorn later. (Darn popcorn addiction.) The good thing about eating is that you don’t have to be perfect. And you can make time for things like this Pad Thai salad, too. Keep reading for the recipe!
Making Pad Thai salad
The good thing about eating is that there’s no need for perfection. To us, eating healthy is about embracing good things, enjoying splurges in moderation, and starting small, with what you know you can handle — be it one salad at a time. This Pad Thai salad is a pretty tasty one to start with.
This Pad Thai salad does take a bit of time to chop the fresh ingredients and whisk up the dressing. However, it’s well worth it for the flavor! And while it doesn’t taste exactly like noodle dish of the same name, the flavors and textures are quite reminiscent. We were huge fans and hope you’ll enjoy too! It makes for a lovely light lunch, or side dish to contribute to a shared meal.
Love Pad Thai? Try our Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai!
Looking for salad recipes?
Outside of this Pad Thai salad recipe, here are a few favorite salad recipes:
- The BEST Kale Salad
- Strawberry Summer Salad
- Nicoise Salad
- Mediterranean Salad with Chickpeas
- Cajun Salad with Red Beans
- Shaved Asparagus Salad
- Summer Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa Bean Salad with Lemon
- Caribbean Black Bean Salad
- Radish Chopped Salad Recipe
- Cucumber Salad with Vinegar
- Classic Vegan Potato Salad
- Italian Vegan Pasta Salad
- Wedge Salad with Potato Chips
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Easy Bean Salad
- Greek Salad
This Pad Thai salad recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free.
Pad Thai Salad
This raw Pad Thai salad is reminiscent of the flavors of the noodle dish and is vegan and gluten-free, featuring crunchy vegetables and a peanut dressing.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Thai Inspired
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 large bunches chard
- ½ small red cabbage
- 4 carrots
- 3 green onions
- ½ cup peanuts
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 2 cups bean sprouts
For the peanut dressing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Tear the leaves from the chard and discard the stems; then thinly slice the leaves (chiffonade). Shred the red cabbage and carrots (or, food processor makes for quick work). Thinly slice the green onions. Chop the peanuts and cilantro.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, white wine vinegar, peanut butter, water, lime juice, hot sauce, and ground ginger.
- Place chard, cabbage, carrots, and green onions on a plate, then top with fresh cilantro and bean sprouts. Drizzle with dressing and top with chopped peanuts.
Notes
Inspired by Cupcakes and Kale
One of my favorite restaurants here in the Cleveland area closed and will reopen…but it’s taking too long. They make the BEST pad thai…since I can’t wait, I’ll be trying your recipe…which I’m sure is less calories too!
Oh my word. Making this tonight! Thank you!
You’re right – this looks so fresh! All your photos make me wish I had a garden right outside my kitchen door. I love shredded cabbage, and I especially like the addition of peanut butter and sriracha in this dressing! Yum! And we have a little popcorn addiction happening in our house too. . . .
Haha, thank you — I’m glad to know we’re not alone with the popcorn addiction :)
Looks beautiful. I have never had pad thai before, but everyone else loves it, so I should probably give it a try one of these day…
This is crazy–I had Pad Thai Salad for lunch this week! Yours looks much prettier than mine did, though. :)
Oh, how funny — we’re on the same wavelength! We saw your post about it — looked delicious!
I love love love this salad concept! And, I’ll admit that a few weeks ago, I subsisted entirely on yogurt and granola and ice cream for a week. I think I had half an orange at one point, too.
Haha! Yes, it’s amazing even having a food blog you can still find plenty of nights for popcorn dinner and the like :)
This looks and sounds awesome. I can’t wait to try it.
Hahaha I swear my friends think all i eat is homemade stuff too. I think all cooks and bakers have their indulgences, they only problem is do they have guts to admit it. Lovely take on pad thai, less heavy than the original for lunch time!
Loooove this! Totally trying this asap!
This sounds delicious!
So true!! Food blogging makes bloggers lives seem perfect. Everything always looks so pretty, but know really sees the mess that sits just outside of the photo. And know one would ever think that your dinner came from a bag, or a box, or from the freezer section!
This salad is my salad! I love pad Thai, well really all Thai! This looks beautiful and sounds even better!