30-Minute Vegan Thai Chickpea Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce
Feb 3, 2020 (Last updated Mar 15, 2024) by Hannah Sunderani
This Vegan Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce is simple and easy to make! Using wholesome plant-based ingredients like chickpea noodles, cabbage, cucumber and carrot. Most recipes online use rice noodle, but I’ve opted in for chickpea noodles for a filling dish.
The thai noodle salad is drizzled with a simple and delicious peanut sauce made from natural peanut butter, tamari and rice vinegar. It’s creamy and satiating, full of umami-flavour!
Now, let me tell you exactly how to make this vegan thai noodle salad with peanut sauce so that you can enjoy it pronto!
Vegan Thai Noodle Salad Recipe
The ingredients for this vegan thai noodle salad is simple and straight forward, likely you already have them on hand. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chickpea pasta: most recipes online use rice noodles, but I’ve chosen to use chickpea noodles so this recipe is filling. Many recipes online also use chicken, but the chickpea pasta is a great vegan alternative to making this salad one that will stick with you.
- Purple cabbage: Crunchy purple cabbage adds nice texture and colour to this dish. Any colour cabbage you have on hand will do – I’ve also tried it with napa cabbage and it was delicious.
- Carrots: Adds more delicious crunch and naturally subtle sweetness to the dish!
- Peanuts and peanut-butter: Crunchy chopped peanuts are sprinkled into this salad, adding another plant-based option as an alternative to chicken so that this salad sticks with you. Creamy all-natural peanut butter is the base of our peanut tamari dressing, upping the peanut flavour which is so nice in this dish.
- Tamari: Adds saltiness and umami to the peanut dressing. I also recipe tested with coconut aminos and it was a great alternative.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds a herby brightness to this dish which I love. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, I recipe tested this using basil and it was delicious!
As you can see, the ingredients are fresh and colourful. Serve this Thai noodle salad cold for optimal taste.
How to make Vegan Thai Noodle Salad
To make this Thai cabbage salad, you will start by cooking your chickpea pasta, this will give it time to cool. Prepare the fresh veg (chop and grate) and combine with the chickpea pasta. Then, add your peanut sauce and mix to combine.
Make this salad with me
Make this salad with me on my YouTube Cooking Show Vegan Afternoon with Two Spoons. In this recipe I share 4 protein-packed salads including this Thai peanut salad!
So there we have it, a very simple and easy to prepare Thai inspired pasta salad with the very best peanut sauce. Enjoy for lunch or dinner, and meal-prep for a quick dish during the week. It’s also a great recipe to bring to a potluck, bbq, or dinner with friends. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and protein-packed using chickpea pasta. Certainly that’s a winning combo to please a crowd. I absolutely love this Thai noodle salad and think you will to!
And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.
30-Minute Vegan Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz chickpea pasta (350g/5 cups)
- pinch sea salt
- 1-2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 cup purple cabbage shredded
- 1 cup carrots grated
- 1 cup cucumber chopped
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1/3 cup peanuts chopped
- 1/3 cup cilantro chopped
For the Peanut Sauce
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp all-natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
Instructions
- In a large pot bring water to boil. Add a generous pinch of sea salt and pour in pasta. Cook chickpea pasta until just al-dente (about 3 minutes. Pasta will continue to cook as it cools).
- Strain pasta and rinse with cold water. Place back in pot, drizzle with sesame oil and stir gently. Cover with a tea towel and let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl add shredded cabbage, carrots, chopped cucumber,
and onions. Add cooked pasta. - Prepare peanut sauce in a small bowl by whisking together peanut butter, water, rice vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic and cayenne.
- Pour peanut sauce over pasta salad and mix gently to combine. Sprinkle
with green onion, peanuts, and cilantro. Mix again.
Watch The Video
Notes
Approvals
Nutrition
See more step-by-step instructions by visiting the recipe story here!
LEAVE A COMMENT
AND RATE THIS RECIPE!
We love hearing from you! If you love this recipe, please consider giving it a star rating when you post a comment. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. Thank you!
Delish!!
So glad you enjoyed it Gail!!
Hi Wendy! I’m so happy to hear that your family loves this recipe! We love it too. And yes, you can absolutely make the dressing 1-2 days ahead, and then assemble it when you’re ready to eat. I love to use this same approach with salad dressings! Enjoy your time away with your family. 🙂
I have made this a few times and my family loves it! Can I make the dressing a few days ahead and then assemble it when I am ready to serve? We are traveling to stay with family and I want to have as much made ahead of time as possible.
At first, the thought of a Thai pasta salad seemed a bit odd to me but it was SO good. I made it with a friend and it was intended for dinner then lunch the following day but we ate the whole thing in one sitting. Now, I always double the recipe because it makes great leftovers to bring to work. The chickpea pasta doesn’t give me the normal post-pasta slump either.
I’m so happy you enjoy this recipe so much Erin! Yes, peanuts and pasta isn’t an obvious choice, but doesn’t it taste SO good!? haha. Thanks for your kind comment.
Super easy to make and delicious. A great go-to vegan/vegetarian meal!! Highly recommend!!
Thank you Sarah! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Made this recipe, ate it for dinner, lunch and then made it for dinner again the next night. So good! The sauce is amazing and it’s a hearty and healthy meal. Can’t wait to try more recipes 🙂
I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe Caitriona! I love making a big batch of this for dinner and then leftovers. Thanks for your sweet comment!
I can’t believe how yummy this is! My friend and I made it together and we both love it!! It’s a perfect summer dish. I highly recommend.
Thank you Krystal! I’m so glad you and your friend enjoyed this. Glad you like it as much as I do!
Nothing can be more heavenly & healthy on a Sunday afternoon than having a nice asian lunch and the perfect dish is Vegan Thai Noodle salad with peanut sauce with a nice refreshing glass of lemon iced tea.
Sounds delicious Sophy! So glad you like the recipe. 🙂