30-Minute Thai Peanut & Noodle Salad (Vegan)

Feb 3, 2020 (Last updated Mar 15, 2024) by Hannah Sunderani

30-Minute Thai Peanut & Noodle Salad (Vegan)

Sharing this very easy recipe today, for Vegan Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce. It’s vegan and gluten-free, using chickpea pasta for a protein-packed, healthy, and satiating meal. Enjoy this noodle salad cold, with fresh crunchy veg. Best of all, it can be made in under 30 minutes.

Certainly, this Vegan thai noodle salad with peanut sauce is tasty and flavourful. Plus, you can meal prep this recipe and enjoy during the week for lunch or a quick dinner.

When it comes to vegan pasta recipes, I’m not afraid to get creative. I’ll also take any opportunity to load it with vegetables. Cue my Vegetable Lo-Mein, or my warm Lentil Bolognese. What I love about this recipe is that it feels really fresh and vibrant, it’s a great pasta salad to bring to pot potlucks and bbq’s.

Now, let me tell you exactly how to make this Vegan Thai Peanut Salad so that you can enjoy it pronto!

Vegan Thai Noodle Salad Recipe

For this recipe you will need:

• chickpea pasta
• purple cabbage
• carrots
• cucumber
• green onion
• peanuts
• cilantro

As you can see, the ingredients are fresh and colourful. Serve this Thai noodle salad cold for optimal taste.

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!

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.

Peanut sauce dressing:

Truly, this peanut sauce dressing is the very best! I love it on this cold pasta salad, and other Thai inspired recipes. To make it, you will need:

• all-natural peanut butter
• rice vinegar
• tamari
• maple syrup
• sesame oil
• garlic
• cayenne pepper

Combine the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl,. Then pour over your pasta salad.

Tips for making this Thai noodle salad

Typically in recipes, cooking pasta is saved to the final step. But since this a cold noodle Thai salad, it’s best to cook the noodles first to give it time to cool.

I like to cook my pasta until it’s just al-dente, so as not to have an overcooked pasta salad. In fact, the pasta will continue to cook after straining as it cools.

For this recipe, I have used chickpea pasta, which has a faster cooking time than traditional.

I cooked this pasta for about 3 minutes until just al dente. The length of time it will take to cook your pasta will depend on the type of pasta you use, and the brand. Check package instructions for recommended best results.

To stop the pasta from sticking together as it cools, I like to drizzle with a bit of oil.

Add your strained pasta back to the pot, drizzle with 1-2 tbsp oil and mix to combine. Then cover with a tea towel and let pasta cool as you prep the rest of your ingredients.

Meal Prepping this Thai Noodle Salad:

This recipe is great for meal prep! Make it on a Sunday and scoop servings into air tight containers to enjoy through the week. This pasta salad will keep for up to 3 days, and even longer if using traditional pasta over chickpea (I find chickpea pasta dries out quicker). So if you wanted to meal prep for the entire work week (5 days) than consider swapping the chickpea pasta for whole wheat pasta, kamut, rice or traditional. (Keep in mind, it may affect the recipe being gluten-free)

Other recipes you might like:

If you’re digging this recipe for my Thai Noodle Salad. You might also like these pasta inspired recipes:

• Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese
• Sweet Potato Alfredo Noodles
• Eggplant and Lentil Vegan Meatballs
• Fresh and Herby Summer Pasta 
• Vegan Zucchini Lasagna

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.

GF

30-Minute Thai Peanut & Noodle Salad (Vegan)

5 from 6 votes

By Hannah Sunderani

This Thai-inspired pasta salad is made with chickpea pasta noodles, and filled with chopped veggies, like purple cabbage and cucumber, and grated carrots. Toss it all in a homemade peanut sauce for an easy 30-minute meal. Recipe is vegan and gluten free, and a terrific idea for dinner tonight!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Serves 6 people

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

US CustomaryMetric

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

Pasta salad will keep in fridge for up to 3 days. 

Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Approvals

Nutrition

Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 427mg | Potassium: 341mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3920IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

DID YOU

Tag @twospoons on Instagram
and hashtag it #twospoons

MAKE THIS?

See more step-by-step instructions by visiting the recipe story here!