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These Thai-inspired salads are light and refreshing main dish salads, combining fresh veggies (and sometimes fruit) with sweet, tangy, somewhat spicy Thai-inspired sauces and dressings. They’re absolutely perfect for summer picnics, barbecues, and hot days.
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Spicy Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing
Maura Rawlette
“This quick spicy Thai noodle salad with peanut dressing, based on fresh prepared coleslaw mix, is easy to turn into a full meal with the addition of chicken or shrimp.” —Chef Mo
Thai Beef Salad
mommyluvs2cook
This colorful salad brings out the very best of Thai cuisine. Featuring lemongrass, cilantro, mint leaves, lime juice, fish sauce, and spicy chili sauce, it’s tangy with a touch sweetness and a little bit of spicy heat.
“We love this recipe,” says LAGIRL. “It’s just like the beef Thai salad we order in our favorite Thai restaurant.”
Thai Rice Noodle Salad
Toss rice noodles with romaine lettuce, red bell pepper, red and green onions, cucumber, garlic, ginger root, jalapeno pepper, and fresh basil and cilantro.
“With these noodle bowls, the real clincher is the sauce, and this one is quite good,” says Buckwheat Queen. “Delicious.”
Thai Chopped Chicken Bean Salad
Peyton Beckwith
“This Thai chopped chicken bean salad is a dense, nutritious 2-bean, chicken, and vegetable salad with a Thai-style ginger, lime, peanut, and soy dressing. Sturdy and filling, it’s a great salad to take for lunch or bring to a potluck.” —Nicole McLaughlin
Raw Pad Thai
Allrecipes / Diana Chistruga
Here’s a no-noodle pad Thai that loads in the fresh veggies (carrots, cabbage, red bell pepper) and substitutes zoodles for noodles. Yes, long, thin strips of zucchini stand in for the traditional rice noodles. This refreshing, no-cook dish is ready in 30 minutes.
“The sauce is delicious,” says Griffin. “So even if you don’t love veggies, it’s an easy way to get them in!”
Thai Noodle Salad
“I love the peanut dressing with the pasta, the crunch of the veggies, and fresh cilantro,” says Cajuela. “Takes a fair amount of prep time, but it comes together quickly after that.” Says Yakuta Rasheed: “A quick recipe for a salad with an Asian flair that is elegant and good enough for the fanciest party. It’s not only a healthy alternative, but tastes fantastic.”
Thai tuna salad
This fresh (not canned) tuna salad features tomatoes, onion, garlic and cilantro, and is dressed up with a spicy-sweet Thai-style vinaigrette.
Thai Cucumber Salad
“This sweet and tangy summer salad of cucumber, cilantro, and peanuts, with just a hint of heat, is always a hit at picnics and potlucks,” says camp0433. “It doesn’t need to be refrigerated, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to be the only one bringing this dish!” Lighthouse Mom loves it, too. “It’s crunchy, sweet, hot, and tangy all at the same time,” she says. “And the jalapenos give it just the right kick.”
Carrie’s Pad Thai Salad
For this take on pad Thai, combine rice noodles with tamarind, lime juice, fish sauce, and scrambled egg, then serve it over fresh greens garnished with cilantro, sprouts, and peanuts. It’s ready in less than 45 minutes.
“Have all the ingredients prepped and ready before cooking,” recommends Erica. “It comes together quick!”
Thai-Inspired Confetti Salad
Green beans, tomatoes, and cucumber get the Thai treatment by combining with fresh papaya, Thai (or Serrano) chile pepper, and a sweet and tangy sauce.
“Gorgeous, healthy, and delicious,” raves J. “The flavors in this salad are phenomenal.”
Larb Gai
Here’s a Thai-style salad with ground turkey, mint, basil, and a rice vinegar and fish sauce-based dressing.
“Serve with any type of greens or lettuce…romaine, Boston, endives, arugula, etc.,” says yobodish. “You can even serve it with rice. I prefer brown.”
Thai Shrimp, Chicken, Grapefruit, and Coconut Salad
The unusual combo of shrimp, chicken, grapefruit, and coconut shines in this salad dressed with fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and sugar.
“This is my combination of ‘Thai Yam Som-O’ and a marinated-shrimp and coconut salad I had at Bellagio’s,” says NUKA1. “If pomelo is available in your area, use it in place of the grapefruit.”
Potsticker Salad
Vegetable potstickers are tossed with peanut sauce, water chestnuts, baby corn, straw mushrooms, and egg noodles. “Sooooo tasty,” says ralybuch. “I substituted sweet potato noodles for the egg noodles. And I had some leftover chicken that I included. This will be a recipe that will be used again.”