Thai Quinoa Salad with Fresh Herbs and Lime Vinaigrette
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Packed with protein and fresh veggies, this flavorful Thai quinoa salad is a healthy eater’s dream!
This vibrant and fresh Thai Quinoa Salad is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Raising the Salad Bar by Catherine Walthers. Similar to my Southwest-style quinoa salad, it’s a healthy eater’s dream: flavorful, chock-full of protein and veggies, satisfying, and low in fat. I usually make it as a light lunch, but you can also serve it alongside other Asian-style dishes for dinner—or make it a meal in itself by adding cooked shrimp, crab, or lobster.
“Delicious! This is a go-to recipe for my family. Great salad to pack and go.”
What You’ll Need To Make Thai Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa: The base of the salad, quinoa is a high-protein seed that’s fluffy and slightly crunchy. Though it looks like couscous and is eaten like a grain, it’s actually related to leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard.
- Bell Pepper, Carrot, and Cucumber: A trio that adds sweetness, crunch, color, and crispness to the salad.
- Scallions: Contribute a mild oniony sharpness.
- Cilantro and Mint/Basil: Offers a fresh, herby flavor typical of Thai cuisine.
- Lime Juice: Adds acidity and brightness.
- Fish Sauce: Not fishy but savory and salty, this dark, pungent condiment is frequently used in Southeast Asian cooking. If possible, buy a brand imported from Thailand or Vietnam. And don’t worry about buying a large bottle—it keeps forever.
- Vegetable Oil: The base of the dressing; blends the flavors together and coats the salad ingredients.
- Sugar: Counteracts the acidity and saltiness of the salad, adding a touch of sweetness.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Lends a spicy kick.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by cooking the quinoa. The key to success is not following the package instructions, which always call for too much liquid and result in mushy quinoa. The ideal ratio is 1 cup of quinoa to 1-2/3 cups of liquid. Simply combine the water, salt and quinoa is a pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover the pan and cook until the quinoa is done, about 15 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the little white “tails” sprout from the grains.
While the quinoa cooks, prepare the vegetables. For the cucumbers, I like to use English (or hothouse) cucumbers because the skin is edible and you don’t need to peel them. They’re sometimes called seedless cucumbers but you still need to seed them, otherwise, they’ll make your salad watery.
Slice the red pepper into bite-sized pieces, thinly slice the scallions and shred the carrot.
Next, make the dressing by combining the fresh lime juice (no bottled stuff!), sugar, vegetable oil, red pepper flakes and fish sauce in a small bowl.
Whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
Combine the quinoa with the dressing, vegetables and fresh herbs.
Toss the salad.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with more fresh herbs, if desired.
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Thai Quinoa Salad with Fresh Herbs and Lime Vinaigrette
Packed with protein and fresh veggies, this flavorful Thai quinoa salad is a healthy eater’s dream!
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed (or pre-washed)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized strips
- 1 carrot, peeled and grated
- 1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
- 2 scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced
- ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint or basil (optional)
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, from 3-4 limes
- 2½ teaspoons Asian fish sauce
- 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (use less if you don't like heat)
Instructions
- Add quinoa, salt and 1⅔ cups water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked. You'll know it is done when the little "tails" sprout from the grains. (If necessary add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water if the quinoa is not cooked by the time all the liquid is absorbed.) Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool in the refrigerator.
- In the meantime, make the dressing by combining the lime juice, fish sauce, vegetable oil, sugar and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
- Once the quinoa is cool, add the red bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, scallions, fresh herbs and dressing. Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, sugar and lime juice if necessary (I usually add a bit more of all). Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This salad keeps well for several days in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 263
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Sugar: 10g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 7g
- Sodium: 603mg
- Cholesterol: 0mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Great Salad. I put my fresh garden vegetables and herbs in it. So Fresh! Also made this in July to feed a large crowd and it was well received.
Thank you for making a GREAT salad without the typical variations on vinegrette! The dressing is absolutely YUM. Citrusy and light.
Would this recipe complement or clash with a potato salad that includes tarragon? I’m serving whole lobsters and am looking for an additional side dish. I am already planning on making your corn and basil salad as well. I love your do ahead recipes – makes planning parties so much more fun.
Hi Laura, I’d probably go with a simple cucumber salad (like this one). Cornbread would also be nice – try these sweet cornbread muffins or this savory cheddar thyme cornbread. Hope that helps!
Oh. My. Goodness. This salad is simply superb! It’s fresh, bright, crunchy, and healthy! To anyone skeptical of fish sauce, please find Red Boat Fish Sauce in your grocery store or on Amazon. I hate, absolutely hate, even the suggestion of a fishy taste, but Red Boat brings something to this dressing (and therefore the entire salad) that is subtle, delicious and very Thai. Jenn, I’ve been cooking for 50+ years. I feel like I can always count on your recipes to be laid out well and delicious. Thank You!
Geni, thanks for the referral on the fish sauce,LOL. You read my mind. This sounds so delish and then I saw fish (“fishy”) sauce. I will have to try this recipe now. Thank you Jenn!
What could I use instead of fish sauce?
Hi Judy, you can use soy sauce instead. The salad will still be good, but it will lack that traditional Thai flavor.
Question-does fish sauce smell and taste like fish? I’ve been afraid of trying it since I don’t like seafood or the smell. I’m assuming it does since it’s FISH sauce :o)
Hi Carmen, On its own, it does smell and taste a bit like fish, but coupled with all the other ingredients it won’t taste fishy at all– it just adds a savory, salty flavor to things. Hope you enjoy!
Salad is delicious. I have a seafood allergy, but found vegan “fish” sauce on Amazon, made from seaweed. It may be an option for others with a similar condition.
Delicious! Light, satisfying, great for those hot days when you need to eat but don’t want to heat up the kitchen or fuss much. We had a simple supper of this with some pork loin from the grill and it was terrific.
In the dressing – I didn’t have fish sauce (don’t really like it) but I added a hefty splash of orange juice, white wine vinegar, and (as always) swapped out cold-press flax seed oil for the vegetable oil and used honey instead of sugar. Finally, I have a little jar of Chat Masala spices from the local Savory Spice shop in Charlotte, NC – that made it all SO wonderful! Thanks!
Hubby has hard time digesting cucumber so I substituted zucchini and sub’d honey for sugar. Loved the addition of shrimp. Great, delicious, and healthy meal!
PS… use recipes from your blog often !
Hi Kathryn,
I’m not a cucumber fan myself. Did you cook the zucchini first? Thanks for your help.
Stacy