No one I know wants to turn on the stove. So I’m here to help. I have a huge amount of delicious salad recipes in my cookbooks as I’m a fan of cooking food for the season you’re currently sweating through. Thankfully, my appetite is lighter in the summer, and I want to eat cooler foods, and this Cold Thai Noodle Salad will definitely cool you down.
Moreover, the dressing is an incredible treat since it’s Thai inspired, but with no hidden sugar or gluten. You might just put it on everything, and that’s okay.
To add some protein to this salad, use the Lime Cilantro Marinade recipe, which is my one of my favorites for grilled meats in the summer. Feel free to use chicken, beef, pork, or fish, as they all taste delicious in this marinade.
This recipe is dairy free but contains peanuts. You can sub almond butter for peanut butter, if desired. Try to find an English cucumber as it has fewer seeds and works better for spiralizing than regular cucumbers. Or you can use little Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced.
You can thin out the dressing with additional coconut milk, or add water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
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Cold Thai Noodle Salad with Creamy Peanut Sauce Dressing
Ingredients
- Cold Thai Noodle Salad:
- Lime Cilantro Marinade see recipe
- 1 pound bonelessskinless chicken breasts or thighs (or protein of choice)
- 1 zucchini, spiralized
- 1 English cucumber, spiralized
- 1 carrot, grated (about 1/2 cup)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions, white and palest green parts only
- Creamy Peanut Sauce Dressing (below)
- Additional lime wedges, for garnish
- Creamy Peanut Sauce Dressing:
- 1/3 cup peanut butter (check the label for no sugar added)
- 1/3 cup full fat canned coconut cream/milk (check the label for no sugar added)
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or white vinegar (check the label for no sugar added)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne (optional for heat)
Instructions
- Marinate chicken or meat in Lime Cilantro Marinade for 1-4 hours in fridge. Grill meat until cooked thoroughly and then set aside to cool. Slice thinly when cooled.
- Arrange spiralized zucchini and cucumber onto a large baking sheet or clean kitchen towel. Season with salt and pepper, and let sweat 10-15 minutes. Dab excess water dry.
- In two large salad bowls, split the spiralized zucchini, cucumber, and add grated carrot. Then add the chopped cilantro, basil, mint, and green onions.
- Whisk together all Creamy Peanut Sauce Dressing ingredients. Toss into both salads, then top with sliced chicken and garnish each with an additional lime wedge.
I tried this last night and it was excellent! Thank you so much for posting it. Delicious and refreshing flavors and a very satisfying meal. We eat low carb, low salt and heart healthy. The only modification I made was to omit the salt in the marinade. I used coconut aminos rather than soy sauce (less sodium) and no salt/no sugar peanut butter in the sauce.
Sounds like perfection to me! And this is a very forgiving recipe to cut the salt out of–you’ll still have lots of flavor. I use coconut aminos rather than GF soy sauce all the time now, what a godsend that product is!
XOXO
Anna
Love this recipe! So much flavor. Thank you!
This just reminded me to make this this weekend as it’s gonna be 105 degrees!
XOXO
Anna