Robin and Ed are a DIY-loving couple with over 20 years of design and build experience. Also, Robin is a Nutritionist and former Registered Dietitian and Ed is an award-winning Business Educator. We share strategies for living a rich life on a DIY budget: creative money-savvy ideas for a stylish home, healthy meals and family fun. Our work has been published in the pages of Do It Yourself, Farmhouse Style and Better Homes & Gardens magazines.
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This crunchy quinoa salad will make your mealtimes better in so many ways:
Make-ahead – Check.
Keeps well in the fridge (actually improves, if you ask me) – Check.
Easy to assemble with most ingredients likely on hand – Check.
Healthy ingredients – Check.
Finally: does it taste GOOD – Check!
Our big objection to most many quinoa salads is the quinoa itself. If it isn’t moist and full of flavour, it can seem like someone tossed a handful of sand into your salad. I once had a quinoa bowl in a restaurant that I otherwise loved and even their professional chef couldn’t get the tenderness/flavour balance right.
It has made me scared to order quinoa from other places and even jittery to try recipes at home.
Have no fear with this Thai-flavour-inspired creation.
The ‘Crunchy’ in the name comes from peanuts and carrots and cabbage. You cook the quinoa until tender and you add in heaps of other flavours (Soy Sauce! Peanut butter! Sesame oil! Ginger!). The quinoa is going to shine and so is your side dish game.
There is another flavour-punch ingredient too – the Green Papaya.
People will taste this salad and ask you what is in it. You can list off all the other stuff and keep the papaya a secret if you like, or surprise people with your creativity that you snuck a tropical fruit into what could otherwise be a plain coleslaw base. We will leave the intriguing backstory of how you conjured this incredible idea up to you.
And like we’ve already said, this dish can be made ahead and ready on a moment’s notice to elevate a dinnertime BBQ or lunchtime sandwich.
That extra time in the fridge lets the quinoa soak up all the good flavour and, personally, I think lots of salads like this benefit from that extra time. Regardless, eat it now or later, you will not be disappointed by the tremendous flavour and texture this salad brings to your meal.
(Ed’s random thoughts – if you want even more flavour – add in some coarsely chopped, fresh cilantro and/or a tablespoon of siracha sauce in the dressing. These two ingredients aren’t for everyone, but if you are like me and enjoy them, highly recommended!)
Simple & Healthy Thai-inspired Crunchy Quinoa Salad ~ that keeps well for days!
Yield: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
This healthy, creamy and crunchy quinoa salad is combined with the traditional Thai papaya salad flavors. This salad is a lifesaver in the refrigerator when the family is hungry but there’s little time to make a healthy meal. It keeps very well for up to 5 days.
Ingredients
3 cups cooked quinoa (19.57 oz | 555 g)
1 cup shredded carrot ( 3.5 oz | 110 g)
1 cup green cabbage ( 3.5 oz | 100 g)
1 cup purple cabbage (3.5 oz | 100 g)
1 cup shredded green papaya (3.5 oz | 100 g) (if unavailable try shredded green apple)
½ cup crushed peanuts (2.57 oz | 73 g)
Dressing
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter, unsalted
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon minced ginger
Instructions
In a large salad bowl, add quinoa, carrot, green cabbage, purple cabbage, papaya and peanuts.
Dressing: In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients.
Add dressing to the salad bowl. Toss.
Serve or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Enjoy!
Notes
How to store leftovers
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Karen
Thursday 18th of July 2024
Wondering if you could recommend a good substitute for the green papaya?
Robin & Ed Hicken
Thursday 18th of July 2024
Yes - you can try shredded green apple in place of the green papaya. Thanks for the idea, Karen - we updated the recipe above. :)