Thai Peanut Pasta Salad (Printable)

Colorful Thai peanut pasta with chicken, edamame, and crisp veggies—high protein and ready in 30 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Protein

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced (substitute firm tofu for vegetarian)
02 - 1 cup shelled edamame, cooked

→ Pasta

03 - 8 oz whole wheat or high-protein pasta (penne, fusilli, or rotini)

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 red bell pepper, julienned
05 - 1 cup shredded carrots
06 - 1/2 cup sliced cucumber
07 - 3 spring onions, sliced
08 - 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

→ Dressing

09 - 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
10 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
12 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
13 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
14 - 1 clove garlic, minced
15 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
16 - 1 to 2 tablespoons water, as needed to thin
17 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

18 - 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
19 - Lime wedges

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain through a colander, rinse under cold running water to halt cooking, and set aside to cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cooled pasta, diced chicken breast (or tofu), cooked edamame, julienned bell pepper, shredded carrots, sliced cucumber, spring onions, and chopped cilantro until evenly distributed.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, and red pepper flakes. Add water one tablespoon at a time, whisking until the dressing reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
04 - Pour the peanut dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture, tossing thoroughly to coat every component evenly.
05 - Transfer to a serving platter or divide among individual bowls. Scatter chopped roasted peanuts over the top and arrange lime wedges alongside.
06 - Serve immediately at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld before serving. Stores well refrigerated for up to 2 days.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The peanut dressing tastes like something from a restaurant but comes together in about sixty seconds with ingredients you probably already have.
  • It holds up beautifully in the fridge, making it one of those rare salads that is actually better the next day.
  • You can swap the protein and vegetables based on whatever needs using up, and it still turns out gorgeous every time.
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta under cold water is not optional here because warm noodles will melt the peanut butter dressing into a gummy paste instead of coating each piece evenly.
  • Natural peanut butter separates, so stir it thoroughly before measuring or your dressing will be either too oily or too stiff depending on what part of the jar you scooped from.
  • This salad is best eaten within two days because the cucumber and cabbage release water over time and dilute the dressing.
03 -
  • Salt the pasta water until it tastes like mild seawater because this is your only chance to season the noodles themselves, and bland noodles will drag down even the best dressing.
  • Let the dressed salad sit at room temperature for fifteen minutes before serving cold because the peanut butter dressing seizes and loses its silkiness when it is straight from the fridge.

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