My Thai spaghetti salad is a fun mashup between an American potluck classic and a refreshing Thai-style noodle salad ~ this one’s a summer winner!
I get some of my best recipe ideas from the deli counter at my favorite market. They make surprisingly good salads and we like to pick 2 or 3 and call it dinner during the summer months when it’s too hot and sticky to cook. I chose three last week and I loved them so much I’m recreating each one for the blog. This Thai spaghetti salad is a twist on a potluck staple, spaghetti salad.
Readers love this Thai spaghetti salad
🌟 This Thai spaghetti salad recipe is on REPEAT in my house!!!!
🌟 Wonderful flavor, easy to put together! We are having a heat wave and this was ideal for dinner.
🌟I used GF pasta (celiac husband) with perfect results.
🌟 This was such a hit I was asked to make it for my daughter’s graduation party ~ for 100 people!
Ingredient notes & substitutions
This is a mash up between American spaghetti salad and a Thai noodle salad. It’s a true hybrid!
- spaghetti
- I like to use regular spaghetti, not thin nor thick. It’s just the right consistency for this salad.
- red cabbage
- make sure your cabbage is thinly sliced, and the shreds aren’t super long for best eating experience.
- veggies & herbs
- shredded carrotsgreen onions
- cilantro leaves
- basil leaves
- roasted peanuts
- sesame seeds
The peanut dressing is a simple rice vinegar, veg oil vinaigrette with smooth peanut butter, garlic, and a touch of cayenne for pop.
You asked
YES this salad can be made ahead of time: the flavors actually benefit from hanging out in the fridge.
YES it’s a great choice for outdoors: there’s no mayo to spoil outdoors, either.
YES you can serve it as dinner, just add extra protein in the form of shredded rotisserie chicken or grilled shrimp.
Thai flavors are incredibly refreshing
While this is not an authentic Thai recipe, the famously refreshing Thai flavor profile is represented. The Thai flavors make it unique but the salad is still familiar. It’s a great ‘starter’ Thai recipe for newbies or kids.
Fresh basil and cilantro are essential for this salad, so make sure you have some on hand. Better yet, buy small herb plants at your local nursery and keep them on the windowsill or back porch so you’ll always have fresh herbs available.
tips for making Thai spaghetti salad
➡ For the best texture, shred your carrots in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade. A box grater can make wet, mushy shreds.
➡ I slice the red cabbage on a mandoline set to 1/8 inch. You’ll get fine, crisp shreds that hold their texture. If the shreds are very long, slice them in half.
➡ Use regular spaghetti, not thin or thick. Thin spaghetti can turn mushy, while thicker spaghetti can feel too starchy and overpower the vegetables.
➡ Cook the spaghetti just to al dente. It will continue to soften a bit after you dress and chill the salad.
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Spicy Thai Spaghetti Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti, broken in half, cooked in plenty of salted water to al dente and rinsed well with cold water
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 bunch (about 6-8) green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 handful cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 handful basil leaves, thinly sliced, use Thai basil if you can find it.
peanut dressing
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp (heaping) smooth peanut butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
make the dressing
- To make the dressing put all the ingredients in a small bowl and use an immersion blender to process into an emulsified dressing. Thin with more oil or vinegar, if necessary. Taste to adjust any of the flavors.
make the salad
- Make sure your pasta is fairly dry (not dripping wet) and add to a large bowl. Toss with a little of the dressing.
- Then add the rest of the salad ingredients and toss well with more dressing.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with extra peanuts and fresh herbs.
Notes
Nutrition
more colorful summer potluck salads
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Is this real spicy? I don’t like a lot of spice so would I put less cayenne pepper?
The salad has a hint of spice, but you can leave the cayenne out entirely.
Is rice vinegar the same as rice wine vinegar?
Yes, use either, they’re virtually the same.
My boyfriend is raw veggie-averse, and was less than enthused when I told him it was on the menu. One bite in and he was hooked – said he could eat this every week for the rest of his life! I love this salad, too – thank you for sharing!
That’s so great Kimberly, what a victory!
I have a peanut allergy in my home, do you have a sub for peanuts?
You might try sunflower butter, or sesame pasta (tahini)
What about almond butter and almonds instead of peanut butter and peanuts? I hate the latter.
Sure, you can swap that out. Another option would be tahini and sesame seeds.
If doing it one day ahead of time do we already add the dressing or leave everything separated in the fridge?
You can really do it either way, but I would opt for keeping everything separate, if you can keep it all moist and fresh. Then dress the day of.
Can I make it without the peanuts and peanut butter? due to nut allergies if so what substitute would you use ? Your Suggestion will be very appreciated. Thank you.
If you can tolerate sesame seeds you can substitute tahini (sesame paste.) Otherwise sunflower butter might work.
I didn’t see any prior comments, but can you make this salad using rice noodles instead of spaghetti noodles?
Yes, and it would be delicious!
I liked this salad very much!
I even bought a bottle of rice vinegar just for this salad, as I didn’t have one 😀
I halved the recipe, but I shoudn’t have halved the dressing 😉 When I doubled the dressing, it was less dry and very tasty!
Thanks!
I just made this and dressing tastes like too much vinegar although I used 1/4 cup. Does it all meld together as it sits?
Definitely adjust it to your taste Penni, you can add more oil and a little more peanut butter to balance it out. Did you use rice wine vinegar? That’s quite a bit milder than regular vinegars.
This is a great salad Sue! I made it just as written and we loved it. I made a double batch of the dressing and smeared half all over some chicken breasts and let them marinate for a couple hours, grilled them and served them with the salad on the side. Delicious! It was a perfect dinner for a hot day in AZ.
Thanks for the chicken tip Shirley 🙂