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
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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
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I’m surprised there’s no sesame oil and/or fish sauce which I’ll add, also garlic. Good recipe though. I’m got make it soon.
Delicious!
I thought this was delish! I saw another poster mention that she omitted the oil and thought the dressing was sour and I had done the same and thought the same so next time I am including it. I also added shredded zucchini. Loved it! Thinking of adding chopped water chestnuts next time.
Can I substitute almonds and almond butter for the peanuts and peanut butter?
Yes, you could. It won’t have quite the same authentic flavor profile, but it will work for sure.
I made this last night. Because of Hurricane Sally, the September weather turned unseasonably chilly here in Atlanta, so I had to figure out a way to make this cold side into something warm and more substantial. I substituted rice noodles because I have a wheat allergy. These I served warm at the bottom of the bowl. I picked up crispy spring rolls and boneless bbq spare ribs from a Chinese restaurant. I added these to the salad along with diced cucumber and fresh mint. It was a hit! As my daughter said, “this makes my tummy so happy!” I made it in about 15 minutes using preshredded carrots. The sauce was terrific and so quick! Thank you for a quick and delicious recipe that can be easily adapted to suit the situation.
You sound like a resourceful cook Nilha ~ hope those hurricanes die down soon!
Amazing! Took to a friend’s birthday party. It was gone! I would change nothing at all. But, I would double the dressing recipe. Use half to toss the add the rest when ready to serve. I’m so excited about this dish!!
This recipe looked great and has a lot of nice fresh flavors. I omitted oil and added edamame for a whole-food plant-based dinner. Maybe it was the lack of oil, but the dressing was incredibly sour. I’d use half or maybe even a quarter of the amount next time.
This was very tasty! Added shrimp and shaved brussel sprouts – perfect!
Hey, this was great! I made one for myself and one for the Fourth of July barbecue. I’m happy I did because it was lunch today. I made additional dressing as the noodles absorbed it overnight.
This salad is delicious. It takes a lot of prep – I shredded both the carrots and cabbage rather than buying pre-shredded ones. Consequently there’s a lot of cleanup after assembling the salad, so it’s definitely a make ahead salad. Omitted sesame seeds and nuts cus my husband can’t eat them.
I’ll cut the recipe in half next time since it makes a lot. We liked the flavors a lot.