I’m taking a brief break from Passover preparations and teaching tasks to share a recipe you’ll love. I taught this Thai Crunch Salad in my classes a few years ago, and students still tell me they make it regularly. It’s a year-round salad that works in any season. Now that peanuts (a legume) are Passover-approved for many households, this is a great dish to serve for dinner and pack for lunches the next day.
I’m a big fan of cabbage — it’s undervalued and incredibly versatile. It grows year-round, is inexpensive, and packed with nutrients. Cabbage is a member of the brassica (cruciferous) family, and I try to include these vegetables a few times each week for their health benefits. In the photos I used Napa and red cabbage, but Savoy or standard green cabbage work well too.
The dressing is peanut-butter based and full of flavor — my kids love it. If you prefer, substitute roasted cashew butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option. Tahini also works nicely. For a different flavor profile, you can use a cilantro-honey vinaigrette. I like a super crunchy salad, and this one delivers. In summer I sometimes add cucumber and sweet bell pepper and bring it to potlucks. If you don’t like cilantro, leave it out or swap in fresh mint or basil — it’s still delicious.
The peanuts and peanut butter in the dressing provide some protein, but you can boost it with blanched, shelled edamame, salmon, or chicken. This salad was inspired by the Thai Crunch Salad at California Pizza Kitchen, though it’s not a direct copy. They may use a cilantro vinaigrette plus a peanut drizzle, while this version combines flavors into one dressing. Feel free to tweak the heat with extra cayenne or fresh ginger, and experiment with additional herbs — it’s very forgiving.
Thai Crunch Salad
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Ingredients
- For the salad:
- ½ head Napa cabbage, sliced
- ¼ head red cabbage, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and julienned or shredded
- 2 scallions, sliced
- handful of roasted peanuts
- handful of cilantro leaves
- 1 ripe avocado, cubed
- For the dressing: multiply by 1.5 if your cabbage is large or you prefer more dressing
- 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 Tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- ½ Tablespoon honey
- ½ Tablespoon water
- ½ Tablespoon shoyu or gluten-free tamari
- pinch sea salt, add more if using low-sodium soy sauce
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, unrefined, cold-pressed
- Other add-ins: grilled or roasted chicken, smoked tofu, mango, cucumber, sweet bell pepper, toasted coconut flakes
Instructions
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Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
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To make the dressing: whisk all dressing ingredients together in a bowl or shake them in a jar until smooth.
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Use enough dressing to lightly coat and moisten the salad. Toss to combine and serve. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
For an alternate dressing, use the cilantro vinaigrette from the Jicama–Mango–Avocado salad.
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