Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Ginger Sauce

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

4 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix

1 cup red cabbage or napa cabbage, shredded

1 1/2 cups carrots, shredded

1 cup cucumbers, large diced

1 cup red pepper, large dice or thinly sliced

3-4 green onions, sliced

1 cup edamame, steamed

1 1/2 cups bean sprouts

1 red serrano pepper, finely chopped

1/2 cup peanut butter (natural)

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons sesame oil (optional)

2 tablespoons sriracha or sambal

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari)

1" piece fresh ginger (more to taste)

1 clove garlic

2-4 tablespoons water

1 cup cilantro, Thai basil, mint chopped

1/2 cup roasted peanuts and/or sunflower seeds

1 package ramen noodles, roughly broken and toasted

Directions

For the Salad

Using a sharp knife or a mandoline, shred the cabbage thin like coleslaw.

Slice, dice, and shred the remaining vegetables.

Toast peanuts/sunflower seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high until fragrant and lightly toasted. Shaking the pan as needed. Remove from heat to cool then rough chop the peanuts and set aside.Pro Tip: If toasting the ramen noodles in the oven, the nuts can go on the same baking sheet!

Toasted Ramen Noodles

Break the ramen noodles into chunks and place on a baking sheet in the oven at 375ºF for 5-8 minutes - shaking as needed. Or bake in the toaster oven until golden. Or in the air fryer at 320º F until lightly golden (5-7 minutes) shaking as needed. Keep your eye on them, they go fast!The noodles will not be evenly golden which is totally fine.

For the Ginger Peanut Sauce

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust as desired. Add more vinegar and lime juice for sour/tartness, maple syrup for sweetness, chili paste/sriracha or ginger for heat, and garlic for pungency.

If oil free, easily skip the sesame oil - this dressing is fabulous without it!Place in fridge until needed.

To Serve

Toss together the salad ingredients and about 2/3 of the peanut salad dressing in a large bowl until evenly coated. Top with fresh herbs, chopped peanuts, sunflower seeds (optional), and toasted ramen noodles. Serve with a extra sauce and lime wedges.