Of all the quinoa recipes I've made, this Thai Quinoa Salad is one of my all-time favorites. The first time I made it I fell in love and that love has never dulled through the years. What I love most about this recipe is the way the flavors and textures play together. The bright dressing features lime juice, sesame oil, and garlic and just the right blend of sweet heat. It plays perfectly with ridiculously aromatic mint and cilantro. I think you are going to adore this recipe as much as I do.
This Thai Quinoa Salad is The BEST Quinoa Salad Ever!
Are you adventurous with foods, or do you tend to eat the same things over and over?
For years I was on team repetition. It wasn't until about 15 years ago that I started branching out and trying new things. Up until then, I was a southern casserole kind of girl.
Once I started, I never looked back!
I love bold flavors, and dishes like this Thai Quinoa Salad light me up! There are so many flavors going on - from sweet mango and mint to crunchy red pepper and crisp cilantro. And the dressing…you are going to want to put it on everything.
I first made this recipe almost ten years ago, and it still goes down as a favorite of both mine and my husbands. (And that is saying something because he is no longer a quinoa fan after years of being fed too much.)
Give this recipe a try - I think you will love it as much as I do.
How to Make Thai Quinoa Salad
1 First, make the dressing by combining the rice vinegar, lime juice, coconut aminos, hot sauce, olive oil, sesame oil and garlic in a blender. Process until smooth.
2 Next, in a large bowl combine cooked quinoa, cooked, black rice, mango, red pepper, green onions, cilantro, and mint.
3 After that, toss the salad with ¾ of the dressing.
4 Finally, place in serving bowls and top with almonds and sesame seeds. Drizzle with additional dressing if desired.
Variations for This Recipe:
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- Carrots and radishes are a nice addition.
- Toss in 1 cup of fresh bean sprouts.
- For a crunchy Thai peanut quinoa salad, use peanuts in place of the almonds.
- Add ¼ cup peanut butter to the dressing.
What Should I Serve This Recipe With?
- While this recipe is fabulous on its own it is also great served with grilled chicken or lamb.
- This is a fabulous side for Curry Chicken Satay.
Other Quinoa Salad Recipes You Don't Want to Miss:
- If you are looking for something a little different, don't miss this Sweet Potato Pomegranate Salad. With crispy quinoa, apples, and walnuts, this beautiful salad is pretty enough for your holiday table.
- If texture is your thing, you will love this Crunchy Quinoa Salad.
- This Mexican Quinoa Salad has it all going on! Creamy avocado, black beans, corn, tomato, red onion and a kick from pickled jalapeño all topped off with a delicious Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette.
Thai Style Quinoa Salad with Black Rice
I am not sure how many quinoa salad recipes I've created, but I would guess that between the website and books the number is upwards of two hundred. This Thai Black Rice Quinoa Salad is without question in my Top 5 All Time Favorites.
Thai Quinoa Salad with Black Rice
Ingredients
- Dressing
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha Hot Sauce gluten-free
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Salad
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 3 cups cooked black rice
- 1 mango peeled, pitted and diced
- 1 red pepper seeded and diced
- 6 green onions chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint chopped
- ¼ cup chopped almonds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make the dressing by combining rice vinegar, lime juice, coconut aminos, maple syrup, Sriracha, olive oil, sesame oil and garlic in a blender.
- Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl combine quinoa, black rice, mango, pepper, green onions, cilantro and mint in a large bowl.
- Toss with ¾ of the dressing.
- To serve, place in serving bowls and top with almonds and sesame seeds. Drizzle with additional dressing.
Nutrition
Other Thai Salad Recipes to Try:
- You will go nuts for this Thai Chicken Salad! It really does have it all. With Napa cabbage, red pepper, carrots, and scallions dressed in this delicious dressing and topped with fresh basil, cilantro, and cashews, you have got a crave-worthy taste and texture.
- This Rainbow Thai Salad really is like eating a rainbow. So much nutrition in one bowl.
- This Thai Noodle Salad is pure comfort food!
Bernadette
I have never had quinoa :/ I see it all the time but have just never tried it. I think I might have to 🙂
Wendy Polisi
If you give it a try let me know what you think!
Amber
This looks pretty tasty!
I love your food photography by the way even if it drives you nuts! I'm horrible at it.
Sarah Bailey
It was a bowl of healthy and delectable salad that can give you enough energy for the whole day. The images above was really great, it surely stands out.
Andrea Broom
I'm always looking for new quinoa recipes, I have quinoa at least 3-4 times a week. This looks like a great salad to add to my rotation.
Julie Porter
I am bookmarking your site now!! I have been trying for quite sometime to learn some good recipes using quinoa in a quest to get my husband to eat it since it is such a good food for his type 1 diabetes and heart disease. I don't know what your photos looked like before, but I think they are pretty darn good now! I'm excited to try this recipe out and see how hubs likes it.
Annemarie LeBlanc
Your photos are not at all that bad. You should see my food photos. Haha. Anyway, the recipe for the black rice quinoa sounds great. I will gather the ingredients I need and make this too.
Annette Yedlin
That looks delicious and it's so colorful too! I love a great salad. The black rice just makes it so much better. Thank you!
bstoutsweeps
This looks amazing. I need to try this some time.
Cindy Nicoletti
Looks really good. I love to try new recipes. Will be trying yours. Thanks !!
Chloe
I think your photos look really good! And congratulations on making blogging a full time job!
Echo (The Mad Mommy)
I still haven't found a way that I like quinoa! It just doesn't appeal to me! I really need to try it more ways!
Azlin Bloor
Looks like a wonderful recipe! Love all the ingredients going in and the colours!
Kathy
This looks amazing. I need to give it a try. I bet this tastes so good!!
CourtneyLynne Storms
Omg can we say yum?!? This salad looks absolutely amazing! I must give your recipe a try!!!
Frosted Events
looks yummy and healthy! I bet my hubby would love this too. Glad that you share this with us
Rejeanne
Hi
This looks delicious. Could you advise what I could replace the mango with? I cannot eat that fruit, unfortunately. Thank you.
Wendy Polisi
I think most any tropical fruit would be good. Pineapple maybe? Or papaya.
Debra
This salad was excellent!! Definitely will make this one regularly. I can see why this is one of your favorites!! I had soaked the Black Forbidden Rice for awhile and didn't need even need to cook it, just rinsed and let it drain. It was soft, but chewy, giving the salad a nice texture. I used arugula in place of the mint. I also used pepitas and sunflower seeds, since I didn't have any sesame seeds on hand. Finally, I topped the individual servings with a half an avocado cubed each, which really added a nice texture.