Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad

Yesterday’s lunch was inspired by Julie Hasson’s Peanut Sesame Noodles. I halved the dressing and swapped the noodles and peanut butter for quinoa and cashew butter. I also added some red bell pepper (capsicum), carrots, and purple cabbage for color, and some additional raw cashews for extra crunch. The result is an Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad that you’re sure to love.

Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

I really like this salad – it’s fresh and colorful, and exactly the type of thing I look forward to having for lunch or a light dinner. It’s also a fancier version of the Spicy Peanut Quinoa Salad that I make so often.

Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Notes – Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad

  • Swap the nuts. Feel-free to use almond butter & slivered/halved almonds OR peanut butter & peanuts instead of the cashew butter & cashews.
  • Add some tofu cubes. Just quickly sautéed in sesame oil and Tamari for an extra protein punch.
  • Julienne the carrots. You can shred the carrots but for a more professional look, julienne them with a julienne peeler or mandoline. Just remember to use a protective glove if you use the mandoline!
Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

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Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad

This bright salad is creamy yet crunchy – my idea of a perfect lunch! Vegan and Gluten-Free

  • Author: Angela @ Vegangela.com
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Salad, Main
  • Cuisine: Asian, Thai, Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups finely cut purple cabbage
  • 1 cup julienned or shredded carrots
  • 1 red bell pepper (capsicum), diced
  • 2 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
  • 1/2 cup cashews (or peanuts)

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup cashew butter (or peanut/almond butter)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp dried ginger)
  • 3 tbsp tamari (light soy sauce)
  • 2 tbsp agave (or maple syrup)
  • 2 tbsp warm water
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red chili pepper (or 1 tsp Sriracha sauce)

Instructions

  1. Place the quinoa along with 2 cups salted water in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest heat setting. Simmer until water is completely absorbed and quinoa is fluffy, about 20 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together.
  3. Add the quinoa to the dressing and mix well to combine.
  4. Add the veggies, onions, cilantro and cashews.

Notes

Adapted from http://www.juliehasson.com/2012/10/peanut-sesame-noodles

Keywords: asian, capsicum, carrot, cashew, cilantro, easy, favorite, gluten-free, low-carb, make-ahead, nut butter, quinoa, stove top, thai, vegan, salad

Did you make this recipe?

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Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

51 thoughts on “Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad”

  1. Absolutely delicious!! It is so similar in taste to the sesame ginger dressing from Lighthouse. So glad to have found this ♡♡ My 8 year old loved it!!!

    Reply
  2. My friend brought this to a recent get together and I asked her for the recipe because it is seriously the best salad I’ve ever eaten. I’ve just made it again for dinner tonight. Thanks and I look forward to discovering your other recipes!

    Reply
  3. Great salad!! I am a raw food eater so sprouted the quinoa instead of cooking it – delicious!!!! Thanks heaps from New Zealand 🙂

    Reply
  4. I’ve made this twice — and we really like it! I will make it often. Since we are not fans of fresh cilantro, I left it out — but may add it in the dressing at some point. I made the dressing in a food processor and it was really convenient. This is the third salad I’ve made from your website — and they are all favorites of our family! Thanks so much for posting as we are learning to eat more healthily.

    Reply
  5. Literally one of the best recipes I’ve ever discovered on the internet. You could bottle the sauce. We made it for the first time last week, and loved it so much we made again tonight. It’s going into the rotation for good. Thanks so much!

    Reply
  6. This looks perfect and I am bringing to a family potluck with vegans, and meat eaters. The only change I plan to make is using mint instead of cilantro because my brother hates cilantro. I love it, so will try that another time!

    Reply
  7. Is this a good make-ahead dish? How many days do you think it would stay wonderful?
    Can’t wait to try it. Looks delicious!

    Reply
  8. I am a newly converted vegan so finding my way in terms of recipes etc. and this is one of the best salads I have ever had! (Including when Il was eatng meat)
    Great flavour, easy to make, and also great the next day for lunch. Working my way through your recipes and all wonderful..
    Congrats Angela on a great website and quality recipes that actually taste great!
    Hope you are enjoying Sydney…I am an expat Aussie livng in Saskatoon Canada for a few years and loving it!
    Cheers
    Jane

    Reply
  9. Hi Angela,

    Congrats on making it onto the BerryRipe list. I was chuffed that my blog is up there too. Your recipe s look divine, so I’ll keep in touch!

    Cheers
    Lynette
    the vegan style revivalist

    Reply
  10. Thank you Angela for continually inspiring and uplifting me with your creativity. I love taking on the creations you come up with – this looks absolutely delicious and refreshing! I’ve never used quinoa in Asian dishes!

    Reply
  11. Just made this recipe (found it through a google search) to take to a family gathering. I am vegetarian and often need to bring my own food, so this is perfect! The dressing tastes wonderful, can’t wait to try it all together 🙂 I did improvise and use peanutbutter instead of cashew butter and I bought a bag of rainbow slaw mix (red cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, etc.) instead of buying just red cabbage and carrots because I’m lazy 😉 We’ll see how it turns out!

    Reply
    • Hi Julie! You beat me to the punch – I’m just now heading over to your blog to leave a comment now. And I’m honored that you’d drop by here! Thanks for creating such comforting and delicious recipes. You rock!

      Reply

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