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Protein Packed Thai Pasta Salad

Thai pasta salad with a creamy Thai peanut dressing that clings to al dente noodles and loads each bite with shredded chicken, edamame, and crunchy cabbage. This peanut noodle salad is chilled for 30 minutes so the flavors meld and the texture stays satisfying.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Thai-American
Calories: 520

Ingredients
  

Linguine and vegetables
  • 12 oz linguine, spaghetti, or rice noodles
  • 2 cup cooked chicken breast, shredded
  • 1 cup shelled edamame, cooked
  • 1.5 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro
  • 0.25 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Thai peanut dressing
  • 0.3333 cup peanut butter
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sriracha
  • 1 garlic
  • 2.5 tbsp warm water

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the noodles
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then cook linguine, spaghetti, or rice noodles to al dente, about 8–10 minutes depending on package directions. Drain immediately and rinse cold to stop cooking, then cool until no longer warm.
Make the Thai peanut dressing
  1. Whisk or blend peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, sesame oil, sriracha, garlic, and warm water until smooth and pourable, adding the full amount of warm water for a thick but coatable texture. If needed, add a splash more warm water so it flows easily.
Assemble and chill
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled noodles with cooked chicken breast, edamame, shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, and green onions. Toss to distribute everything evenly through the pasta.
  2. Pour Thai peanut dressing over the pasta mixture and toss thoroughly until the noodles look evenly coated. Scrape the bottom so no dry pockets remain.
  3. Fold in fresh cilantro, then refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes to let flavors meld. Cover to prevent the noodles from drying out in the fridge.
Serve
  1. Top the chilled Thai peanut noodle salad with roughly chopped roasted peanuts and additional lime wedges before serving. Serve cold for the crunchiest cabbage and best peanut-lime flavor.

Notes

For the best texture, rinse the cooked noodles until they’re thoroughly cool so they stay springy and don’t clump. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; the salad is freezer-friendly only for the chicken/pasta separately, so freeze is not recommended for the assembled salad. For a lighter option, use low-sugar honey or omit honey and add an extra 1–2 teaspoons lime juice to keep the dressing tangy without extra sweetness.