If there’s one thing I love, it’s a salad with major crunch, vibrant colors, and a dressing so good you’ll want to drink it straight from the bowl. This Chopped Thai Salad checks every box and then some—prepare your knife skills, this is a keeper!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
This Chopped Thai Salad is everything I want in a meal: fresh, crunchy, colorful, and packed with flavor! The vinaigrette is the real star here—garlicky, gingery, with just the right amount of heat. It ties all the vibrant veggies, creamy avocado, and sweet mango together into a salad that feels light yet totally satisfying. Plus, it comes together in no time and makes for the perfect lunch, dinner, or side dish for any occasion. If you love my Mango Cucumber Chopped Salad - this one is going to be right up your alley.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Water
- Rice wine vinegar
- Honey
- Chili garlic sauce
- Sesame oil
- Fresh ginger
- Lime
- Frozen shelled edamame
- Baby kale
- Carrots
- Red bell pepper
- Yellow bell pepper
- Fresh cilantro
- Green onions
- Cashews
- Avocado
- Mango
How to Make
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cook the edamame according to the package directions. Drain and allow it to cool.
- Meanwhile, combine the kale, carrots, peppers, cilantro leaves, and green onions in a large bowl.
- Add the cooked edamame, cashews, avocado, and mango to the bowl with all the ingredients.
- Pour the dressing over the Chopped Thai Salad and toss to combine.
- Serve the Chopped Thai Salad immediately.
Tips & Tricks
- Make It Ahead: The vinaigrette can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge. Just give it a good shake before using.
- Maximize Crunch: Keep the kale, carrots, and peppers super dry to avoid a soggy salad. I like to run everything through my salad spinner for extra crispness.
- Edamame Shortcuts: Buy pre-cooked, shelled edamame from the refrigerated section to save time.
- Get Creative: This Chopped Thai Salad is super adaptable. Swap out the kale for romaine or butter lettuce, use almonds instead of cashews, or throw in any veggies you need to use up.
- Protein Boost: Add grilled chicken, grilled steak or poached or grilled shrimp to make it a complete meal.
FAQ's
Yes! You can prep all the veggies and make the dressing a day in advance. Just keep everything separate and toss it all together right before serving to maintain that perfect crunch.
If kale isn’t your thing, you can use any greens you love. Romaine, butter lettuce, or even a spring mix would work beautifully.
Absolutely! Grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, tofu, or even additional edamame alone adds a nice protein boost.
Once dressed, the salad is best eaten right away. If you expect leftovers, dress only what you need and store the remaining ingredients separately for up to 2 days.
Similar Recipes
Chopped Thai Salad
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 lime zested and juice
For the Salad
- 8 ounces frozen shelled edamame
- 6 cups shredded baby kale
- 3 large carrots shredded
- 2 bell peppers thinly sliced
- 1 cup cilantro leaves
- 1 cup sliced green onions
- ¾ cup cashews roughly chopped
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 mango diced
Instructions
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cook the edamame according to the package directions. Drain and allow it to cool.
- Meanwhile, combine the kale, carrots, peppers, cilantro leaves, and green onions in a large bowl.
- Add the cooked edamame, cashews, avocado, and mango to the bowl with all the ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
We loved this salad! A great non- meat entree. So fun to fix!
I made this last night and it was delish! I opted for the shrimp, as a protein, like you did on your video! The only thing is that my local WF did not carry chili garlic sauce, so I substituted it with sweet chili sauce; and thought I had honey but did not. So, I opted for some agave that I had in my pantry :). Yum, yum!
Yes please! Every fall dish is so heavy. Easy, healthy, but still enjoy the seasons produce.
Yes to more healthy fall recipes! Gotta keep the fam on track somehow. 🙂
Hi Gaby! This looks delicious. What can I substitute if I don’t have a mango?
you could leave it out! or add pineapple or papaya
Hi! Is this something that can be eaten the next day for lunch?
yes but don't dress it until right before you eat it!!
Yes, more healthy recipes please!
Hi Gaby, saw you make this salad with grilled shrimp on Instagram tonight...looks yummy.
I just ordered your Garlic Goodness Olive Oil from William Sonoma. Meanwhile, I have a question...two questions...sesame oil..is it toasted sesame oil? And what brand Chili garlic sauce do you use? Thanks.
Barbara
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I use non toasted sesame oil. And the chili garlic sauce is called Sambal
Thank you.
Got my Olive oil from William Sonoma...love it!
I love your recipes but I am
all for healthy recipes meaning lots of fruits and veggies cooked in different ways.
Yes to healthier fall recipes, especially on the low carb side. Thanks!
Yes please to more healthier fall meal recipes!!!!
What brand of rice wine vinegar do you use for the dressing? Is rice wine the same as rice wine vinegar? Sorry if that’s a stupid question! Thanks !!
I use the one from trader joes! And their the same thing - either works
I was wondering the same thing!!
I would like to see a mix of recipes. Some of the decadent and some of the healthy. Maybe 5-2 split? If you wanted you could use 5 recipes that are healthy on the weekdays and two of the decadent recipes on the weekend.
I saw you on the kitchen a couple days ago and really enjoyed the show. As soon as it was over I looked up your book online so that I could buy it. It should be really good I think.
Yes I want healthy recipes during this time of year and all year. The opportunity to learn, test, adapt and understand food combinations presented by great chefs like yourself is definitely worth the undertaking. It isn't the time of year that matters, its the understanding of how to embrace the time off year while staying committed to a healthy lifestyle starting in the kitchen, Healthy food, any time of year, can be delicious, feel good, satisfying and yes HEALTHY. I don't cook daily embracing the perfect healthy, non-fattening, indulgent menu. But opening my recipe file or blog surfing, finding a "feel good" menu's that just happen to provide great nutritional benefits is very very needed and worth continuing to understand. I love to cook, I love cooking classes and blogs and have learned new ways to approach so many foods. This is what makes blogs fun and worth investigating.
Please keep healthy recipes coming! Thx!