Thai Pineapple Salad with Peanut Dressing

Inspired by the house salads served in North American Thai restaurants, this Thai pineapple salad with peanut dressing is the perfect side dish or first course to serve with Asian-style noodle, rice, or tofu dishes.

A larger portion can serve as the centerpiece of a meal alongside a simple tofu or tempeh dish. Who knows if this fresh-tasting salad resembles anything from authentic Thai cuisine, but either way, it’s refreshing and flavorful.

Colorful and inviting, this salad features the usual suspects — lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and pepper — but what gives it a little something extra is the addition of broccoli and pineapple. 

What to serve with Thai Pineapple Salad

This salad pairs perfectly with Easy Vegan Pad Thai. Or, since you’re already making or using peanut sauce, serve alongside Peanut Satay Golden Tofu Triangles.

The salad is made extra luscious with a coconut peanut dressing. As I often do, I offer a shortcut option using a bottled Thai peanut satay sauce, which has similar ingredients, and then some.

You’ll wonder why you don’t use this kind of rich, nutty dressing on your salads — homemade or store-bought — more often. Anyone who’s kind of “meh” about salads could very well be converted!

Give the pineapple an extra something: Though entirely optional, you might like to try Maple Glazed Pineapple and use part of it in the salad to make it even more luscious!

Recipe is from Vegan on a Budget by Nava Atlas.

Explore more …

• Gorgeous winter salads
• Vegan broccoli recipes.
• Sweet and savory peanut butter recipes
• Thai-Style Zucchini Noodle Salad
• Easy Broccoli Cranberry Salad with Yellow Peppers

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Yield: 4 to 6

Thai Pineapple Salad

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Inspired by the house salad served at Thai restaurants, this pineapple-filled salad is a perfect side dish for Asian-style noodle or rice dishes. 

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 minute

Total Time 21 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets, raw or lightly steamed
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced, or 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/2 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1/2 red or orange bell pepper, cut into narrow strips
• 2 cups fresh or canned pineapple chunks
• 1 large or 2 medium celery stalks, sliced diagonally
• Crisp torn lettuce leaves or mixed baby greens, as desired
• Leaves from several sprigs fresh cilantro
• Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• Coconut Peanut Sauce or Dressing (see link in Notes), or bottled Thai peanut satay sauce, as needed
• Chopped peanuts for topping, optional

Instructions

1. Combine all of the ingredients except the peanut sauce and peanuts in a serving bowl and toss together.
2. Pass around the salad as well as the dressing and chopped peanuts if using, letting everyone take as much as they’d like of each.

Notes

Here's an easy recipe for Coconut-Peanut Sauce if you'd like to DIY.

See lots more plant-rich salads & sides.