This vegan and gluten-free Thai salad with creamy peanut dressing is pure refreshment. Healthy yet flavorful, this salad will satisfy you on warm days with its cooling flavors. The peanut dressing makes the salad just a tad indulgent, perfect to prove that salad doesnt have to be boring.

While there are many varieties of Thai salads ranging from papaya to cucumber-based, a leafy salad with peanut dressing is a tried and true favorite. This particular Thai salad uniquely uses butter leaf lettuce as opposed to romaine since it has a fresher and lighter taste.

The key to making a healthy Thai salad is eliminating cholesterol-laden eggs and any heavy ingredients in the peanut dressing.Steamed tofu adds protein and eliminates cholesterol that would normally be present from a hard boiledegg. Just one serving of this salad contains more than15 grams of protein proving plant-based isprotein-rich.

Low fatcoconut milk and organic, natural peanut butter mix together to form a creamy yet light dressing. Make sure you choose a peanut butter that only contains peanuts in the ingredient label. Conventional peanut butter is often filled with unnecessary artificial ingredients, oils, sweeteners, and flavors.

While peanut butter and coconut milk are high in fat, they contain healthy fats that are beneficial when eaten in moderation. Peanuts are regarded as heart healthy due to their monounsaturated fat content. Coconut, on the other hand, has medium fatty chain acids which may help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

While butter leaf lettuce is extremely delicious and refreshing in this salad, you can also substitute it with romaine lettuce. The flavor and texture will be similar. Also, if you have a peanut allergy or avoid peanut butter for dietary or health reasons, you can substitute another nut butter such as almond or sunflower seed.

This salad can serve two as an entree or four as a side. Create a gourmet Thai three-course meal by serving it alongside this vegan Thai curry as the entree and mango with sticky rice for dessert.

Vegan Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing

Ingredients

Instructions

Serving Size: 4

Calories per serving: 521

Fat per serving: 24

Saturated fat per serving: 3.7

Carbs per serving: 69

Protein per serving: 16.6

Fiber per serving: 5.5

Sugar per serving: 5.8

Sodium per serving: 22 mg

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Images via Karissa Bowers

Karissa Bowers is a fashion and food blogger living a compassionate lifestyle. Karissa is the blogger of Vegan La Mode where she shares her favorite vegan and gluten-free recipes and also her eco-friendly cruelty-free style. Her love for photographing food and her outfits, drove her to develop a passion for photography. After a few years of honing in on her photography skills, Karissa launched her business, Karissa Bowers Photography, where she shoots weddings and portraits. When shes not taking photos or in the kitchen, you can find Karissa traveling and trying new vegan restaurants.

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You'll Remember this Vegan Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing Forever - Organic Authority