This flavorful Thai Salad Dressing is made with healthy vegan ingredients and pairs well with any salad or veggie bowl! It's creamy, zesty, packed with umami flavor, and has a mild kick! Plus, it takes just 5 minutes to whip up.
I enjoy pairing this peanut dressing with my Thai Crunch Salad as well as this 35g Protein Crunch Salad with Tempeh. It's also delicious as a dipping sauce for raw veggies or drizzled on roasted veggies. Meal prep this dressing for the week and add it to all your salads. It's versatile and good for up to 5 days.
This peanut sauce recipe was inspired by my Japanese Sesame Dressing 胡麻ドレッシング, as well as this Easy Miso Tahini Dressing.
Jump to:
👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Peanut butter
- Tamari
- Rice Vinegar
- Lime juice
- Sriracha
- Dates or maple syrup
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Vegan fish sauce (optional)
See the recipe card for quantities.
🌶️ Substitutions
- Sriracha - instead of sriracha, use one-half teaspoon crushed red pepper or omit it entirely for nonspicy
- Tamari - use gluten-free tamari for a gluten-free Thai Salad Dressing
- Peanut butter - substitute with almond or cashew butter, or use SunButter for nut-free.
- Vegan fish sauce - Optional for an even more authentic Thai flavor. Ocean's Halo is my preferred brand, and it's gluten-free.
- Dates - use 5 small pitted Medjool or Deglet dates, or 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave to sweeten.
Try my Best Oil-Free Vegan Salad Dressing that goes with everything! For more delectable and healthy salad dressings, visit my Vegan Dressing Recipes page.
📖 How to Make Thai Salad Dressing
Step 1. If using dates, soak them in boiled water for 10 minutes beforehand for a creamier dressing.
Step 2. Transfer the soaked dates or maple syrup, peanut butter, tamari, rice vinegar, lime juice, sriracha, ginger, garlic, and ¼ cup water to the canister of a blender.
Step 3. Blend on high until creamy.
Step 4. Refrigerate to chill before using or serve immediately.
✔️ Expert Tips
- For a creamier dressing, soak the dates in hot water before using, and use creamy nut butter.
- Blend or whisk: If using maple syrup or agave, you can whisk the ingredients instead of blending. Grate the ginger and garlic and whisk with the remaining ingredients. Otherwise, blend all the ingredients until smooth. You do not need to peel the ginger.
- Storage: Refrigerate Thai Salad Dressing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Thai salad dressing is typically made with peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, fish sauce, and red pepper flakes. This vegan version uses maple syrup or dates to sweeten, and vegan fish sauce.
Peanut sauce is the perfect dipping sauce for tofu satay (grilled tofu skewers) and makes a delicious dipping sauce for these Vegan Dumplings with Rice Paper, potstickers, tempura, and fresh vegetables including cucumber slices, carrot sticks, and red pepper strips.
A good peanut sauce has a bold peanut flavor that's underscored by notes of ginger, lime, soy sauce, and garlic. It's sweet, salty and flavorful.
🍶 Related Recipes
👩🏽🍳 Made This Dressing?
Share your Thai Salad Dressing creation with me on Instagram. It makes my day to see you recreate my recipes.
I would love it if you would ⭐️ rate this recipe and leave a comment. Thank you in advance.
📖 Recipe
Thai Salad Dressing
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cooking for Peanuts.
Ingredients
- 5 to 6 small pitted Medjool dates soaked, or 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter or almond or cashew butter (unsweetened)
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce (preferably reduced sodium)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce vegan (optional)
- Juice of 1 small lime
- 2 teaspoons sriracha or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1 ½ inch ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
Instructions
- Combine: Transfer the soaked dates or maple syrup, peanut butter, tamari, rice vinegar, fish sauce (if using), lime juice, sriracha, ginger, and garlic to the canister of the blender.
- Blend: Add ¼ cup water. Blend on high until creamy.
Notes
- Use 5 small pitted Medjool or 6 pitted Deglet Noor dates, or 1 tablespoon maple syrup, to sweeten the dressing. Soak the dates in hot water for at least 10 minutes before blending.
- If using maple syrup, you can grate the ginger and garlic and whisk the ingredients instead of blending as desired.
- The vegan fish sauce brand I recommend is Ocean's Halo.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Rose says
Exceptional! I skipped fish sauce and siracha. Used the maple syrup option! Fantastic dressing.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed this dressing. Thank you for sharing how you made it, and about omitting the vegan fish sauce, to help others.
Val says
Absolutely delicious, I had it with tofu, rice and broccoli and it was so tasty. Thank you for another tasty versatile sauce recipe.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed this sauce! Thank you for leaving a comment.
Primla Goddard says
Thai salad dressing is so simple and quick to make. Such an amazing addition to your salad and veggie bowls. Love it ❤️
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!
Amina says
Delicious, luxurious umami taste in this dressing! I used maple syrup instead of dates and it was amazing nevertheless. Loved it!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you! I'm so glad it was a hit!
Neena Chandiramani says
I love this dressing, it has a kick!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you.
Nina says
I made this, and it's fantastic! I can't wait to try it with different salads/combination. Thank you Nisha, you are so talented.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Awww so happy you liked it! Thank you for commenting.