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This kale and cabbage pad thai salad has all the flavors of pad thai in salad form! It is my take on the Sweet and Spicy Kale Pad Thai from Whole Foods. Vegan + gluten-free.
Whenever I’m shopping at Whole Foods I’m always tempted to grab something from the salad bar or prepared foods section for my next meal. Through this habit I’ve discovered quite a few salads from the Whole Foods bar that I absolutely LOVE.
The Sweet and Spicy Kale Pad Thai is one of those salads! It has all the flavor of pad thai and an awesome crunch, but no noodles! After purchasing this salad from the prepared foods section too many times to count, I decided I should probably try making my own version at home, which I’ve done with a couple other Whole Foods salads including the Garlicky Kale Salad and the Crackling Cauliflower.
So here’s my version of the Whole Foods kale pad Thai salad!
I haven’t done a side by side taste test to see if the flavor is spot on, but I do know that this homemade version is delicious.
Normal pad Thai is certainly tasty, but it’s pretty carb heavy. In this recipe we’re replacing the rice noodles with kale and cabbage for a veggie-loaded, fiber packed dish that you can feel good about loading on your plate. I don’t know about you, but I’m totally a volume eater so vegetable packed dishes like this are great. They allow me to eat a lot of food so I feel full and satisfied, but not stuffed or heavy.
I also like how bright and colorful this salad is. The orange carrots, green kale, red bell pepper and onions are so beautiful. Added bonus: filling your plate with colorful foods means your getting a ton of different nutrients, but it can also boost your mood! Win, win.
All of the veggies included in the salad are tasty on their own, but what really makes this salad is the dressing. It has all the flavors you’d expect from a Thai peanut dressing, but I used Bragg’s liquid aminos in place of soy sauce and skipped the fish sauce, which is a usual suspect in Thai sauces. So this dressing is soy free and vegan!
Yum! Isaac and I have been eating it as a side with lunch and dinner over the past couple days and absolutely love it. I can’t wait for you to try it as well.
PS – If you love pad Thai, I have two other veggie based versions you should try: zucchini noodle pad Thai and lightened up pad Thai with cabbage noodles.
If you make this kale and cabbage pad thai salad please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Your feedback is so helpful for the EBF team and other readers.
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I love this salad! Very easy to make, so flavorful and fresh, and very filling! This will be a new go to recipe! Thank you 😊
Ah yay! This makes me so happy to hear, Laurie! So pumped this salad was a hit. Thanks for the review!!
Can u sub almond butter for the peanut butter?
Yes, that will be just fine!
As soon as I saw this recipe I could not wait to make it. My husband & I both absolutely loved it!! Super fresh and healthy! I will definitely be making this again, would make an amazing dish for a summer bbq! I added some fresh mint, broccoli and cucumber because I had some in my fridge & it worked really well. Thanks for the great recipe!!
Very yummy and surprisingly filling! The only thing I would change would be to season the chickpeas on their own because they’re bland in comparison to the rest of the salad that soaks up the dressing (which is super tasty, by the way).
Glad you enjoyed this salad, Molly! Thanks for the review 🙂
This salad is perfect!! Crunchy light, delicious and best of all – EASY(and budget friendly)! Thank you Brittany!
So glad you loved this salad, Rachel! Thanks for the review!