Spicy food and pasta are two of my favorite things to eat and this easy recipe combine them both to create a spicy Thai spaghetti salad for one. I tried to recreate the spicy Thai salad I buy from Gelson’s market and came pretty darn close, except my version does have a stronger ginger note. Also this version is ton’s cheaper.

These easy tofu lettuce wraps go well with the Thai salad.

small bowl of cold spicy thai spaghetti salad. — spicy Thai salad bursting with flavor

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What makes this Thai salad so great?

This is by far one of the best cold pasta salads. Using bagged shredded cabbage and jar peanut sauce saves valuable time. You can easily adjust the flavors by adding more peanut butter or omitting the chili sauce for a perfect flavor combination.

Ingredients and substitution notes

Make the yummy spicy spaghetti Thai salad using common ingredients found in most grocery stores.

Dried spaghetti: Use your favorite brand, mine is either Barilla or DeCeco. You can also substitute soba noodles.
Thai peanut sauce: For this recipe I used the Target brand Good & Gather which is quite good spicy peanut sauce, but you can find a good selection at most supermarkets. The peanut sauce is the star of a spicy Thai salad so taste a few different brands to find your favorite. When you choose your peanut sauce look at the ingredients, some have more ginger flavor than others. The Good and Gather has a stronger ginger flavor.
Peanut butter: microwave and stir to get a thinner smooth peanut butter consistency. This makes it easier to mix in with the peanut sauce. I like the extra peanut flavor, you should taste the sauce before adding because you may prefer the jar sauce without adding in more peanut butter.
Hot chili sauce: (optional for added heat) the Garlic Chili Sauce is perfect to add more spice.
Shredded cabbage mix: you can certainly shred your own but I find buying the shredded cabbage mix simpler.
Green onions: use both the green and the whit part of the green onion. fresh & dried cilantro: Add handful fresh cilantro leaves for the garnish, but if you prefer you can also use fresh in place of the dried cilantro.

For a delicious twist add a little more heat and spice with some sweet chili sauce.

If you like my spicy Thai spaghetti salad then try my quick and easy homemade peanut butter.

How to make this easy spicy Thai salad

Break dried pasta in half and cook per package instructions. lightly rinse with cool water.

While the pasta is cooking chop the cabbage and green onions and set aside.

Stir in the dried cilantro and basil. Add the melted peanut butter and chili sauce to the Thai peanut sauce and pour over the spaghetti, Stir to thoroughly coat the spaghetti.

Stir in the cabbage and green onions.

Cover and refrigerate.

How to Store the salad

My cold Thai salad is a perfect make-ahead recipe and will stay fresh for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Doubled the recipe is perfect for office potluck gatherings or for a summer picnic.

Simple side dishes

Did you make this recipe? I would love it if you left a comment or review! Be sure to sign up for the email list and follow “A Weekend Cook” on Pinterest and my Facebook page.