Try this Thai-inspired colorful rice salad as a side dish or top with chicken for a complete meal.
If you’ve been reading, you know that I am one happy gal if served a hearty, colorful, crunchy, bold tasting salad for dinner.
A simple salad like my Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette over Arugula gives me a big flavor bite with effortless and minimal ingredients.
A more complex salad like my Frisée Salad with Warm Mushrooms and Truffle Oil is rich and decadent and full of a variety of unique toppings.
As much as I crave the lettuce crunch in those salads, I am totally enamored with this bright Coconut Confetti Rice Salad that is topped with a flavor-packed Ginger Peanut Sauce (that you’ll want to steal bites of all on its own).
In my Jasmati rice preparation, I am adding the coconut milk and the garlic right in the pot, infusing this rice with so much yumminess!
I’m topping our salads tonight with very simple, juicy baked chicken thighs.
While both rice and chicken are cooking away, I mix up this easy-peasy and delicious Ginger Peanut Sauce. I start by microwaving the peanut butter and honey together just ’til soft enough to stir and combine. Then I toss in the the ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame oil and stir again. How simple was that?
And after chopping all these fresh veggies…
…you can see why I call this dish “confetti” salad. How pretty is this?!
These fresh, crisp and healthy vegetables are such a colorful and happy treat!!
The rice is ready to be fluffed and added to the bowl of rainbow veggies.
It is ready to be tossed and gently combined. 
With all the multitasking chaos going on in my kitchen (in other words, tackling homework, whining, cleaning, scolding, cooking, breathing…breathing…staying calm), this meal can be perfectly served at room temperature to take some of the pressure off.
To make this a complete meal, each serving is topped with a simple baked chicken thigh and then that perfectly Thai-inspired Ginger Peanut sauce. 
It is bursting with freshness and will leave you satisfied…though tomorrow, you will be fighting for the leftovers because it is so so tasty. So make sure you call dibs on those. Lol.
How do you use coconut milk in your cooking?
Coconut Confetti Rice Salad with Ginger Peanut Sauce
Try this Thai-inspired colorful rice salad as a side dish or top with chicken for a complete meal.
Coconut Rice
- 1½ cups dry Jasmine or Jasmati rice (based on what is available in your grocery store)
- 13.5 oz unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
Salad
- 1 red bell pepper (finely chopped)
- 10 ounce shredded red cabbage or 1/2 red cabbage thinly sliced
- 10 ounce shredded carrots
- 1/2 red onion (finely diced)
- 1 cup cilantro (chopped)
- 1 bunch scallions (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup cashews (chopped)
Sauce
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- Water to thin (optional)
- Lime wedges
Chicken
- boneless (skinless chicken things)
- olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- Drizzle chicken thighs with olive oil, add salt and pepper and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until done.
- In a medium-sized pot, mix together the rice, coconut milk, garlic, salt, and water. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, turn off heat and let sit, covered, for an additional 10 minutes.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanut butter and honey. Microwave for 15-30 seconds. Stir well.
- Add the ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir again. Thin to desired consistency by adding water.
- Add all fresh chopped ingredients to a large bowl.
- When the rice is done, fluff with a fork and add to the large bowl.
- Toss gently to combine.
- Serve coconut rice salad topped with a chicken thigh, a squeeze of a lime wedge, chopped cashews and the desired amount of ginger peanut sauce.
Some rices suggest rinsing the rice before cooking. Check your package and follow directions accordingly. My rice did not require rinsing.
This looks delicious!
Thanks, Beth!
Yum! So bright and colorful 🙂 That sauce sounds amazing
Thank you, Jenna!
This looks so yummy! Full of beautiful color. I bet it’s delicious too!
It is tasty and pretty! Thanks for stopping by!
This looks awesome!! We do an Asian dish at least once a week, definitely adding this to the mix!
Awesome! Hope you all enjoy it!
Um. this is amazing! Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines. I’m definitely pinning this for later! I’m already hungry again 😉 I love the different textures that are incorporated with this dish as well! Delish!
I love the textures too, but especially love that creamy coconut rice! Enjoy!
I love the colors. I can imagine the textures of this dish make it amazing. I really want to make this, it looks so good.
I hope you love it as much as we do!
I am not a fan of cooking and often dread making something from scratch, but this looks great. My husband and I both love Thai- I might need to try this 🙂
I hope you do! It is pretty simple just a lot of chopping. Enjoy!
I am 100% making this amazing dish this week. I just need to pick up the rice vinegar. I love how fragrant it looks and I’m a big fan of coconut milk. Can’t wait!
Thank you, Yolanda! Hope you enjoy the color on your plate!
Thanks so much for another vegan dish! The confetti rice salad sans the chicken sounds wonderful. Can’t wait to try it!!!!
So grateful for your awesome inspiring recommendations Jen!
Thanks, Becky! I thought of you when I posted this today and was hoping you would to see it! Enjoy! It is delish!!!