Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad will make a salad eater out of even the most avid salad haters. It has all the elements that make the perfect salad. It’s crunchy, filling, versatile for all diets, delicious and flavorful (of course), and interesting. I mean, sometimes salads and chicken both can get a little boring. Am I right? That’s when this recipe needs to work its way into your rotation.
One of my best friends is proof of the salad hater thing. One day she invited me over to do a movie marathon, but I was about to sit down to my very large crunchy thai chicken salad. So I asked, “do you mind if I bring my lunch?”, which of course she didn’t mind. This friend loves her veggies, just not so much salad. But, I got out the giant container and it went something like this….
…She loved it!! Then, she even wanted the recipe so she could make it herself.
To get the full effect of the flavors here, I like to use both a lime vinaigrette and a peanut sauce. What’s thai food without some peanut-y goodness, right?
If you want to go vegetarian with this, you can just leave off the chicken. The edamame and peanuts both give a little protein, so the chicken isn’t totally necessary for it to be nutritionally complete.
For gluten free, just use gluten free soy sauce and you’ll be all set.
The best part is you can make a lot of this salad ahead of time for meal prep and then assemble it when you’re ready!
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It looks like this recipe has A LOT of ingredients, but chances are you probably have the vast majority of them in your kitchen already.
To Make Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad
First, mix together the Vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and set aside
Then, in an additional separate bowl, combine all the ingredients for the peanut sauce. The peanut sauce takes a couple of minutes to come together. If it looks like they aren’t combining, just keep mixing. I promise it comes together, just takes a little elbow grease.
In a large salad bowl, start with a base of chopped cabbage. Then, add the remaining vegetables to the salad bowl. (I seriously love all the colors in this salad)
Add the chicken, peanuts, and cilantro to the bowl and gently toss the salad.
Plate the salad, and spoon 2 or 3 spoonfuls of the vinaigrette onto the salad.
Finally, add a few dollops of peanut sauce. I don’t skimp with the peanut sauce! It’s the key ingredient in my opinion.
Ashley Tukiainen
Yields 4 servings
Serves 2 cups
A delicious, filling, and hearty salad with fresh thai flavors. Don't skimp on the peanut sauce!
10 minPrep Time
10 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken breasts (cut into chunks)
- 1/2 head green cabbage
- 1/2 english cucumber (in chunks)
- 2 carrots (peeled and cut)
- 1/2 purple onion (a small, diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1/2 cups peanuts (dry roasted or raw)
- 1 cup edamame (shelled)
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro (chopped.)
- 5 teaspoons honey
- 3 teaspoons white vinegar
- 6 teaspoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 3/4 teaspoons fresh ginger (minced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1/2 olive oil
- 4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 teaspoons water
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper (to your taste preferences)
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper (to your taste preferences)
Instructions
- First, mix together the Vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and set aside
- Then in an additional separate bowl, combine all the ingredients for the peanut sauce. The peanut sauce takes a couple of minutes to come together. If it looks like they aren't combining, just keep mixing.
- In a large salad bowl, start with a base of chopped cabbage.
- Then add the remaining vegetables to the salad bowl.
- Then add the chicken, peanuts and cilantro to the bowl and gently toss the salad.
- Plate the salad, and then spoon 2 or 3 spoon-fulls of the vinaigrette onto the salad.
- Finally add a few dollops of peanut sauce. I don't skimp with the peanut sauce, it makes the salad!
Check out these salads!!
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