Chopped Thai-Inspired Chicken Salad

We are celebrating January birthdays for our John L. Scott Bothell and Mukilteo real estate professionals by sharing this Thai Chicken Salad recipe! ENJOY!

Looking for something a little different? It’s time to go for a swim in this Chopped Thai Chicken Salad. The flavors in this dreamboat Thai chicken salad are going to rock your face off.

Lime, peanuts, cilantro, carrots, green onions, vinegar, green papaya or mango, soy sauce, chili pepper, garlic, all packed together in a highly textured salad bowl? Oiyyyy! We love it all.

Our gang:

Chopped cabbage
Grated carrots
A bitey green papaya, or green mango, or maybe you can’t find either – not a big deal
Shredded chicken
Chopped peanuts
Lime squeezers
Cilantro and green onion
Cute little red serrano peppers
And the very best peanut dressing your lips have ever touched.

As for the papaya, make a 60-second effort to locate a green papaya or green (under-ripe) mango, which is a great substitution. Peel it and grate it, but don’t taste it yet because it’s so sour and you’re going to be ruffled. Just add it into the salad with all the other parts, and the whole thing will sing. If you’re coming up empty-handed, a ripe mango will be sweet and delicious and work fine as well. Or another crunchy vegetable that you like. (raw cucumber, raw zucchini, bell pepper, or more cabbage or carrots)

RECIPE:

Thai Chicken Salad

3–4 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 head of green cabbage (3–4 cups shredded)
1–2 large carrots (2 cups grated)
1 green papaya or mango (1–2 cups grated) (optional)
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
3–4 red serrano peppers, sliced
salt and lime juice to taste

Peanut Dressing

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup sesame oil (toasted or dark)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons chili paste (sriracha works, too)
2 tablespoons sugar
a small knob of fresh ginger, peeled
a clove of fresh garlic, peeled
1/4 cup water to thin to desired consistency

INSTRUCTIONS

Chop: Put on some good music, pour a drink, and start choppin’!
Dressing: Pulse all ingredients in the food processor or blender. Adjust consistency with water.
Thai Chicken Salad Assembly: Toss the salad ingredients in a big bowl with a drizzle of peanut dressing so everything gets coated. Season with salt and lime juice, and maybe a shot of fish sauce if you’re feeling wild. Serve chilled.

NOTES

Chicken: Pulled rotisserie chicken works great. You can also cook chicken breasts in the Instant Pot (12 minutes, with about a cup of water, plus salt and pepper) and then shred them.
Cabbage: You want the cabbage to be very thin, like it would be for coleslaw. You can use a mandolin.
Vegetarian: You can make this with tofu instead of chicken!
Leftovers/Make Ahead: You can keep this for a few hours once it's tossed with dressing - like if you make it for lunch, it'll be pretty okay for dinner. But for best results, keep the leftover salad and dressing separate until ready to serve.