As the weather warms up, it leaves me with a serious craving for big, fresh, crunchy salads. Sometimes when I’m keeping things simple I’ll even serve a big salad to friends who come over for dinner on weeknights. It’s such an easy way to pack in a bunch of veggies and a variety of flavors in a single dish.
This Thai Chicken and Kale Chopped Salad was born out of my love for both kale and Thai peanut dressing. Most Thai chicken salads are strictly cabbage-based, but everyone in our kitchens really loved the contrast of the crunchy cabbage with the slightly softer, leafy kale. Since I am not a fan of overly-dressed salads, this recipe makes just enough dressing to pleasantly coat the salad ingredients without weighing the salad down. And I think you’ll find it packs just the right amount of heat.
To speed things up, I suggest chopping all the veggies and making the dressing ahead of time. Then, right before you plan to serve the salad, toss all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl and drizzle with the dressing.
Thai Chicken and Kale Chopped Salad
Ingredients
8 cups finely chopped kale leaves (1 bunch, stems removed)
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups shredded green cabbage
2 cups deli rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 large carrots, shredded
1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 medium green onions, sliced
Dressing
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Thai red chile paste
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the kale and olive oil. Massage the olive oil into the kale with your hands 1 to 2 minutes until kale is softened slightly. Add cabbage, chicken, carrots, peanuts, cilantro and green onions to the mixing bowl.
In a small saucepan, combine all the dressing ingredients. Whisk constantly over medium-low heat about 3 minutes or until smooth and slightly thickened. Cool dressing 10 to 15 minutes. (Makes about 2/3 cup dressing.)
To serve, drizzle cooled dressing over salad and toss to combine.
Prep Time: 30 Minutes Total Time: 45 Minutes | Servings: 4
A few fresh and tasty salads to check out:
- Broccoli Salad with Blueberries and Honey-Toasted Walnuts from The Roasted Root
- Spring Chopped Salad from Not Without Salt
- Chopped Salad with Buttermilk-Peppercorn Dressing Recipe from Aida Mollenkamp
- Chopped Kale Salad with Edamame, Carrot and Avocado from Cookie + Kate
