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Thai Chicken Salad

Thai Chicken Salad

This is a substantial salad, not a side dish. The key is the contrast of textures: crisp cabbage, crunchy peanuts, and soft mango, all brought together by a sharp and savory peanut dressing you make from scratch. Using properly cold chicken is the most important rule; warm chicken will instantly wilt the greens into a sad, soggy pile.
Prep Time30 minutes
Active Time18 minutes
Cooling Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 48 minutes
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Ingredients

For the Peanut Dressing

  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

For the Salad

  • 2.5 cups cooked and shredded cold chicken
  • 4 cups shredded napa cabbage
  • 2 cups shredded red cabbage
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 English cucumber seeded and julienned
  • 1 ripe but firm mango julienned
  • 1 medium red bell pepper cut into thin strips
  • 5 scallions thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup chopped mint
  • 1/4 cup chopped Thai basil
  • 1 cup roasted peanuts coarsely chopped

Instructions

  • Whisk the peanut butter and warm water in a medium bowl until smooth.
  • Add the soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger to the bowl.
  • Whisk until the dressing is emulsified and pourable. Add an extra tablespoon of water if too thick.
  • Poach the chicken breasts in salted water until they reach 165F (15-20 minutes).
  • Shred the warm chicken using two forks.
  • Spread the shredded chicken on a plate and refrigerate for 2 hours until cold.
  • While the chicken cools, prep all the vegetables, herbs, and peanuts.
  • Cut the mango and cucumber into thin, uniform matchsticks.
  • In a large bowl, combine the cold chicken, cabbages, carrots, cucumber, mango, bell pepper, scallions, and herbs.
  • Pour three-quarters of the dressing over the salad and toss with tongs.
  • Add the chopped peanuts and toss again.
  • Taste and add remaining dressing if needed.

Notes

Serve immediately after adding the dressing. The salad will become watery after about 10 minutes.
For make-ahead, keep the dressing, peanuts and other components separate until serving time.
The dressing can be made one day ahead.