Thai Chopped Salad with Peanut Dressing
You have probably figured out by now that I love salads. I can eat them everyday without getting even slightly bored because there are so many ways to mix things up. Change up the veggies, protein or dressing and it is a completely different meal. Although I don’t use heavy dressings very often, this Thai Chopped Salad with Peanut Dressing is my weakness. The combination of crisp veggies that are both sweet and savory, a pop of fresh basil then topped with a sweet, salty and nutty dressing. Sometimes I add my Thai Roasted Chicken too and it makes a filling meal. It just hits every note of salad satisfaction for me.
Making the Peanut Dressing
Yes. There are quite a few ingredients for sure in this dressing. But there isn’t a lot of fuss to making it. Just put it all in a blender and go. I like to make a double batch, just incase the craving hits after the salad is gone. This Peanut Dressing is also great on spring rolls, pasta, rice, chicken and as a dip for veggies.
Thai Chopped Salad
All of the work on the veggies is done in advance, so when you dig into the salad, you won’t need a knife to cut it up. That is what I love about a chopped salad. There isn’t any cutting to slow me down! Lol! I love the combination of cabbage, sweet peppers, edamame, carrots and cucumber. The earthiness of the shiitake mushrooms is great too. But if there’s something you don’t like, leave it out. In the version I made for this post, I used Napa Cabbage, which is great, but my favorite is the regular old green cabbage. Like what you find in a coleslaw mix. I love this salad with fresh basil, but feel free to substitute cilantro if you prefer it. I have made it that way as well and it is great. Just don’t leave the fresh herbs out all together. That will make a noticeable difference in the deliciousness. Unfortunately, I know that from experience too:-(
More Salads & Great Combinations
Many of my favorite salads were introduced to me by my dearest friends through the years, so I have named them after these amazing women. Check out Charlotte’s Salad, Kim’s Salad, Audrey’s Salad, Peggy’s Salad. This Thai Chopped Salad with Peanut Dressing would also go very well with Easy Blender Gazpacho, Honey Ginger Stir Fry and Coconut Rice. A light appetizer that would be great to check out is my Coconut Lime Shrimp Ceviche.
Thai Chopped Salad with Peanut Dressing
Click Stars to Rate Recipe:Ingredients
For the Thai Chopped Salad:
- 2-3 cups purple cabbage (finely shredded or sliced)
- 1 16 oz bag cole slaw mix or green cabbage (finely shredded or sliced)
- 1 10 oz bag matchstick carrots
- 1 pkg shiitake mushrooms (stems removed and sliced thinly)
- ½ each red, yellow and orange bell peppers (seeded and thinly sliced)
- 1 medium English cucumber (sliced lengthwise, seeded, then sliced into crescents)
- 1 cup edamame (cooked, cooled, shells removed)
- 4 scallions (roots trimmed, thinly sliced)
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup roasted & salted peanuts (roughly chopped)
- 3 cups cooked chicken (chopped or shredded)
For the Peanut Dressing:
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ⅓ cup toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice (approximately 2-3 limes)
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 Tbsp gluten free soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp fresh ginger (finely chopped)
- 1 Tbsp fresh garlic (finely chopped)
- 1-2 tsp Siracha (to your preference for heat)
Instructions
For the Thai Chopped Salad:
- Wash and chop all vegetables. Assemble in a large bowl to highlight the colors of the veggies. Top with basil and peanuts. Add cooked chicken if you’d like. Serve with Peanut Dressing.
For the Peanut Dressing:
- Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until fully combined. Chill in fridge until ready to serve with salad
