Chopped Thai Chicken Salad

It’s cold, dreary, dry— and the holidays are quickly approaching. What better chance than now to whip up a salad for lunch or dinner?

I know, I know, it’s not really salad weather. The winter months don’t really invoke a cool & crisp salad mood. But with the as busy as everyone’s schedule has been this close to Christmas, I feel like a salad for dinner is just what the doctor ordered.

I can make a list of my favorite salads at the drop of a hat:

• Taco salad (a classic!)
• Apple-pecan chicken salad
• Steakhouse-style chopped salad

And my all-time favorite, the Thai chicken salad from Panera. It’s pretty much the only thing I ever order when I go there. For $11 bucks, a salad better be worth it.  And this one is definitely worth it. Chicken, edamame, red bell pepper, carrots, little wonton strips and two different dressings are all included in this mega-delicious salad.

Playing off of that and my second favorite salad, a steakhouse-style chopped salad, I concocted this quick-and-easy dinner salad. It’s bound to fill you up, and I like to think it’s a little healthier for you. You know, since we’re all about up our caloric intake by metric ton what with all the Christmas cookies, chex mix, stuffing and candies, we need all the healthier options we can get!

This recipe makes a lot of salad, and as long as you keep the dressing separate from the chicken-lettuce mixture, it keeps well in the fridge for a few days. If you mix the dressing with the whole salad, it will only be good for about a day.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Poach the chicken: season breasts with salt and pepper. Place in a deep skillet and pour water over chicken, covering them by about an inch. Bring to a boil and then cover, turning heat down to simmer, for about 15 minutes until chicken is cooked. Remove to a plate to cool, then shred (using two forks or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment).

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425. Place edamame and bell pepper on a baking sheet, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast veggies until blistered, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool.

Make the dressing: Whisk together all dressing ingredients except water. Add water as needed to thin out dressing to your liking.

Assemble the salad: in a large bowl, toss together romaine, cabbage, chicken, carrots, cilantro, green onions, peanuts, roasted edamame and bell pepper.

Mix it up real good!

Serve salad with dressing drizzled on top.