thai crunch salad with peanut dressing in a bowl

Raise your hand if you’re craving something fresh, healthy, and NOT made entirely from butter and/or sugar?

Man I love the holidays but over the past few weeks I have eaten crazy amounts of sugar cookies, plenty of Puppy Chow and boatloads of bark. It’s been fun but right now all I want to do is eat a MASSIVE salad. The little boys and I were at my parent’s house yesterday where I made Lincoln a healthy snack of sliced apples and peanut butter…then sat down and chowed down on Lay’s potato chips. #WHY My point is, unhealthy habits beget unhealthy habits and this freight train needs to be stopped.

Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing is just the thing to do it!

Watch How to Make It!

Crispy coleslaw mix is combined with green onions, red bell pepper, cilantro, peanuts, and chicken then tossed with an easy Thai Peanut Dressing that I had to double the amounts for in the final recipe because I spoon drank too much and didn’t have enough left to dress the salad with.

What can I say, self control is not one of my strengths.

overhead photo of a bowl of thai crunch salad

This healthy salad recipe is super crunchy and filling, plus if you’re a fan of mason jar salads – these work beautifully! Scoop several Tablespoons of the dressing into the bottom of a 16oz mason jar then layer in coleslaw > red pepper > chicken > green onions > peanuts > cilantro. Pour onto a plate at lunchtime, and you’re set. Let’s do this!

fork taking a bite of thai crunch salad with peanut dressing

How to Make Thai Crunch Salad

Start by adding bagged coleslaw mix (green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots,) chopped cilantro, peanuts, and green onions, plus red bell pepper cut into matchsticks, and shredded chicken breast into a large bowl. I poached my chicken breast for about 10 minutes before shredding, but you can cook it any way you like and/or use rotisserie chicken.

thai crunch salad ingredients in a bowl

How to Make Peanut Dressing

To a mason jar or small bowl add peanut butter, honey, warm water, gluten-free Tamari, rice vinegar, lime juice, toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil, ground ginger, fresh garlic, salt, and pepper then shake or whisk to combine. Whew! Sounds like a lot of ingredients but I always have everything in the house.

Drizzle the dressing on top then toss well and scoop into two bowls with extra lime wedges for drizzling.

peanut dressing drizzled over a bowl of thai crunch salad

I hope you love this fresh and healthy, yet fun and filling salad – enjoy!

thai crunch salad in a bowl with peanut dressing

More Fork Busting Salad Recipes

Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing

Description

Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing is a light and healthy salad recipe that's packed with craveable flavor and crunch!

Ingredients

serves 2

  • 3 cups coleslaw mix (green cabbage, red cabbage, carrot mix)
  • 1/2 red pepper, sliced into thin matchsticks
  • 1 chicken breast, cooked then shredded
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons peanuts, finely chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • For the Thai Peanut Dressing:
    • 4 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
    • 2 Tablespoons honey
    • 2 Tablespoons hot water
    • 1-1/2 Tablespoons gluten-free Tamari or soy sauce (dish will not be GF if using traditional soy sauce)
    • 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 1/2 lime (slice remaining 1/2 lime into wedges)
    • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
    • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
    • heaping 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
    • salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Add ingredients for Thai Peanut Dressing into a mason jar or bowl then shake or whisk to combine. Taste then adjust lime juice for more acid, and/or add water to thin if necessary.
  2. Add remaining ingredients into a large bowl. Drizzle desired amount of dressing on top then toss well to combine. Scoop into bowls then serve with lime wedges.

Notes

  • This recipe would make great mason jar salads! To the bottom of a 16oz mason jar, scoop in several Tablespoons dressing then layer salad ingredients in the order listed in the recipe above (coleslaw mix, red pepper, chicken, etc.)

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.

Video

photo collage of thai crunch salad with peanut dressing