Thai-inspired chicken and mango salad with peanut vinaigrette

A nutritious, colourful and satisfying dish!

This is, hands-down, my new favourite ‘anytime’ meal, offering bright flavours that will appeal regardless of the season. It’s so delicious (wait until you taste this vinaigrette!!) and hearty enough to satisfy even those who claim that salad is only a side dish. For the shredded chicken, I like to lightly oil chicken breasts then grill until they are cooked (internal temperature of 165F) – this can be done a day ahead if you like. Leftover grocery store rotisserie chicken would also be good. Note that if you are planning to enjoy this recipe for several meals, only dress the portion you are planning to eat immediately as it will get soggy if dressed too far in advance. If you like this dish, you might also enjoy my Asian-inspired chicken salad with bok choy and my soba noodles with chicken and vegetables.

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1/2 cup (75 g) thinly sliced red onion
• 4 cups (400 g) finely shredded cabbage
• 1 1/2 cups (165 g) grated carrots
• 1 1/2 cups (225 g) thinly sliced English cucumber
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
• 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and julienned
• 2 cups (250 g) cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
• 1/2 cup (15 g) each chopped cilantro, basil and mint (to stir in at serving time)
• 1/2 cup (65 g) coarsely chopped peanuts or cashews (to garnish at serving time)

Peanut vinaigrette:

• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) rice vinegar, heated slightly
• 4 tablespoons (60 mL) soy or tamari sauce
• 2 tablespoons (32 g) peanut or cashew butter
• 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek (chili garlic sauce), or more (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) honey
• 1 tablespoon (8 g) minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 mL) sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil

Method

• If you wish to reduce the sometimes-harsh flavour of the red onions, soak them in cold water for 15 minutes, then drain.
• While onions are soaking, prepare the rest of the salad ingredients, placing them all (with the exception of the herbs and nuts) in a large bowl.
• Make the vinaigrette. In a small jar with a tight lid, combine the heated rice vinegar, soy or tamari sauce and peanut butter; cover jar and shake until well combined. If the peanut butter is not fully incorporated, use a whisk to persuade it. Add remaining dressing ingredients; shake again to combine.
• Pour two thirds of the dressing over the salad. Toss until evenly distributed, then add more if needed to coat evenly, without having a puddle of dressing in the bottom of the bowl. Let sit 5 minutes for flavours to blend; sprinkle with chopped herbs and nuts, then serve.

Serves 4-6.