Rainbow Chopped Thai Chicken Salad
Rainbow chopped Thai chicken salad with delicious, crunchy vegetables in every color of the rainbow. Tossed with a sweet homemade Thai salad dressing.
Between my house and the freeway, there are about 6 different stoplights. Even though we live less than 2 miles from the freeway, it takes about 5-8 minutes to get there, depending on how many lights I hit. It’s the worst in the morning when I have to leave for work. I am almost guaranteed to hit every. single. light.
Until last week.
I left at my usual time, and as I got on the road I made it thru the first light with it already green and waiting for me. This has NEVER happened. I always have to wait at the first light since I’m making a left turn onto a busy road.
As I kept driving, I kept going thru light after light. A few times I saw a red light ahead, but as I got closer it turned green before I even had to slow down.
I approached the last light, and couldn’t believe it when it stayed green for me. I didn’t have to tap the brakes once between my driveway and the freeway. I was feeling pretty lucky that morning!
I was also feeling lucky the day I first made this salad. I love making us a big ‘ole salad for dinner. But it is hard to get Shawn excited about salad for dinner. Unless it is this ramen noodle chinese chicken salad, that he could eat every single week without complaint.
But this rainbow chopped Thai chicken salad got Shawn very excited. He went back for thirds, so you know it’s good.
This rainbow chopped Thai chicken salad has just about every color of the rainbow. Cabbage, bell pepper, carrots, cilantro, peanuts. So many crunchy, tasty vegetables. The salad is tossed in a sweet and sticky thai dressing that is made with sweet chili sauce, peanut butter, coconut milk, and lots of other flavorful ingredients.
This rainbow chopped Thai chicken salad has a lot of ingredients, but it’s easy to put together. Just a lot of chopping. To keep this extra easy, I pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred the chicken from that. But this salad is delicious without chicken too.
Rainbow Chopped Thai Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Thai Dressing
- 1 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste, sub 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- juice from 1 lime, about 1 tablespoon
Rainbow Chopped Thai Chicken Salad
- 1 head napa cabbage, shredded, about 6 cups
- 1/2 head red cabbage, shredded, about 3 cups
- 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped into 1/2" thick matchsticks
- 1 english cucumber, seeds removed and sliced into 1/4" half moons
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup salted peanuts
- 3 cups cooked chicken, I get my chicken from ButcherBox, which I highly recommend
Instructions
- In a medium size sauce pan over medium high heat, combine all the dressing ingredients and stir to combine. Cook until well mixed, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- In a large salad bowl, combine all the salad ingredients. Top with desired amount of dressing and toss.
Notes
-Adapted from How Sweet Eats
More Salad Recipes:
Cucumber & Carrot Noodle Thai Salad
Ramen Noodle Chinese Chicken Salad
Pear and Goat Cheese Spinach Salad
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27 Comments on “Rainbow Chopped Thai Chicken Salad”
What a lucky ride :D We have just one light to the highway but I can guarantee it’s always red ;) Loving this salad Natalie, so fresh and colorful!
We had very few lights in the town where I grew up, but I had to hit one of them if I went the short way home, I would try my best to time it so I would hit it on a green light! It became a sort of game for me! haha!
And this salad! Yum! I am loving how healthy and delicious this looks!
SO TRUE… the lights are ALWAYS red when you’re late!! Argh! Sounds like you got lucky. :) This salad looks soooo yummy! I love all the pretty colors!
Haha, I love when unexpected good things happen like that! This salad is so bright and gorgeous — the perfect summer meal!
haha, you know it’s good when they go back for thirds!!! :) love this salad!!! I’m partial to Asian flavors in salads. . love them! and this one looks sooooo good, Natalie!!!
Love how colorful this salad is! It reminds me of my favorite salad from a nearby restaurant, so I can’t wait to give this a try at home.
I love when happy little victory moments (like hitting all the lights!) totally make your day, it’s such a good feeling :) love how vibrant and fun this salad is for summer – pinned!
You can clearly tell how fresh, healthy and delicious this chopped thai salad is just by looking at the images. Yum!
Here I am reading this post at 10:45 at night and I’m dying to eat this salad! My stomach is going to be rumbling all night! This has everything I love in it, and it just may be happening tomorrow. Can’t wait to try it!
Nat I had a day like that too, except I was leaving work! All green lights, and I was driving through downtown. It took no time! Of course that hasn’t ever happened again, but that day was awesome. I would totally eat this salad every day for lunch. That dressing! :)
This looks amazing Natalie! I love salads for dinner, but Kyle is the same way as Shawn. I have to make really exciting salads for him to get excited. This one definitely looks like one he would love! Oh, and I love when I get all green lights (which is rare) – it makes my day!
WOW!!! This looks amazing!! What a beautiful recipe filled with fun, healthy ingredients!! Love it!!
That is always a great way to start the day! This thai salad looks amazing! I absolutely love all the colors in it.
What a lucky commute to get all green lights! This salad is calling my name. That dressing with the peanut butter = YUM!
Yay on hitting all the green lights, that’s the best:) Love this Thai flavored salad! It’s one of our favorites too and yours looks perfect and so gorgeous!
this salad is so pretty! I love Thai everything and this is definitely going in my rotation soon…I’m trying to get Jon supporting the salad for dinner thing, especially with the warmer weather. Hope you get more green lights in your future!
Bang, bang, bang! Love all those multiple green lights. :) They just MAKE any stressful morning better!
Oh my gosh, this salad? Natalie, I am OBSESSING over all the gorgeous colorful veggies you packed inside! Your photos are absolutely phenomenal too, my friend. :D
P.S. We’re salad buddies today!!
This looks so great! I cannot wait to make it for Ken.
Yum, that dressing looks amazing! I love it when I hit all green lights! :)
Sounds like your lucky streak was a winner, Natalie! This salad looks gorgeous! I love the pretty colors in here. And thai is one of my favorites, so I can only imagine how delicious this must taste!