Name: Hearty Green Salad with Spicy Peanut Chicken
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon sugar; ¾ teaspoon table salt; 1 shallot , sliced thin and separated into rings; 1 serrano chile , stemmed, halved, seeded, and sliced thin crosswise; 6 ounces broccolini , trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths; ¼ cup creamy peanut butter; 1–1½ tablespoons Asian chili-garlic sauce; 2 teaspoons fish sauce; 1 small garlic clove , minced; ½ small head napa cabbage , halved, cored, and sliced thin (4½ cups); 1 cup watercress , torn into bite-size pieces; ¼ cup fresh Thai basil leaves; ¼ cup fresh mint leaves; 1 mango , peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces; 1 carrot , peeled and shredded; 6 ounces cooked chicken , torn into 1-inch pieces (1 cup); ¼ cup dry-roasted peanuts , chopped fine

Hearty Green Salad with Spicy Peanut Chicken

By Andrea Geary

Published on May 31, 2021

Time

50 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Hearty Green Salad with Spicy Peanut Chicken

Ingredients

¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar ¾ teaspoon table salt 1 shallot, sliced thin and separated into rings1 serrano chile, stemmed, halved, seeded, and sliced thin crosswise6 ounces broccolini, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths¼ cup creamy peanut butter 1–1½ tablespoons Asian chili-garlic sauce 2 teaspoons fish sauce 1 small garlic clove, minced½ small head napa cabbage, halved, cored, and sliced thin (4½ cups)1 cup watercress, torn into bite-size pieces¼ cup fresh Thai basil leaves ¼ cup fresh mint leaves 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces1 carrot, peeled and shredded6 ounces cooked chicken, torn into 1-inch pieces (1 cup)¼ cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped fine

Before You Begin

The shallot and serrano can be refrigerated in the pickling liquid for up to a week. Use leftover or rotisserie chicken here. Use 1½ tablespoons of chili-garlic sauce for a spicier salad. You can substitute cilantro for the Thai basil and natural peanut butter (stirred well before measuring) for the conventional peanut butter. This recipe can easily be doubled.

Instructions

Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt in small bowl. Microwave until simmering, about 1 minute. Stir in shallot and serrano. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until shallot is pink and slightly softened, about 20 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer shallot and serrano to large plate, leaving liquid in bowl.

Combine broccolini and 2 tablespoons water in medium bowl. Cover and microwave until crisp-tender, 1½ to 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer broccolini to plate with shallot and serrano. Discard water. In now-empty bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons pickling liquid, peanut butter, chili-garlic sauce, and ¼ cup water until smooth. Set aside.

Whisk fish sauce, garlic, and remaining pickling liquid in large bowl. Add cabbage, watercress, Thai basil, and mint and toss to combine. Distribute greens evenly between 2 shallow serving bowls. Sprinkle each salad with shallot and serrano. Arrange broccolini, mango, and carrot in piles atop greens. Drizzle 2 tablespoons peanut dressing over vegetables and mango in each bowl. Add chicken to remaining peanut dressing and stir to coat evenly. Top each salad with half of chicken, sprinkle with peanuts, and serve.