Chopped Thai Crunch Salad

I love a good entree salad.  I have a complicated relationship with side salads--I hate a boring salad with not much to it, but I also hate spending a lot of time putting together a complex salad when I've already spent a lot of time and effort on the main part of the meal.  That's where the entree salad comes in.  When the salad is the main event, it is a lot easier for me to expend the effort to make a fully-loaded salad.  Plus, they are so light and fresh tasting with all the veggies, yet still very filling.  This is a recent addition to my entree salad repertoire, but it is quickly becoming one of my favorites.  It has two different sauces--a vinaigrette to toss with the lettuce and a peanut sauce to drizzle over the top--and trust me, you want both of them.  This salad has great flavor, nice textures, and beautiful color.  What more do you need?

Chopped Thai Crunch Salad

Number of Servings: 2-3
Time to Prepare: 40 minutes (or longer, depending on marinade time)

Chicken

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 3/4 pound chicken breast

Vinaigrette

• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper

 Peanut Sauce

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
• 1 Tbsp hot water, plus more as needed

 Salad

• 2 cups chopped romaine
• 1 1/2 cup chopped napa cabbage (you can also add in red cabbage for color if desired)
• 1 cup edamame
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
•  2 green onions, sliced (both white and green parts)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• chopped peanuts

Make the marinade for the chicken by whisking the oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper together.  Place the chicken in a ziploc bag and cover with the marinade.  Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill 6-7 minutes per side, until cooked through.  Remove to a plate and let cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

For the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in small bowl and whisk until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the peanut dressing, whisk together all the ingredients until well combined. Add additional hot water, a little at a time, until the dressing is smooth and thin enough to drizzle.

In a large bowl, toss together the romaine, cabbage, edamame, carrots, bell pepper, green onion, and cilantro with the cooled and chopped chicken. Pour the vinaigrette over the top and toss until the ingredients are coated with the dressing.

Dish into salad bowls, drizzle with peanut sauce, and top with chopped peanuts.

Source: slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Lime, romaine lettuce, napa cabbage, red cabbage, edamame, carrots, red bell pepper, green onion, cilantro