Why you’ll love this Thai chicken salad
By now, I think you’re all probably aware that I have a love-hate relationship with Panera, and this Thai chicken salad was inspired by one that is no longer on their menu. It was a favorite of mine for a while, and I was sad to see it replaced.
So I naturally wanted to make my own version at home, and I think I’ve come up with a pretty good dupe. While the original had two dressings, I’ve combined their flavors into one spicy peanut dressing that’s made with as few ingredients as possible thanks to sweet chili sauce.
More copycat recipes: autumn squash soup / chipotle chicken avocado melt / kitchen sink cookies / broccoli cheddar soup
More salad recipes: pizza salad / taco salad dressing / kale and butternut squash salad
Ingredient notes:
- Red bell pepper – We are going to roast these peppers, if you want to save time, you can go ahead and buy them pre-roasted but they will be a bit softer.
- Red onion – If you don’t have red onion, feel free to swap this onion out for a sweet onion.
- Cucumber – This is optional and not included in the original Panera salad, but I like the addition and it adds a nice crunch.
- Sweet chili sauce – This adds just the right amount of sweetness and spicy to the dressing and allowed me to cut back on other ingredients in the dressing. There really isn’t a substitute for this.
- Peanut butter – You can swap this for almond butter or other nut butter.
- Rice vinegar – If you don’t have rice vinegar, a white wine vinegar would be your best swap. I do not recommend balsamic as a sub for this because it has too much sugar.
- Soy sauce – I normally use reduced-sodium soy sauce. You can use either, but adjust your salt level accordingly if swapping.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Melissa’s tips + tricks:
- Cook the chicken – I like to cook my chicken in the air fryer because it gets extra juicy, but you can also grill or roast it in the oven.
- Buy bagged lettuce – I recommend buying bagged lettuce for this salad because it cuts down on your prep time considerably.
- Meal prep tip – You can make your dressing up to two days in advance. Store the dressing in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble your salad. Let the dressing come to room temperature before adding it to your salad or it will be a little thick.
More dairy free salad recipes
Ingredients
- 9 ounce package leafy green romaine lettuce
- 1 cup sliced cucumber - optional, not in original salad
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion - rinsed under cold water
- 1/2 cup shelled edamame
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 2 – 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Sliced almonds
- Wonton strips
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoons Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt - to taste
Instructions
- Roast the peppers. If needed, start by roasting your red peppers. You can do this in the oven or over a gas flame. You do need them to completely soften, but just a good char on the skin. Then, let them cool to the touch before chopping them.
- Make the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, combine the sweet chili sauce, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, Sriracha, sesame oil and salt. Whisk until smooth. Then, refrigerate until ready to use.
- Assemble the salad. Add the lettuce, cucumber, carrots, bell pepper, red onion, edamame and fresh cilantro to a large salad bowl. Top with prepared dressing and toss to evenly coat the salad. Before serving, garnish with cilantro, almonds and wonton strips.
