I can’t really say enough about this salad other than I absolutely, positively, 100% adore it. And if you’ve known me for any of the 3-4 years I’ve been blogging, you know I hate salads. HATE. I like everything that surrounds the salad, but none of the lettuce. Thankfully I started dipping my toes into arugula this year (ew, that sounds weird) and then decided some kinds of lettuce are actually edible. This salad makes me love lettuce, any kind that is thrown into the salad. Because it’s tossed in a dressing that’s creamy but still feels light, and topped with sautéed sweet potato and coconut. Don’t ever skimp on salad toppings, it’s just not worth it. No one should ever be in salad depression.
What the hell am I even saying?
Anyways, this recipe is coming from my newest cookbook, Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook, that comes out in 13 days!! I can’t believe it’s finally getting here, it’s so dang close. It’s so weird to work on something for a year, then wait for it to come out, and then wait more for people to get it. It’s almost like it’s not real in a way because it’s this constant waiting game. BUT IT IS REAL!
The other day someone called my book a mullet book. Which you would think I would maybe take offensively, but hell no. She was totally right. I love her. The book is business in the front and party in the back. If you don’t know what the hell that means, check out the Amazon preview right now and you’ll get it. Even though it’s all business in the front (well, is it though? I’m holding a chicken wing…), the entire book is written just like I write on here. It has my stories, it has my voice, and it has my dry humor that 31% of people seem to understand. I even had to remove one thing I said in the front matter because it included the word feces. My editor was probably right though, the word feces doesn’t exactly work in a cookbook.
Enough about feces. What I’m trying to say here is, my cookbook is all about being real. I’m not here to say, “If you don’t eat strictly paleo 100% of the time, you will die and go to hell.” Nope, that ain’t me. And that’s not exactly realistic in my eyes. I’m here to tell you in my new cookbook that paleo can work for you, you just need to figure out how exactly. Whether that’s strictly paleo, or 80/20 or “I like to get drunk on weekends and eat an entire pizza by myself,” I get it because I’ve been at all those stages at some point. So I’m here to give you options to make paleo easier; like my pizza recipe, cake recipe, and breakfast tacos recipe, all of which will make you forget you’re eating healthy.
Be sure to grab the book now for 44% off, sign up for my recent giveaway (to win over $1,000 worth of food!) to celebrate the book AND check out book tour dates because I’ll be leaving on the road as soon as it comes out!!
Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook Sneak Peek Recipe: Thai Coconut Chicken Salad
- Yield: 2 1x
Ingredients
For the thai “peanut” dressing (makes 1/3 cup)
- 1⁄4 cup sunflower seed butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon coconut vinegar
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- juice of 1⁄2 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the salad
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, butter, or ghee, divided
- 1⁄2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded thin
- 1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 small sweet potato or yam, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 1 batch Thai “Peanut” Dressing
- 6 to 8 cups mixed greens
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1⁄4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- To make dressing: Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Put in the refrigerator to cool before using. Store the dressing in a closed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- To make salad: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of
- the coconut oil. Season the chicken on both sides with the salt, garlic powder, and pepper, then place in the hot pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until the chicken is cooked through and no pink remains.
- While the chicken cooks, place the remaining 2 tablespoons
- of coconut oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shredded sweet potato and a bit of salt and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft.
- When the chicken is done, let it rest for 3 minutes, then slice it at an angle into strips.
- Arrange the salad: Place the greens in a large bowl, add as much dressing as you like, and toss to coat. Add some greens to each plate, then top with the chicken strips, sautéed sweet potato, cucumber, coconut, and cilantro. Serve immediately.
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More Recipes From Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook!
Sneak Peek Recipe from Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook: Mexican Meatloaf
Sneak Peek Recipe from Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook: Buffalo Chicken Casserole
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I’m that way with salads too and only eat them if it’s mostly “good stuff” and less about the greens. Love Thai food, have no experience cooking it but this looks like something I could manage!
Just ordered the book, can’t wait!! Huge pet peeve is a salad that look like a lot of “good” stuff but after 2 bites it’s gone and you’re left with a huge bowl of lettuce, how boring and not filling! Almost as bad as a plate of nachos that is ALL chips…not that I ever eat nacho…never 🙂 Have absolutely fallen in love with both arugula and mint in my salads, add great flavor…can’t wait to try this one, the dressing sounds amazing! Thanks Juli
oooo i should definitely try more mint in salads, that sounds amazingly refreshing!
Oh my gosh–is this recipe inspired by the salad at ModMarket? It’s my favorite thing on their menu but I haven’t been able to recreate the dressing. Can’t wait to try this.
yes!! i actually talk about it in my book and how it’s one of my favorite salads ever!
I just made this salad, and it was balls to the walls amazing! Thank you!!
woooohoooo!! salad IS edible!
I’m also a fan of arugula, but I’ve never put shredded coconut in a salad before! This looks awesome 🙂
This looks awesome! Reminds me of the mod market salad I eat all the time – except this will be cheaper on my wallet! 😀
Thanks Juli for this wonderful recipe… Recently started the paleo diet and I can see some changes already, I guess.
Why are legumes not considered in paleo diet.
Read recently an article
http://www.belmarrahealth.com/paleo-diet-guidelines-and-food-list/
here’s a great link for explaining why legumes aren’t paleo: http://whole9life.com/2012/09/the-legume-manifesto/
Thanks Juli.
TO DIE FOR!!!
I have to force myself to eat salads ordinarily. I made a big batch of the dressing at the beginning of last week and ate this salad for many meals straight. The dressing and coconut combo makes all the difference in the world and as you said in your post, the texture/consistency of the dressing makes the salad more than tolerable. I’ve made a couple of your great recipes before, but this one takes the prize just because it’s gross salad. Thank you, Juli!
I absolutely love you Juli!! I have been following you pretty much since the beginning and have NEVER made a recipe OF yours that I didn’t love!!! This salad looks to die for! One question, can I sub another nut butter for the sunflower seed butter? Not that you asked my opinion or anything but more slow cooker recipes would be FAB!!
yeah you absolutely could!! sunbutter just has that peanut butter flavor that no other nut butters really have. but you can use whatever you want!
What could you sub for coconut vinegar if I can’t find it?? Thank you 🙂
whatever vinegar you have on hand would work, such as apple cider or white or whatever else!