This Thai Chicken Salad is light, crunchy and refreshing, perfect for lunch or dinner on a hot day. Make a big batch and eat the leftovers all week!
This post is part of my ongoing partnership with Fitfluential and Kohl’s. I was compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Hi Friends!
Time for the third post in the #makeyourmove series of posts I’m working on over the next couple months! In case you missed the first two, check out my previous posts: A Babywearing Workout & How To Food Prep- 5 Tips For Beginners.
For today’s post, I challenged myself to try a new fruit or vegetable. Sometimes I find myself stuck in a produce rut, always choosing the same options as I wander the aisles at the grocery store. There are so many things I haven’t tried yet so this year I’m making more of an effort to try some new ones! First on my list, jicama. I’ve always been intrigued by jicama because quite frankly, it’s so ugly. It couldn’t possibly taste good, right?
Wrong. It’s delicious.
Wondering what exactly jicama is? This post from Cooking Light gives some great info about it. They describe it as a cross between a water chestnut and a pear. I would agree with that, although I think it tastes more like a less sweet pear or apple than a water chestnut.
To use it, just peel it with a veggie peeler and slice or chop it. It can be eaten raw or cooked quickly in things like stirfry.
I’ve been loving my Y Peeler lately to peel things like jicama and carrots!
So, how did I use my jicama? In a new lunch recipe. I’ve had a few requests for more packable lunch recipes lately and this is my new favorite! You can make a big batch all at once and eat it all week!
Here’s how you make it:
PrintThai Chicken Salad
This Thai Chicken Salad is light, crunchy and refreshing, perfect for lunch or dinner on a hot day. Make a big batch and eat the leftovers all week!
Ingredients
- 1 cup green cabbage, chopped
- 1 cup red cabbage, chopped
- 2 cups broccoli slaw
- 1/2 cup carrots (cut into matchsticks)
- 1/2 cup red peppers (cut into matchsticks)
- 1/4 cup onion diced
- 1 cup jicama (peeled & cut into matchsticks)
- 2 Tbsp cilantro (minced)
- 3 cup cooked chicken (chopped)
- 1/4 cup nut butter
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- chopped peanuts or cashews for topping, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all but the last 5 ingredients and stir to combine.
- Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl to make a sauce.
- Pour over cabbage mixture and mix well.
- Serve cold. Top with nuts if desired.
Notes
-Flavors will develop the longer it sits in the fridge.[br]-Feel free to use all one color cabbage or omit cabbage and use all broccoli slaw.[br]-Leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken would work well in this recipe.
Pretty easy, right? Once it’s made you can store in a big bowl in the fridge or portion into individual containers to make packing your lunch a snap! I prefer glass containers even though they can make your lunchbox a little heavier.
Like I mentioned in the recipe notes, feel free to play around with the ingredients. Use all one color cabbage, a pre-bagged cabbage mix, or use all broccoli slaw and leave out the cabbage.
I like my salads pretty lightly sauced. If you want yours to have more sauce, try making 1.5 times the sauce.
Now it’s your turn! I’m challenging you to try a new fruit or vegetable this week! Leave a comment and tell me which one you’ll try. Have kiddos? Make it more fun by taking them to the store with you and letting them pick out something new- then figure out how to use it!
[Tweet “Light, crunchy and refreshing, try this Thai Chicken Salad with jicama from @leangrnbeanblog!”]
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Kohl’s.
Get my free Table Talk email series where I share bite-sized nutrition information about carbs, protein, and fat, plus bonus information about snacks and sugar!
Oh this sounds yummy! I love thai food and am all about chicken salad in the summer!
Love this recipe cannot wait to make it tonight !! Thanks for sharing xo C
I love recipes like this! Perfect combo of all my favorite spices and foods.
this sounds amazing! there’s a great restaurant here in town and they make the best thai chicken salad (yours is probably way healthier haha)
I’m definitely guilty of the produce rut too- thanks for some new inspiration, I’ve always wanted to try jicama
This is SO beautiful! The Southern husband and I are doing the Whole 30 this month, and with a couple of tweaks this will be absolutely perfect for us! (And will finally make me buy some jicama, which I know has taken me way too long!)
I LOVE jicama- it’s such a refreshing veggie in the heat of Summer. I’ll make any recipe with Thai flavor- pinning to make.
I’ve never cooked with Jicama before either but I love eating it out. This salad looks amazing. I love all the colors and textures going on.
I have been making all of my salads with either cabbage or coleslaw mix and am loving it! I love the added crunch and the tangy flavor…this salad is right up my alley! 🙂
I so love that you incorporated jicama into this chicken salad! I was first introduced to jicama when I used to work at this restaurant called “Lettuce Souprise You” when I was in college – I used to dunk it in chili back then – but this salad sounds way way better!
This sounds SO good! I just made chicken salad for the first time ever (yes, ever) a few days ago and I love it. I’ll have to try out this Thai version!
I love anything Thai style! Peanut butter and Lime is such a yummy flavor combo.
Yum! This looks fabulous! I had something similar to this at WholeFoods the other day.. can’t wait to try it on my own. I love the flavors of thai food!
I love chicken salad! This is an awesome spin on it! 🙂
This looks delicious Linds- Love that you used jicama- It would make such a good, crunchy addition to this salad!
Do you have the nutritional information available? Breakdown of calories, fat, protein, fiber, sugars, etc??
Thanks. 🙂
i don’t, sorry. you can put put it into my fitness pal!
Oooo I LOVE jicama!!! I was working with preschoolers to get them to eat healthier and they were so confused by it, but all LOVED it, so it’s totally kid-friendly too! Great make-ahead recipe, as always!!
Yum! Thai salad is my favorite. This looks so easy and delicious. Pinning for later!
I love jicama; it’s all over the markets here in Barbados. The recipe looks fabulous! Always looking for a new chicken recipe!
Whhhat! I totally love jicama! 😀 Sure, it ain’t pretty, but oooh the uses. Love the sound of this salad 😀
Yum! I never get sick of Thai chicken salad! Can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
I LOVE jicama. It’s sooooo yumcrunchwhoa.
Try just with avocado, mango, vinegar. trust me. so good.
I love jicama! Can’t believe this was your first time trying it!!
Lindsay, what kind of nut butter goes best with this? Thanks.
I made this over the weekend to take to work. I work 12 hr nights, so it’s much easier to have my 3 nights of meals all planned and prepped before I go to work on Friday. I’ll admit I was hesitant: I wasn’t convinced in the dressing flavors working together, and that it wouldn’t be soggy by night #3. I was wrong on both. The dressing was delicious! I made 1.5x the amount and it was perfect for me, and the salad stayed crunchy through the entire weekend. It was so easy to just toss everything in a bowl, add the dressing, and be done. This will definitely be staying in my rotation!!
awww yay!!! so happy to hear that!
how many servings does this make?
4-6