Thai Chicken Salad

There are so many flavour and texture layers to this salad.  A crisp green salad with a punchy Thai dressing, this salad is a perfect midweek meal to use up that leftover roast chicken.

Fennel is quite an undervalued vegetable, imparting a subtly sweet aniseed flavour.  It is a great source of vitamin C, fibre, folate and potassium.  It provides anti-inflammatory and antioxidant phytochemicals including anethole plus bioflavonoids rutin and quercetin that are also powerful antihistamines (great for springtime salads!).  Include fennel in your diet to promote cardiovascular integrity.

 

• Family friendly
• Vegetarian options
• Gluten free options
• Vegan options
• Weight loss friendly
• Lactose Free
• GAPS Friendly
• FODMAP Friendly Option
• Low Oxalate Options
• Low amine option
• Dairy Free
• Nut Free
• Salad
• Picnic
• Snack
• Dinner
• Lunch
• Lunchbox

                          

Preparations time: 20mins

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients

1 small fennel bulb, shaved or thinly sliced

1 cucumber, halved and thinly sliced

½ tsp rock or sea salt

1 cup left over roast chicken, chopped

2 spring onions, finely chopped

¼ cup mint leaves, finely sliced

¼ cup coriander leaves, finely chopped

1 kafir lime leaf, finely sliced, optional

1 bunch watercress, rinsed well and roots removed

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

½ avocado, mashed

 

Dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced or finely chopped

1 small chilli, finely chopped

1-2cm piece ginger, finely grated

2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp honey

Juice of 1 lime

 

 

 Method

1. Place the fennel and cucumber in a serving bowl and sprinkle with ½ tsp sea or rock salt and set aside.
2. Meanwhile make the dressing by adding all the dressing ingredients to a jar and shake well.
3. Add the remaining salad ingredients to the serving bowl and toss well.
4. Drizzle the salad with the dressing just before serving.

 

 

Alternatives

Serve this salad alongside a some fritters or Mackerel and Potato Patties for a complete meal.

For a low amine option, use skinless chicken fillets.  Replace the pumpkin seeds with crushed raw cashews, and omit the avocado.  Make a dressing with garlic, ginger, 2 tbsp mashed avocado (extra), and cold pressed sunflower oil (non GMO).

For a GAPS friendly option, omit the soy and tamari.

For a vegetarian and vegan option, replace the chicken with tempeh or some roast pumpkin.  For a vegan dressing, replace the honey with maple or rice malt syrup.

For a low oxalate option, omit the pumpkin seeds, chilli and sesame oil.

For a low FODMAP option, omit the avocado and spring onion.  For the dressing, replace the garlic with lemongrass if desired (or just omit), and replace the honey with maple or rice malt syrup.

For a gluten free option, use a gluten free tamari for the dressing.

For a work or school lunch, serve the dressing in a jar alongside the salad to add just before serving.

 

Download the full recipe in PDF format

 

Created by Melbourne Naturopath Bree Jenner