Thai Peanut Chicken Salad

I’m so excited about this salad I’m going to scream.

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But it’s the dressing I’m most screamy about. Matter of fact, I’m writing Scream part 427 right now, and it’s all about the dressing.

Remember at the beginning of the year when I made these Open-Faced Thai Peanut Chicken Sandwiches and I freaked my entire face and lifehole? Well, It’s been all I can do not to write an entire love album about that stupid sauce.

It was a sauce in that meal, and it’s a dressing in this one. TRICKSTER, I AM.

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I love this dressing so dang much because of all the coconut milk. I swear, I would hook up a beer hat with tubes inserted into my mouth and fill it with coconut milk if I could.

IDEA: What if I Vined it? Would you watch? Would you cheer me on like I’m a frat dudette at a ragin’ summer Cancun party? Never mind, this is a horrible idea. I’m so grossed out right now.

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It’s not even just the coconut milk that has me sweaty. It’s the chunky peanut butter, the fresh garlic, the 13 gallons of lime juice, the hints of soy and fish sauce (don’t be a sissy), the freshly chopped cilantro ohhhhhh I can’t AYVAN DAYALE.

All tossed with the cooked and cooled vermicelli noodles, tiny chunks of seared chicken, little cute carrot sticks, fresh mint sucker punches to the face, and chopped peanuts? And romaine lettuce? I mean, good grief.

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Box. Office. Hit.

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Did I tell you about the dressing?

Thai Peanut Chicken Salad:

What it took for 2:

* 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 large chicken breast, cut in half (or two smaller breasts)
* 5 Tbs. coconut milk
* 3 Tbs. peanut butter (I used chunky, but it’s whatever you prefer)
* 2 Tbs. soy sauce
* 1 tsp fish sauce
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
* juice from one small lime
* 2 bundles vermicelli noodles
* 4 cups freshly chopped romaine lettuce
* 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
* 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
* 1/3 cup chopped peanuts
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear (covered) on one side for 6 minutes. Flip and sear (covered) another 5 to 6 minutes, until browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove from pan and let rest 5 minutes. Give the chicken a good chop.

Boil the noodles until soft (about 3 minutes) and rinse under cool water.

In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. Whisk to fully combine. Taste it. Need anything? A little more coconut milk? Adjust to your liking, bebeeee.

Add the chicken and the cooked vermicelli noodles to the the coconut dressing. Give it a good toss.

Arrange the romaine lettuce in the bottom of 2 salad bowls. Top with the chicken noodle mixture, and garnish with sliced carrots, fresh mint and chopped peanuts.

UGH.

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Who wants to star in Scream part 427 written and directed by me?

. . . Hello?

Okay, that hurts.

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49 Responses to Thai Peanut Chicken Salad

  1. Quinn Cooper July 8, 2013 at 8:32 am #
    Looks heavenly! Need to make this asap! xo quinn Quinn Cooper Style
  2. Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch July 8, 2013 at 8:38 am #
    Oh my gosh this looks amazing!!! I think I was about to scream when I saw it too :) I must make this very soon!!! xoxo
  3. Sarah July 8, 2013 at 8:41 am #
    Gurrrl, you know I would cheer you on! Dre-ssing! Dre-ssing! Dre-ssing! We would chant. But I would also secretly eat a normal amount coz yum.
  4. Tieghan July 8, 2013 at 8:55 am #
    WANT! This is the best salad I have seen in a while! Must make tonight!
  5. Marie @ Little Kitchie July 8, 2013 at 9:02 am #
    I'mmmmm obsessed. Need this!!
  6. SarahD July 8, 2013 at 9:04 am #
    Love this salad. Now that the hot part of summer in descending on Nashville, I'll have to make this.
  7. Carly @ Snack Therapy July 8, 2013 at 9:23 am #
    Need this in my life.
  8. Brianna July 8, 2013 at 9:32 am #
    This salad looks fabulous. Asian peanut chicken anything is a go in my book. What a light and tasty dinner. Thanks for posting!
  9. Sheila July 8, 2013 at 9:37 am #
    Ok I may have just found my book club menu for tonight! yummOh!
  10. Paula - bell'alimento July 8, 2013 at 9:58 am #
    Now THIS is my kind of salad! Slurp.
  11. Noelle July 8, 2013 at 10:40 am #
    I'll totally star in your movie if you pay me in bowls of this salad.
  12. Ash- foodfashionparty@blogspot.com July 8, 2013 at 11:10 am #
    The salad looks so delicious, and I agree on the dressing with you, so tasty.
  13. Shawn @ I Wash You Dry July 8, 2013 at 11:12 am #
    Yes. I love every single thing about this!! I'm seriously drooling on my keyboard right now.
  14. Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain July 8, 2013 at 11:18 am #
    Dude, this looks amazeballs! Love the flavor combo!
  15. marla July 8, 2013 at 11:53 am #
    heck. yeah!
  16. Cookbook Queen July 8, 2013 at 12:39 pm #
    Too much deliciousness for one bowl.
  17. Megan {Country Cleaver} July 8, 2013 at 1:10 pm #
    I'll take mint sucker punches to the face Any Day!!
  18. Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen July 8, 2013 at 1:27 pm #
    Pad Thai is one of my favorite meals and this dressing has that amazing flavor in it. I am sure to make this one soon!
  19. Meagan @ A Zesty Bite July 8, 2013 at 2:32 pm #
    I'd scream for a bite of this!
  20. nala July 8, 2013 at 2:45 pm #
    this looks & sounds soooo delicious!!!!!!
  21. Laurie {SimplyScratch} July 8, 2013 at 3:10 pm #
    I second the beer hat.. heck! I'll do it wit-cha!
  22. Stefanie July 8, 2013 at 3:58 pm #
    Are those angel hair? Had trouble finding pasta labeled "vermicelli"! Looks so good.
    • Bev Weidner July 8, 2013 at 4:05 pm #
      They're super thin, clear glass noodles called Vermicelli. BUUUUT if you can't find it, angel hair would work great! They just won't be see-through, which is fun. ;)
  23. Cassie | Bake Your Day July 8, 2013 at 7:32 pm #
    Oh yes, that dressing - dying!
  24. Julie @ Table for Two July 8, 2013 at 7:57 pm #
    Thinking I could just drink that dressing!!
  25. JulieD July 9, 2013 at 7:57 am #
    Bev, this looks amazing!! :)
  26. Kara July 9, 2013 at 8:04 am #
    Going to have to try this one!
  27. Belinda @themoonblushbaker July 9, 2013 at 11:19 am #
    Thai salads are the best! I love you have simplified it for us non cooks (like me!) out there.
  28. Heather Christo July 9, 2013 at 2:56 pm #
    I want to eat this every day of my life for ever and ever
  29. Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious July 9, 2013 at 6:41 pm #
    I'm with Heather on this one - I want this salad every single day. And that dressing?! Enough said! I'm sold!
  30. Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner July 10, 2013 at 9:38 am #
    This dish looks amazing! Your pictures are so beautiful and makes me want to go make this now. :)
  31. TheWoobDog July 10, 2013 at 9:43 am #
    Oh... Oooh, yum. WHY are you doing this to me? I want to eat this RIGHT NOW. RIGHT. NOW. My mouth is literally watering while I sit here at my desk staring at my sad, plain little snack of boringness.
  32. Jesse July 11, 2013 at 1:34 pm #
    You are hilarious! I just randomly fell upon your blog today and already know it is going to be one of my favorites. And it doesn't hurt that you are in KC :-) and btw, this looks fantabulous. making it ASAP.
  33. Tracy X. Rice July 13, 2013 at 11:04 am #
    The picture looks like it has coconut on top of the whipped cream as well but the recipe doesn't mention this. When you make it, how much do you sprinkle on top and is it in addition to the amount needed for the rest of the recipe? I LOVE coconut cream pie and banana cream pie so I KNOW this will be amazing.
    • Bev Weidner July 13, 2013 at 12:26 pm #
      You're right! I just sprinkled more on top for garnish, so it's whatever you fancy! Let me know how it turns out!
    • Bev Weidner July 13, 2013 at 12:29 pm #
      Oh wait! I thought we were talking about a different recipe. There's actually no coconut or whipped cream in this one! Just the coconut milk in the dressing, and peanuts as a garnish. Sorry, I got confused!
  34. Nutmeg Nanny July 13, 2013 at 8:35 pm #
    Oh yum! I love Thai food :) this looks incredible!!
  35. Kevin (Closet Cooking) July 16, 2013 at 3:49 pm #
    Now this is my kind of salad!
  36. Cerissa July 24, 2013 at 12:42 pm #
    This is a DELICOUS salad. Making it for the second time (with the other half of the can of Trader Joes Coconut Cream) because my entire family devoured it. YUM!
  37. Lisa July 30, 2013 at 11:52 pm #
    I made this tonight. It was heavenly!! I couldn't find the vermicelli noodles so I used, "bean threads." They are cleerish looking, thin noodles and they turned out to be perfect for this dish! My family and I loved this recipe!!
  38. Emily August 3, 2013 at 6:52 pm #
    I made this tonight and followed the recipe exactly. It is tasty - but a lot of ingredients and a lot of work. I am thinking that I would make the pasta/chicken in sauce the day before, refridgerate and add to the lettuce and mint just before serving. This would allow time for the sauce, chicken & pasta flavors to marinate and blend. On another note why, oh why would you use such a tarnished fork in your otherwise beautiful photos?
  39. Ashley August 5, 2013 at 8:58 am #
    This looks wonderful! I love the flavors going on in here. Yum!
  40. Hilary August 8, 2013 at 10:02 pm #
    Thank you for this recipe! I'm in love! Have made the dressing 3 Times since first trying this. Great for a dipping sauce for all kinds of things. Tonight we swap chicken with baked tofu. I just thought I should thank you because we have enjoyed this over and over again!
  41. Wanda August 12, 2013 at 7:14 pm #
    I just made this for dinner! What a fabulous party for my taste buds! We loved it! I am going to make it gluten free next time so my daughter can enjoy! Thank you!
  42. Claudia June 26, 2015 at 12:18 pm #
    Fab salad. No real need to reply to the tarnish fork comment, but since you asked it's not tarnish it is covered in coconut dressing girl, but then again maybe Bev. is a wee bit tarnished like most of us. That's why we soooo enjoy her comments and recipes.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

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  4. Creamy Peanut Chicken with Brown Rice | Bev Cooks - May 20, 2014 […] know about this sauce. I’ve blabby blabbed about it to you this one time and then again this other time, so if you don’t make it THIS time, there is something […]

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