Did you love the Panera Spicy Thai Salad that was discontinued? Well you can still enjoy that same delicious dish at home with this copycat version featuring the same fresh, crunchy veggies with an irresistible peanut dressing topped with juicy chicken and soft udon noodles that we all love.
Table of Contents
About this Salad
I was recently visiting a friend in California and of course exploring the amazing food scene. She took me to Nick’s Manhattan Beach and it was PHENOMENAL. The atmosphere, the vibe, the food! All incredible.
Why am I telling you this? Well this night out is what inspired this Spicy Thai Salad recipe. It immediately reminded me of the Spicy Thai Salad at Panera that I loved, but has been discontinued. It features crunchy, fresh veggies paired and is topped with crunchy udon noodle grilled chicken.
And the dressing. It’s an irresistible homemade peanut dressing that I could honestly drink. The savory, stickiness glazed over this salad is the perfect contrast over all of the bright chopped vegetables.
I love using exceptional restaurant dishes for recipe inspiration. I often find some of my favorite flavor combos this way. Also check out my Guacamole Steak Salad, which is another restaurant remake from my Bourbon Street Grille in Dahlonega, Georgia.
And if you love Thai flavors, also check out these Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, this Thai Basil Beef or this Sweet Thai Chicken and Veggie Bowl!
Recipe Ingredients
For the salad:
- Chicken Breasts - A juicy protein to add to our Spicy Thai Salad that goes great with the spicy peanut dressing.
- Udon Noodles - I used a package of Ka-me Stir Fry Noodles which are super easy to cook and have an amazing soft texture.
- Veggies - We're using arugula, basil, bell pepper, avocado, green onion and cabbage.
For the dressing:
- Peanut Butter - For a peanut dressing, we are gonna want peanuts! I've made this using PB2 to make the dressing a little bit lighter, but regular will also work (nutrition facts included at the bottom of this recipe are using regular peanut butter).
- Sriracha and Thai Chili Paste - These elements will make it a SPICY peanut dressing
- Rice Vinegar - As opposed to regular vinegar which is tangy and sour, rice vinegar adds sweetness to the dressing.
- Ginger - I used pre-minced ginger from a jar. You could also use squeeze ginger or mince your own. You just want to be sure there are no larger chunks.
- Soy Sauce - Adds saltiness and umami flavor to the dressing.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make This Recipe
Make Spicy Peanut Dressing
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sriracha, Thai Chili Paste, rice vinegar, lime juice, minced ginger, soy sauce and water. It will combine easily and be slightly liquidy - that’s okay.
- Set aside until ready to be used.
Prep Salad
- Next, prepare the chicken. Heat a skillet to medium heat and grease with olive oil. Finely slice the chicken into thin strips.
- Add the chicken to your skillet and season with dried parsley. Flip the chicken strips 4-5 times while cooking to ensure they’re cooked (165°F internal temperature) and so that all sides get that caramelized texture.
- After the chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the pan and make the Udon Noodles according to the box instructions. I added 3 tablespoons of water plus 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and sautéed for 4-5 minutes until noodles were soft and cooked through.
- Next, prepare all of the vegetables. Wash and dry then finely dice basil, cut green onion into ¼” thickness, finely chop red pepper, and green and purple cabbage.
Assemble
1. Toss the arugula, purple cabbage, and green cabbage together in a mixing bowl. Juice one lime over the greens and toss again (this is similar to massaging kale - we need to soften the arugula/cabbage prior to eating it for a more comprehensive taste). Next, add the red pepper and green onion. Toss together again.
2. Add the Udon Noodles, grilled chicken, fresh basil, and sliced avocado. Juice the other lime over the salad and toss again.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss (so much tossing :P) and then serve. IT’S SO GOOD!
Dietary Considerations
Dairy Free: This salad is dairy free as is!
Gluten Free: Instead of udon noodles, try rice noodles. You’ll also need to replace the soy sauce in the dressing with a gluten free alternative like liquid aminos or tamari.
Nut Free: You can replace the peanut butter with tahini or sunflower seed butter. Either will work great in this savory thai dressing.
Vegetarian/Vegan: Use tofu instead of chicken! You can fry it in a skillet the same way the recipe instructs to do with the chicken.
Recipe FAQs
Since we are cooking the udon noodles and chicken, those elements will be warm and the veggies will be cold and I love the contrast of temperatures. However, if you prefer to have everything cold you can definitely chill the entire salad before serving. I don’t recommend serving the entire salad warm, as the arugula and fresh herbs will get quite wilted and you’ll lost the crunch factor of this salad.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The cabbage is a hearty veggie that will hold up well for multiple days, so you don’t have to worry about your salad getting soggy. The noodles will absorb the dressing; so you may need to add more. I love it because it almost has a pasta salad texture!
Spend time to properly cut and prepare the vegetables. A chopped salad is much better when it’s CHOPPED and you get every flavor in each bite!
All of the spice is in the dressing. Add more or less heat by adjusting the amount of Thai Chili Paste and Sriracha.
More Recipes You'll Love
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & if you really like the recipe consider leaving a comment further down. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Spicy Thai Salad
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- strainer
- Juicer
- Tongs
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- skillet
- Whisk
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 lbs chicken breasts
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 package udon noodles, Ka Me Stir Fry Noodles (200 g)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 cups arugula
- 8-10 basil leaves
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 avocado
- ¼ cup green onion, chopped
- 1 cup purple cabbage, chopped
- 1 cup green cabbage, chopped
- 2 limes
For the spicy peanut dressing
- 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp sriracha
- ½ tbsp Thai chili paste
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp minced ginger, from a jar
- ½ tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp water
Instructions
Make Dressing
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sriracha, Thai Chili Paste, rice vinegar, lime juice, minced ginger, soy sauce and water. It will combine easily and be slightly liquidy - that’s okay.
- Set aside until ready to be used.
Prep Salad
- Next, prepare the chicken. Heat a skillet to medium heat and grease with olive oil. Finely slice the chicken into thin strips.
- Add the chicken to your skillet and season with dried parsley. Flip the chicken strips 4-5 times while cooking to ensure they’re cooked (165°F internal temperature) and so that all sides get that caramelized texture.
- After the chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the pan and make the Udon Noodles according to the box instructions. I added 3 tablespoons of water plus 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and sautéed for 4-5 minutes until noodles were soft and cooked through.
- Next, prepare all of the vegetables. Wash and dry then finely dice basil, cut green onion into ¼” thickness, finely chop red pepper, and green and purple cabbage.
Assemble
- Toss the arugula, purple cabbage, and green cabbage together in a mixing bowl.
- Juice one lime over the greens and toss again (this is similar to massaging kale - we need to soften the arugula/cabbage prior to eating it for a more comprehensive taste).
- Add the Udon Noodles, grilled chicken, fresh basil, and sliced avocado. Juice the other lime over the salad and toss again.
- Pour the dressing over the salad, toss (so much tossing :P) and then serve. IT’S SO GOOD!
Nutrition
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find SPICY THAI SALAD calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Courtney Paige says
This salad is really restaurant quality! I could eat it daily I love it so much.
Sydney Van Acker says
omg!!! the Panera Thai salad was my FAV, but this is arguably way better
Lily says
Holy cow, this is just amazing. I loved having it for dinner and then breakfast the next morning- yes it’s just that good!
Charlotte L says
This was such a fantastic salad to bring to our family get-together. This salad differs from the traditional salads you see at large gatherings, and it was a crowd-pleaser. The flavor and texture of this dish are just immaculate.
Bennett S says
PROTEIN! It's hard to find a good-tasting salad with great macros, but this salad does just that! I really enjoyed the texture of the noodles combined with the flavor of the dressing.
Taylor says
This is so so good!!! Adding the noodles is so delicious 🙂 easy to make and very flavorful!
Anne Seyferth says
I've made this dressing a few times now and it's SO good. Now my go-to for any type of Thai dish or veggie bowl!!
Londa says
Hi Courtney, this looks amazing and I'm looking forward to making it! Can you tell me what you are referring to when you say Thai Chili Paste? Can you tell me which brand you use? Thanks.
Courtney Paige says
Hi Londa, sure thing! I used this brand: https://www.target.com/p/huy-fong-chili-paste-8oz/-/A-13478690
I found it in the near the Soy Sauce and Udon Noodles at the grocery store. Hope this helps 🙂
Londa says
Thanks so much!
Molly Baechler says
The perfect salad for spring or summer! So many great flavors with the basil, lime, and spicy peanut dressing - a great option to add more flavor and heartiness your salad game!