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spicy thai salad on white serving plate beside head of lettuce.
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5 from 10 votes

Spicy Thai Salad

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 rice noodles that we all love.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: Asian, Thai
Diet: Low Lactose
Servings: 4
Calories: 498kcal
Author: Courtney Paige

Equipment

  • freezer bag
  • strainer
  • Juicer
  • Tongs
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • small pot
  • Whisk
  • Ninja Foodi Grill

Ingredients

Chicken

Salad

  • 1 cup arugula
  • 4 oz brown rice noodles
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 avocado
  • 1/4 cup green onion chopped
  • 1 small jalapeño finely diced
  • 1/2 cup wonton strips
  • 2 tbsp crushed peanuts
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 head iceberg lettuce quartered

Dressing

  • 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 3 tbsp pasta water
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1-2 tbsp gochujang
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Make Chicken

  • 30 minutes - 1 hour prior to grilling the chicken, place raw chicken breasts in a large plastic bag and cover with ½ bottle of Asian Sesame dressing. Seal and refrigerate until ready to grill chicken.
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a hot grill. I used my indoor Ninja Foodi. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Once cooked, dice into bite sized pieces.
    grilled marinated chicken on white plate.

Prep Salad

  • While the chicken is grilling, cook the noodles according to box instructions. Once cooked save at least ½ cup of pasta water for the dressing, then strain and rinse with cold water. We won’t use that much, but it's always better to have too much than too little!
    cooked noodles in glass mixing bowl.
  • Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl until everything is combined.
    spicy peanut dressing for spicy thai salad in pyrex measuring cup.
  • Prep the rest of the salad vegetables. Dice jalapeño (finely!), bell pepper, green onions, cabbage & carrots (if not already shredded), and crush peanuts.
  • 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

  • In a large bowl, add arugula, cooked noodles, bell pepper, green onions, shredded cabbage and carrots.
  • Add diced chicken and toss salad together. Drizzle peanut sauce on top and toss again.
    spicy thai salad ingredients in large wood mixing bowl.
  • Top with sesame seeds, wonton strips, and crushed peanuts. Serve with a crunchy quarter of iceberg lettuce head. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Spend some 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!
Add more or less heat by adjusting the amount of gochujang and jalapeño.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Because we use cabbage instead of regular lettuce, it won't get too soggy. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 243mg | Potassium: 498mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g