Everyday day for lunch I try to eat healthy and have a salad, so i’m constantly thinking and creating new salad ideas. This one just so happens to be my favorite. When it comes to asian cuisine, i’m always in.
My husband, Clay, isn’t a huge salad guy. He says something along the lines of, “it doesn’t fill me up.” From the moment he tasted this salad, he took back his words. It’s tangy, unique, spicy, and crunchy. The added protein was just enough to fill Clay up and leave him longing for more. This salad is a crowd pleaser no matter what.
I think the best part about this salad is that you can chop everything up and put it in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge and the kale won’t wilt. It’s a great thing to take to work for lunch. On Sunday I’ll chop the greens, make the dressing, cook the chicken, and roast the peanuts. I’ll basically have my salad made for lunch all week. All there is to do is mix everything together.
CHOPPED KALE SALAD WITH GRILLED SWEET ASIAN CHICKEN AND SPICY MISO GINGER DRESSING
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS FOR SALAD:
3 cups curly kale, chopped small
6-8 basil leaves, chiffonade
1/2 cup purple cabbage, chopped small
1/2 cup green cabbage, chopped small
3 scallion, thin slice
1 small red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chopped peanuts on a baking sheet and cook for 8-10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and set aside
INGREDIENTS FOR DRESSING:
2 tbsp. Red miso
3 tbs ginger, finely grated on a zester
2 tbsp. Soy sauce
1 large lime, juice of
1 tbsp. Apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper
3 tbsp. Honey
1 tbsp. Rice vinegar
2 tbsp. Peanut oil
2 tbsp. Toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp. Sombal oelek
DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. Minced ginger
1/4 cup sweet sauce
1 tbsp. Granulated sugar
1 tbsp. peanut oil
DIRECTIONS:
In a sealable bag combine all ingredients. Let marinate for no less than 30 minutes and no more than 6 hours. The flavor will be stronger the longer it marinates.
Pre-heat grill to medium high.
Place chicken on the grill and cook each side for about 5 minutes per side. If you have larger breasts, it might need longer to cook. Use a meat thermometer till in registers 165 degrees if you are unsure. Take off grill and let rest 5 minutes.
While the chicken is on the grill, pour marinade into a pan on medium high heat. Bring to a boil and stir till it reduces by half.
Slice chicken and top with reduced sauce.
HOW TO SERVE:
Toss the salad with as much dressing as you prefer. Place slices chicken on top of salad and sprinkle on roasted peanuts.
**There will be plenty of dressing left over. Keep in fridge for up to 2 weeks.