As many of you know, I live in southern California, where, in my biased opinion, I believe makes some of the best salads in the country. I’ve been to countless restaurants from Santa Barbara and Los Angeles to Orange County and San Diego, that toss up beautifully-paired salad ingredients and dressings in a plethora of flavors to appeal to the most discerning of palates. Apart from southern California being one of the main US hubs for creative cuisine, the main reasons why there are such an abundance of flavorful salads is due to the melting pot of cultures as well as the growing number of vegetarian diets that are abundant here in the state.
One of my favorite greens-forward cafés in southern California is Greenleaf Chopshop, located in Orange County. They serve a variety of healthy options in an array of cuisines; from Morrocan harvest bowls and Italian pesto paninis to my very favorite Pan-Asian-inspired lemongrass chicken salad. Filled with sweet, savory, toasted and crunchy ingredients, this salad is set up to give you cravings that will keep you coming back for more. Ryan and I love this salad so much, that he asked if I was able to re-create it at home for us to enjoy whenever we please. So, I set out to do just that. Ps, if you’re having trouble finding canned lychee, head to your local Asian market or do a quick search online. I highly suggest using lychee juice from the can; I’ve tested the recipe with bottled lychee beverage and it’s simply not the same (it contains too much artificial sugar, which takes away from the taste).
“The term ‘salad’ comes from the Latin word for salt or ‘sal‘. In Roman times, salads consisted largely of salted vegetables glazed with an oil and vinegar dressing. The French eventually coined the term ‘salade‘ which is where it got its name today.”
– threadgills
Lemongrass Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For Salad
- 1/2 lb Chicken Tenders (raw)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 4 cups Mixed Salad Greens
- 1 cup Spinach
- 12 sticks Jicama (julienned)
- 1/3 cup Cashews (raw and unsalted)
- 2/3 cup Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)
- 1 cup Pineapple Chunks
- 3-4 Thai Chillies
- 1/2 cup Daikon Sprouts
- 1 Mango
For Dressing
- 1/3 cup Lychee Juice (from 14oz or 20oz can of lychees)
- 1/8 cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Lemongrass Powder
- 2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Seasoned Rice Vinegar
- 1 tsp Garlic Salt
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper (measure half of 1/4 tsp)
- 1 tbsp Honey
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare raw chicken tenders by seasoning both sides with salt and pepper (1/2 tsp of salt and pepper per side).
- Once air fryer has preheated, reduce heat to 380. Add chicken tenders to air fryer basket, spray with a light coating of cooking spray, and cook for 12 minutes or until outer portions are golden brown.
- While chicken is cooking, prepare your salad. In a large bowl, add mixed greens and spinach. Then, prepare the remainder of ingredients; julienne jicama sticks before cutting into smaller pieces, chop pineapple into small chunks, finely chop Thai chillies, and slice mango. Add all ingredients, except for pineapple and mango, into the large bowl with your salad greens.
- Meanwhile, place raw cashews in a small pan over medium heat with no oil. Stir constantly as cashews start to toast and brown. Lower your heat if your cashews are cooking too quickly, or if they start to burn. Once cashews begin to turn golden brown, add in shredded coconut and gently stir until toasted. Remove from heat.
- Once chicken has cooked through, remove from air fryer and cut into thin slices or large shreds. Add to large salad bowl.
- To make your dressing, add all ingredients together and whisk well to combine.
- Before serving, add mango and pineapple along with toasted cashews and coconut to large salad bowl. Drizzle in desired amount of dressing, then toss salad to combine.
Watch my video on how to make this recipe by clicking here.
