RECIPE: Warm Thai Chicken Salad

For our first recipe of 2012, Tessa Jonson of Flex Your Food kicks us off with a nice, quick, light recipe for warm Thai Chicken Salad; the perfect antidote to all that over-eating over the festive period and a great way to finish up any leftovers! Over to Tessa......

I was searching for a dish that would taste amazing and use up both leftover chicken and some bean sprouts that were on their way out and came across this fabulous recipe on Girl Interrupted Eating and decided to give it a go. 

The results: It really really rocks. It’s healthy, filling, and bursts with flavour. The dressing is tangy with a bit of heat, while the herbs and raw vegetables bring freshness and texture. The warm chicken and dressing contrasts the cold, crunchy lettuce, spring onions and bean sprouts beautifully. It’s simple and quick, especially if you have everything prepared and measured before you start. 

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Cooking Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

• 400g chicken thighs, cooked and shredded
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp of sesame oil
• 1 knob of root ginger, grated
• 2 red chilies, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tbl fish sauce
• 1 tbl of soy sauce
• 3 tbl lime juice
• 1 tsp of lime zest
• handful of fresh chopped mint
• handful of fresh coriander leaves
• 1 c/100g spring onions, sliced thinly at a diagonal
• 2 c/200g of bean sprouts
• 1 head of lettuce, preferably little gem

Method:

1. Wash the lettuce leaves and soak in ice cold water to increase their crispiness.
2. Heat a pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the oil and fry the garlic for about 30 seconds before adding the chicken. Heat through.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the ginger, chilies, fish and soy sauces, and the lime juice and zest. Finally, mix in half of the herbs.
4. Dry the lettuce in a salad spinner and divide it, the spring onions, and the bean sprouts equally between four bowls.
5. Top each bowl with the chicken mixture and a scattering of the remaining herbs. Serve warm.

Variation:

Julienned cucumbers would be a tasty replacement for beansprouts! You can use raw chicken if you don’t have any leftovers. Cut it into bite-sized pieces and fry in the oil until nearly cooked then add the garlic, fry until fully cooked and continue on to step 3.

recipe for personal use only

About Flex Your Food: To learn more about Tessa and Flex Your Food go to: http://www.flexyourfood.com/about/