Thai Summer Roll Salad

If you love Thai food, and specifically summer rolls as much as I do, then this is going to be the salad of your dreams. It's crisp, crunchy, hits all those sweet-salty-sour-savory flavor profiles, and it's super refreshing. You could use chicken, shrimp, steak, or tofu as a protein here, and they'd all be delicious. One word of advice--don't skip the basil and mint in this recipe. They're the secret ingredients that really make the salad taste like a traditional summer roll. 

Thai Summer Roll Salad
Makes 10 salads (5-day meal prep for 2 people)

Maple, Soy + Ginger Glazed Chicken
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 scallions, chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 large pinch red pepper flakes
½ of a large lime, juiced
20 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat

In a large bowl or a gallon plastic freezer bag, whisk together all ingredients except chicken. Add chicken, toss to coat, cover and let marinate at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour in the fridge. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet or glass baking dish with several layers of foil. Transfer chicken and marinade to baking sheet. Bake chicken, basting occasionally with pan juices and flipping every so often, until well browned and cooked through, 30-45 minutes. Chicken thighs will begin to fall apart and become tender as they cook. Cool before adding to salad.

Ginger Peanut Dressing
Makes about 1 cup
1/4 cup + 2 TB natural creamy peanut butter
3 TB low sodium soy sauce
2 TB pure maple syrup
½ inch ginger, grated
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Sriracha (add more to taste) 
½ tsp fish sauce, optional
½ of a large lime, juiced
2-3 TB warm water

Whisk all ingredients together in a measuring cup, transfer to a storage container with a lid, and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Salad Ingredients
1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
lime juice
Baby arugula
Belgian endive
Cucumbers
Shredded carrots
Red bell peppers
Edamame, dry roasted in a hot skillet until blistered
Fresh mint leaves
Fresh basil leaves
rice crackers

In a small bowl combine chopped mango and avocado with a bit of lime juice to prevent browning. To build your salad place arugula in the bottom of a serving bowl. Top with Endive, cucumbers, carrots, red bell peppers, blistered edamame, mint, basil, and a spoonful of the mango avocado mixture. Use as much or as little of each veggies as you'd like, and feel free to swap in your favorite veggies as you wish! For each salad, slice 2 cooked and cooled chicken thighs and arrange over the top. Serve with rice crackers and dressing on the side.

Cheers! Alex