Chopped Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing

I adore salads. They're the perfect avenue for adding a plethora of veggies to your diet - another thing I adore! In effort to not bore my palette with the same ol' salad day after day, I've been making a point to choose a different salad "theme" each week. That way I can keep the fresh produce I need on hand for that week, and use it before it spoils. This Chopped Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing has been in the rotation for several weeks now, and this may be the salad I look forward to the most! All of the heart eyes...

Just imagine fresh chopped veggies + fluffy rice + a salty peanut dressing + toasted almonds. I mean, what's better than a little crunch added to a salad in the form of toasted almonds?? Noooooooothing. The answer is nothing.

I must confess, though, that I took a few time saving routes, because this Mama is lacking a lot of that these days. Helloooo toddler boy and 4 month baby...

I did not purchase green cabbage and shred it myself. I did not purchase carrots and shred them myself. I bought a "coleslaw" mix without the dressing, and used that as my base. That saved me at least 5 minutes, and a bit of a mess! Additionally, I didn't wait 30 minutes for my rice to boil and fluff. I used good ol' minute rice! You're welcome to shred your own cabbage and wait an eternity for your rice to cook through - I'll leave that to you! I promise I won't judge you. In fact, I'd just be envious you even had the time!

A word about this dressing, before you begin. First and foremost, it's absolutely delicious. Secondly, there is no pretty factor here. Thick natural peanut butter, plus soy sauce and the other additions don't like to mix well. I use a small wire whisk or a fork and blend the best I can. It will be THICK, and it's OK if it doesn't look smooth and creamy. You're going to just dump that delicious-ness right on your greens and coat evenly. A trick my husband likes to use is shaking the salad + dressing in a tupperware container with the lid on. Great way to make sure every last drop of salad is coated in that peanut dressing!

Chopped Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing

Ingredients

For the Salad
6 cups shredded cabbage/carrot mix
1 red pepper, julienned
4 green onions, julienned
1 cup cooked brown rice (I used minute rice)
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted*
For the Dressing
4 tbsp natural peanut butter
6 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp pure honey
dash cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Instructions

For the Salad

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss

For the Dressing

Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined

Combine

Pour dressing over salad and toss until greens are completely coated. Devour.

Notes

*To toast almonds - add to a pan and sauté over medium heat until they begin to brown, about 6-7 minutes. Set aside to let cool. No oil is needed. Make gluten free by replacing the soy sauce with liquid aminos!