Sweet & Sour Mango Chicken Salad

Now that is a meal-worthy salad. Juicy chicken, sweet mango, crunchy cabbage, creamy avocado, spicy radishes and crisp red peppers. Note the lettuce-to-everything-else ratio. I top it off with my tangy sweet and sour dressing. When I am craving something with more carbs, I just throw this into a wrap. Tada!

So often I hear people say "O, salad, I wish I could eat that for lunch, but it just doesn't fill me up." I promise you can be "one of those people" who is satisfied by a salad. You see... it's not so much the person as the salad. If you eat a bunch of iceberg lettuce covered in nonfat Italian dressing with a few baby carrots unloving tossed on top then OF COURSE it doesn’t fill you up. It's just water with some salt and sugar. I don’t think that fills ANYONE up. When I say salad, I mean something more like this.

I dare you to eat this salad and tell me you are not satisfied and full. You are getting around +25 grams of protein along with a huge amount of fiber from the veggies. Plus the carrots provide antioxidant benefits from carotenoids and big dose of vitamin A. The cabbage and red pepper are also great sources of vitamin C.

Sweet & Sour Mango Chicken Salad

Serves 4.

Time:

Ingredients:

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Salad:

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped or half a bag of baby spinach

2 medium carrots, grated

1 large red pepper, diced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 cup radishes, sliced

1 cup red cabbage, shredded

1 avocado, pitted and diced

1 mango, peeled and diced

4 chicken breasts

Chicken:

2 T. olive oil
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper, paprika and cumin
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Dressing: (original)

2-3 T. sweet Thai chili sauce (or sweet and sour sauce if you have that instead)
4 T. rice vinegar
1 tsp. Sriracha
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
Juice 1 lime
1 T. honey
3-4 T. olive oil (I like my salads more acidic, adjust to your taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing: (sugar-detox adapted)
4 T. rice vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
Juice 1 lime
2 T. honey
1/2-inch ginger, peeled, grated
1/4-1/2 tsp. chili oil (or 1/8 cayenne pepper)
1 tsp. sesame oil
5 T. olive oil (I like my salads more acidic, adjust to your taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

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1.  Combine all vegetables in a large bowl (not the mango and avocado).

2.  Fillet the chicken breasts. Season on both sides with cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin and salt and pepper.

3.  Bring a non-stick pan to medium heat, add oil and cook chicken on both sides until through. Let the chicken rest while mixing the salad dressing. 

4. In a small bowl, whisk together chili sauce, vinegar, Sriracha, garlic, lime juice, honey and olive oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper. 

5. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Plate the salad. Top with sliced chicken, mango and avocado.