This chicken salad skips the mayo and uses almond butter, lemon, and ginger for an ultra creamy and flavorful dressing. The combo of chicken, eggs, and almond butter packs in a whopping 48g of protein per serving (or 32g per serving for 6 servings). Cabbage, cucumbers, and lots of fresh herbs add a dose of veggies and fiber, crunch, and fresh flavor. Throw it together at the beginning of the week for easy work lunches. You could eat this on its own, in a lettuce cup or tortilla, or on toast!
Ingredient highlight
Chicken! Chicken is a great way to get in high quality protein that’s also packed with selenium, choline, niacin (Vitamin B3), and vitamin B6, and B12.
Servings 4 – 6
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 10 minutes Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups shredded chicken*
- 6 large boiled eggs**
- 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
- 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced (about 1 heaping cup)
- 2 cups chopped herbs (scallions and/or cilantro)
- Chopped toasted almonds, for topping
- Chili crisp or sriracha (optional, for topping)
For the sauce:
- ⅓ cup natural almond butter
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 to 2- inch knob ginger
- *From about 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breasts or use rotisserie chicken.
- *I like to poach the chicken (see video) for this recipe since it’s just one pound, but you could also batch cook chicken in the instant pot. Use the hand mixer for easy shredding, but don’t shred it super finely – keep it on the chunkier side.
- **Or sub with 1 ½ cups thawed shelled edamame OR 1 (15 oz) can beans, drained and rinsed.
- **I tested this with beans and with eggs and I much prefer it with eggs but wanted to give an easier/no cook option of beans or edamame. You could also skip this and add an extra 1 ½ cups shredded chicken.
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, add all of the sauce ingredients and blend on high until totally smooth, about 1 minute. The sauce should be thick but not pasty. Add another 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin it out if it’s too thick or not blending easily (I tested this multiple times and each time the amount of water I added was a bit different!).
- In a large bowl, add the chicken, eggs, cabbage, cucumber, and herbs. Pour the sauce over top, scraping out every last bit. Toss to coat. Taste and add more salt or lemon, if needed.
- Serve topped with toasted almonds and chili crisp or sriracha for some spice.
- As this salad sits, the salt draws out the water from the cucumber and cabbage and it becomes a bit more “wet” and flavorful.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook and shred 1 lb chicken (2 ½ cups cooked)
- Thaw 1 ½ cups shelled edamame or use canned beans
- Thinly slice 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
- Thinly slice 1 small cucumber (about 1 heaping cup)
- Chop 2 cups worth of herbs (scallions and/or cilantro)
- Toast and chop almonds, for topping
- Make the dressing
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, use 3-4 cups worth of beans or edamame OR tofu OR a combo of both.
- To make nut-free, use tahini in place of almond butter.
- Use 3 cups worth of any raw crunchy shredded or thinly sliced veggie.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- This salad (and most salads) tastes better at room temp. I like to pop it in the microwave for about 20 seconds to take the chill off. Add an extra squeeze of lemon and dash of soy sauce to leftover salad to brighten it up.
- Make it a wrap, sandwich/toast, or taco! Or just plop it on top of salads or bowls for a protein boost.
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