Cinnamon Free Asian-Style Chicken Salad with Coconut Ginger Dressing

Total time1 hr

Prep time25 min

Cook time20 min

Cinnamon Free Asian-Style Chicken Salad with Coconut Ginger Dressing

This vibrant, crunchy salad is everything you want in a warm-weather meal — bright, fresh, and packed with bold flavor from ingredients that actually pull their weight. Ginger-poached chicken is the kind of technique that sounds fancy but couldn't be more forgiving, and it leaves the meat tender, juicy, and ready to soak up every drop of that coconut ginger dressing. Speaking of the dressing, it's built on coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, fresh lime juice, and turmeric, delivering a savory-tangy punch without a single spice that could cause problems for those avoiding cinnamon — even the warm notes come from ginger and turmeric rather than any of the usual spice-blend shortcuts. That matters more than you'd think, because a lot of Asian-inspired dressings and marinades lean on pre-mixed blends that quietly sneak cinnamon in through the back door. Here, every ingredient is listed and intentional. The salad itself is a satisfying mix of shredded green and red cabbage, julienned carrots, cucumber, scallions, cilantro, and mint — textures and colors that make the bowl look as good as it tastes. Finish it with toasted coconut flakes and a squeeze of lime, and you've got a dish that feels restaurant-worthy with zero guesswork about what's in it.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the chicken

1 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp salt
3 slices fresh ginger (each about ¼ inch thick)

For the salad

3 cups green cabbage, thinly shredded
1 cup red cabbage, thinly shredded
2 medium carrots, julienned or coarsely grated
1 english cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 scallions (green tops only), thinly sliced
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn

For the dressing

3 tbsp coconut aminos
Nutiva Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos Soy-Free Soy Sauce Alternative Original - 8 oz Coconut Secret Ssng Sce Orig Soy Free - 16.9 Oz Dynamic Health Coconut Aminos Seasoning Sauce Simple Truth Organic Coconut Aminos All-Purpose Seasoning Sauce, 10 fl oz O Organics Coconut Aminos - 10 FZ
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2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp honey
½ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp salt

For serving

1 tbsp toasted coconut flakes (optional)
lime wedges (optional)

Instructions

1
Place the chicken breasts in a large pot and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Add the salt and ginger slices. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 15–18 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer at the thickest part.
2
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 10–15 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Discard the poaching liquid and ginger slices. Shred the chicken into thin strips using two forks or your fingers.

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