AIP Friendly Thai-Inspired Beef Salad with Coconut Aminos Dressing
Bold, bright, and genuinely satisfying, this beef salad hits every note you want from Thai-inspired cooking — savory, tangy, a little sweet, and loaded with fresh herbs — without a single ingredient that conflicts with autoimmune protocol eating. Flank steak gets rubbed with turmeric and ginger, then seared hard in coconut oil until deeply browned and sliced thin against the grain, so every bite is tender and packed with flavor. The dressing is where the magic happens: coconut aminos stand in for soy sauce seamlessly, delivering that umami depth alongside fresh lime juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, and grated ginger and garlic. No fish sauce, no chili heat, no nightshades — just clean, layered flavor that doesn't feel like a compromise. The salad base is a generous tangle of mixed greens, cucumber, julienned carrot, and a triple hit of fresh cilantro, mint, and basil that makes the whole bowl feel alive. It comes together in well under an hour and serves four, making it a strong choice for a weeknight dinner or a meal-prep lunch that actually holds up. Squeeze a little extra lime over the top before serving and you'll wonder why you ever thought this way of eating was limiting.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the beef
- 1 ½ lb flank steak
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
Ingredient noteAIP restricts added sweeteners, but small occasional amounts of unrefined honey are accepted on the protocol; the ~3/4 teaspoon per serving here likely stays within that limited allowance. If you prefer to always avoid honey, please tap it and change its rating to Red.
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the salad
- 1 english cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned or coarsely grated
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced (green tops only)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, torn
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 4 cups mixed greens or butter lettuce, torn
For serving
- lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the flank steak completely dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, turmeric, and ground ginger, then rub the mixture evenly over both sides of the steak.
- 2
Heat the coconut oil in a cast iron or heavy skillet over high heat until the oil shimmers and just begins to smoke. Add the steak and sear undisturbed for 4 minutes, until the underside is deeply browned and releases easily from the pan. Flip and cook for another 3–4 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 145°F (63°C) for medium. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.
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