Nightshade Free Tropical Chicken Salad with Mango

Total time48 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time18 min

Nightshade Free Tropical Chicken Salad with Mango

Bright, juicy, and packed with fresh produce, this tropical chicken salad is the kind of dish that feels like a vacation on a plate. Avoiding nightshades can make salads tricky — so many dressings and marinades sneak in tomato, paprika, or chili-based ingredients — but every component here is naturally free of that entire plant family. The dressing leans on coconut aminos and fresh lime juice for a tangy, savory depth that you'd never guess was missing anything, and a touch of ground turmeric gives it a gorgeous golden hue. Chicken breasts are gently poached with fresh ginger slices, keeping the meat incredibly tender and subtly fragrant before it gets shredded into the mix. Sweet mango, crisp cucumber, shredded carrot, and fresh cilantro round out the bowl with color and crunch in every single bite. Served in butter lettuce cups, it doubles as a light handheld meal that looks stunning on the table with almost zero effort. This one is a genuine crowd-pleaser that just happens to work beautifully for anyone navigating nightshade sensitivities.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the chicken

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

For the dressing

2 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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3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp fine sea salt

For the salad

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and diced into ¾-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 english cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded (about 1 cup)
4 scallions (green tops only), thinly sliced
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly torn

For serving

4 large butter lettuce leaves, for serving (optional)
lime wedges, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1
Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add the salt and ginger slices. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 14–16 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C).
2
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Discard the poaching liquid and ginger slices.

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