Thai Crunch Salad (CPK Copycat)

A top down shot of a salad with chicken, edamame, peanut dressing and wonton strips next to a carafe of dressing and forks.

4.93 from 14 votes

Thai Crunch Salad (CPK Copycat)

This Thai Crunch Salad recipe was inspired by the totally crave-worthy salad at California Pizza Kitchen. It's loaded with chicken, crunchy veggies and topped with a Thai peanut salad dressing and crispy wonton strips.

Prep Time25

Cook Time1

Total Time26

Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Thai

Servings: servings

Calories: 534kcal

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

Thai Peanut Dressing

¼ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons less sodium soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ lime juiced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Crispy Wonton Strips (omit for gluten-free)

5 to 6 wonton wrappers
vegetable oil as needed

Thai Crunch Salad

3 cups romaine lettuce well chopped
8 ounces 3-color coleslaw mix
½ bunch cilantro chopped
1 cup shelled edamame
3 green onions chopped
½ cup shredded carrot
½ red bell pepper diced
2 cups rotisserie chicken breast meat chopped
1 avocado chopped
½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts

Instructions

Thai Peanut Dressing

Place all ingredients for the Thai Peanut Dressing in the bowl of a food processor or small blender. Process for about 2 minutes, or until smooth and emulsified. Set aside, or if making ahead, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

Crispy Wonton Strips

Cut the wonton wrappers into strips about ¼-inch by 3 inches long. You can stack them to do this quickly.
Heat about 1-inch of oil in a large skillet or sauté pan. Fry in batches, spreading them out so they don't stick together. When golden brown, quickly remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer them to paper towels to drain. (Note - they will brown very quickly and continue to crisp even more after they drain).

Assemble the Salad

In a large serving bowl combine the Romaine, coleslaw mix, cilantro, edamame, green onion, shredded carrot, red bell pepper, and rotisserie chicken. Toss well to combine. Drizzle about ¾ of the peanut dressing over the salad and toss well. Add the avocado and peanuts and toss lightly. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the top and garnish with the wonton strips.
Serve immediately.

Notes

Variations:

Rice Sticks - CPK's Thai Crunch Salad includes both fried wonton strips and crisped rice noodles (see gluten-free option below). There is plenty of crunch in this salad without the rice sticks so I opt to leave them out. If you'd like to include them, just follow the directions on the package to quickly crisp them in hot oil and drain them well on paper towels before adding them to the salad.

Gluten-free - Substitute gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce in the dressing and substitute rice sticks for the wonton strips.

Nutrition