Full GAPS Chicken Salad with Lime-Almond Dressing

This Full GAPS chicken salad is all about crisp vegetables and a lime-almond dressing that seasons the chicken without leaving the bowl watery. Purple cabbage, red and yellow peppers, carrots, cucumber, and green onion make it colorful and crunchy. The chicken makes it a filling lunch or dinner for eight.

My weekdays are built around homeschooling before my second-shift job, and I often cook in the morning. I plan around what can be done ahead without making dinner harder later. For this salad, the vegetables, chicken, and dressing can each be prepared separately. Keep them chilled and apart, then toss them together when you are ready to eat.

Why This Salad Works

The vegetables are cut in different shapes, but each piece is small enough to pick up with chicken and dressing. Thin cabbage and pepper slices fold around the fork. Tiny carrot cubes add a little sweetness, and the seeded cucumber gives the bowl a cool, crisp bite without watering it down as quickly as larger pieces.

The dressing brings together homemade almond butter, coconut aminos, fermented fish sauce, lime, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic, and raw sesame oil. It tastes savory first, then tangy and nutty, with the ginger and garlic coming through in the finish. Whisk it until smooth before pouring so the almond butter is evenly distributed and each serving gets the same balance.

Ingredients

Make one batch of the linked Full GAPS Lime-Almond Dressing for this salad. It uses homemade almond butter from properly prepared almonds; the dressing post has the complete measured ingredient list and both mixing methods. For coconut aminos, choose a plain additive-free product. The Nutiva Original ingredient page lists organic coconut tree sap and sea salt.

For the Salad

• 1/4 head purple cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, cut into tiny cubes
• 3 green onions, white and light-green parts thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, seeds removed and cut into thin strips

For the Chicken

• 2 tablespoons homemade ghee or coconut oil, for skillet cooking; omit the added fat if grilling
• 1 pound fresh chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the Dressing

• 1 batch Full GAPS Lime-Almond Dressing

Recommended Equipment

• Large salad bowl and salad tongs
• Cutting board and sharp chef’s knife
• Small bowl and whisk, or a jar with a tight lid, for the dressing
• Instant-read thermometer for the chicken
• For the stovetop method, a heavy skillet. I use my Le Creuset Signature skillet in Artichaut.

Make the Chicken Salad

1. Cut the vegetables. Thinly slice the purple cabbage, red pepper, yellow pepper, and green onions. Cut the carrots into tiny cubes. Remove the cucumber seeds, then cut the cucumber into thin strips. Put the vegetables in a large bowl. The bowl should look dry and crisp, not wet at the bottom. Keep the raw chicken and its cutting surface separate from the vegetables.
2. Prepare the dressing. Make one batch of the linked Full GAPS Lime-Almond Dressing, using its whisk or blender method. Keep it chilled separately while you prepare the chicken and vegetables, then toss it with the salad just before serving.
3. Cook the chicken. Season both sides of the chicken with the salt and pepper. For the skillet method, heat 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 7 to 10 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. For the grill method, cook over a hot grill for 5 to 8 minutes per side. Check the thickest piece with an instant-read thermometer. Chicken is ready at 165°F (74°C), as shown in the FoodSafety.gov safe-temperature chart. If the outside is browning too quickly, lower the heat and keep cooking until the center reaches temperature.
4. Cool and slice the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate or cutting board and let it cool before adding it to the salad. Cut it into bite-size strips or pieces. The center should be opaque and moist, with no pink areas.
5. Toss and serve. Add the cooled chicken to the vegetables. Pour over the dressing and toss with tongs until the cabbage and chicken have a thin, glossy coating. The dressing should cling to the ingredients rather than pool at the bottom. Serve while the vegetables are crisp.

Full GAPS Placement and Adaptations

This is a Full GAPS recipe, not an Introduction Diet salad. The accepted version uses raw cabbage, peppers, carrots, cucumber, and properly prepared almond butter. Keep it at Full GAPS. If you are following an Intro stage, choose a meal assigned to that stage rather than trying to turn this raw salad into one by changing a few ingredients.

The skillet method uses 2 tablespoons of ghee or coconut oil in place of the source recipe’s heated sesame oil. The tablespoon of sesame oil in the dressing is a separate ingredient. It stays raw and is not used to cook the chicken. The grill method follows the source’s separate timing and does not need the skillet oil.

Make Ahead and Storage

For an easier serving later, slice the vegetables, whisk the dressing, and cook the chicken ahead. Store the vegetables, dressing, and chicken in separate covered containers in the refrigerator. Add the dressing only when you are ready to serve. That keeps the cabbage crisp and prevents the cucumber from releasing liquid into the whole bowl.

Refrigerate the cooked chicken and any leftovers within two hours. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below, and use the leftovers within three to four days. The fully dressed salad is best the day it is made because the vegetables soften as they sit. FoodSafety.gov has the full cold-storage chart.

If mapping prep into a busy week would help, the Weekly Kitchen Rhythm Planner is with the other WFLI resources in the shop.

Serving Ideas

This salad is substantial enough to serve as lunch or dinner on its own. For a larger table, put the dressing on the side and let everyone add as much as they want. If you are setting out another chicken salad, keep the recipes distinct: this lime-almond dressing is different from the dressing in my Asian Chicken Chopped Salad for Full GAPS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the Kelp Noodles Included?

No. This accepted Full GAPS version leaves out the packaged kelp noodles. The source recipe says they can be omitted, and this route also omits the sugar snap peas. The cabbage, peppers, carrots, cucumber, and chicken make a full salad without either addition.

Can I Grill the Chicken?

Yes. Season it with the salt and pepper, then grill for 5 to 8 minutes per side. Check the thickest piece with a thermometer and cook to 165°F (74°C). The skillet route uses ghee or coconut oil; the grilled route does not need that added skillet fat.

Can I Make the Dressing Ahead?

Yes. Prepare one batch of the linked Full GAPS Lime-Almond Dressing, cover it, and refrigerate it separately. Whisk or shake it before tossing with the salad.

Can I Use Store-Bought Almond Butter?

Use the linked homemade almond butter made from properly prepared almonds for this Full GAPS version. That keeps the ingredient aligned with the accepted route and gives the dressing its thick, creamy texture.

How Do I Keep the Salad Crisp?

Dry the vegetables after washing, cool the chicken before adding it, and keep the dressing separate until serving. If you are packing individual portions, put the dressing in its own small container.

More Full GAPS Chicken Salads

For another crunchy bowl, try the Chicken Cabbage Avocado Salad for Full GAPS. It has cabbage and avocado with a separate lemon-ginger peanut dressing, so it is a different recipe. The Asian Chicken Chopped Salad is another distinct version, with lettuce and asparagus and its own almond-butter dressing.