Chicken and Asparagus Salad (Paleo, AIP, Keto)

Asparagus is a spring vegetable and you get the best tasting asparagus then. That’s why eating foods that are in season is recommended as they are more nutrient dense than when produced off-season!

I usually only bake asparagus. I like to cut the thick stems off a couple inches from the bottom and then spread them in a baking tray tossed with some garlic powder and salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake at 400 F for 12 mins and you get a perfect side dish that my family enjoys! This recipe was something I learnt long ago when I was a grad student from one of my american classmates. I wasn’t familiar cooking asparagus then as we didn’t have that in India and so her recipe came in very handy for me at that time and I stuck to it!

Last month, I attended a luncheon organized by the non-profit that I am a member of and the menu included Chicken and asparagus salad. That was when I first tasted blanched asparagus. It tasted wonderful and it still had a crunch to it. I thought it went very well with the grilled chicken. The salad came with a creamy dairy based mustard dressing that I avoided. However, I was so inspired by this salad that I had to create my own AIP version with a creamy dressing and all!

The creamy dressing wasn’t too hard to do since I just took Bon Aipetit’s AIP mayonnaise recipe and added a couple flavors to it! Hope you enjoy this recipe. This is an easy recipe for a quick salad for lunch or for dinner!

What are the ingredients for this salad?

  • Chicken (thighs or breasts)
  • Asparagus
  • Other vegetables: I like to add Red Cabbage and Baby Spinach as they create a nice visual interest with the vibrant colors but you can add any other vegetables too like shredded carrots, celery etc.
  • Homemade Dairy free and Egg free Mayo dressing – I make a homemade dressing using Bonaipetit’s AIP Mayo recipe. But you can use a readymade AIP or Paleo dressing too.

Chicken and Asparagus Salad (Paleo, AIP, Keto)
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
A delicious salad with chicken and asparagus with a creamy dressing with the flavors of garlic and mustard.
RecipeIngredients
For the Chicken:
  • 1 lb of boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, thawed to room temperature
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper (Omit for AIP)
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Avocado oil or coconut oil for pan frying
For the salad:
  • ½ a lb of asparagus
  • 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
  • 2 cups baby spinach leaves
For the dressing:
  • ½ cup AIP Mayo (recipe from Bonaipetit.com - see link below in Notes)
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp ground mustard (Omit for AIP)
RecipeInstructions
For the Chicken:
  1. In a small mixing bowl add the chicken and all the spices and the oil. Using your hands coat the chicken pieces well with all the spices.
  2. Heat a large stainless steel or cast iron frying pan. When hot, add about 2 tbsps of the oil and then place the chicken pieces on the pan. Let cook on medium heat for about 5 mins on one side. Then flip the pieces (they should be golden brown on the bottom) and cook for about 4 mins on the other side. Turn heat off and transfer the chicken pieces onto a serving dish and cover with Al foil. Keep aside.
For the salad:
  1. Trim the broad fibrous ends of the asparagus off (about 2 inches from the bottom).
  2. Heat a large stockpot filled upto ¾ th with water. When the water begins to boil, add about a tsp of sea salt to the water and add the asparagus into the water. Let cook for about 4 mins.
  3. Meanwhile, get an ice bath ready by adding lots of ice to a large mixing bowl.
  4. Drain the cooked asparagus into a strainer and then quickly using tongs drop the asparagus into the cooling water bath so that it retains its color and texture.
  5. Get a large salad tray or bowl and arrange the rest of the vegetables on it.
  6. When the asparagus is sufficiently cooled off to handle, chop them into about ½ inch long pieces. Add them into the salad tray/bowl.
  7. Take the chicken and slice into ½ inch thick pieces. Add the chicken pieces into the salad.
  8. Mix all salad dressing ingredients into a small cup or a bowl and stir to mix well.
  9. When ready to serve the salad, pour the dressing all over the salad. Serve warm. This recipe makes two servings of salad.
Notes
Recipe for AIP Mayo: https://bonaippetit.com/aip-mayo-egg-free-mayo-recipe/

Other Chicken Salad recipes from my website:

Buffalo Chicken Salad (Paleo, AIP, Keto, Whole30)

Chicken Tortilla Salad (Gluten Free, Paleo, AIP)

Curried Chicken/Turkey Salad (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)

AIP Chicken and Asparagus Salad

 

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