Tropical Crunch Pineapple Salad
Luau? Beach party? Poolside picnic? Boring February evening when you want to bliss away the winter blues? We got you. This recipe brings the tropics to your table both visually and through flavors like coconut, almond, juicy chicken, and of course, a luscious pineapple. Get out your best chef tools because you’re going to be cutting your fresh pineapple vertically, carefully removing the pineapple chunks inside, then using your shell as a very festive serving bowl. When it comes to fun ways to serve a light, colorful salad, it doesn’t get much more party than this!
- Active Time:
- 15 minutes
- Total TIME:
- 15 minutes
- SERVINGS:
- 2
Ingredients
- 1 whole pineapple, ripened
- 1 Taylor Farms Tropical Crunch Salad Kit
- 1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
- ½–1 cup diced fresh pineapple (from the hollowed pineapple)
Directions
- Slice the pineapple lengthwise through the crown & leaves, so you have two halves. Carefully cut around the inside perimeter of each half, leaving about ½ inch of pineapple. This will be the wall of your pineapple bowl.
- Score the inside flesh into cubes (without cutting through). Scoop out the pineapple cubes with a spoon. Set aside ½–1 cup of pineapple chunks for the salad.
- Place the salad greens from the Taylor Farms Tropical Crunch Salad Kit directly inside the hollowed pineapple halves.
- Top the greens with diced chicken and fresh pineapple chunks.
- Sprinkle on the toppings from the salad kit and drizzle with the included dressing.
- Toss gently inside the pineapple or serve as-is for presentation.
- Serve the pineapple halves as edible bowls. Add a squeeze of lime or a sprinkle of toasted coconut for an extra tropical finish.
Pairing Pineapple for Health Gains
Did you know that pairing your favorite nutrient-dense foods together can actually unlock extra health benefits? Certain vitamins and nutrients work better when they’re eaten in the right combinations. So the ingredients in a yummy recipe aren’t just there for flavor and texture—they can also help your body absorb more of what you need.
Let’s start with our trusty Pineapple, for example.
Pineapple is packed with vitamin C, manganese, and the natural enzyme bromelain. Pairing pineapple with specific foods, like the ones in this recipe, can help your body make even better use of those nutrients while adding a few new ones to the mix.
Here’s how the ingredients in this recipe work together to give you a boost:
- Better iron absorption: The vitamin C in pineapple helps your body absorb iron from leafy greens like romaine lettuce more efficiently.
- Easier protein digestion: Pineapple’s natural enzyme bromelain helps break down protein, making it a great match for chicken.
- Improved nutrient absorption: Healthy fats from olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil in our seed-oil-free salad kit help your body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins and antioxidants from the rest of the ingredients.
- Extra fiber and healthy fats: Almonds add crunch along with fiber, vitamin E, and heart-healthy fats.
All together, these ingredients create a meal that’s not only colorful and delicious—especially when served right inside the pineapple—but also thoughtfully balanced to help your body get the most out of every bite.
