Ginger Coconut Chicken Bowl with Zucchini Noodles

Ginger Coconut Chicken Bowl with Zucchini Noodles

I don’t post enough noodle bowls on here, so I’m extra excited to share this recipe...

Ginger Coconut Chicken Bowl with Zucchini Noodles

I don’t post enough noodle bowls on here, so I’m extra excited to share this recipe with you all today, straight from the new Whole30 cookbook.

And no, you don’t need to be following the Whole30 to make this recipe- it’s just one of the many delicious recipes given in Melissa Hartwig’s (the co-founder of the Whole30) new cookbook!

So what is the Whole30?

Well, many of you already know, because I can’t tell you how many requests I get for “Whole 30 compliant recipes”! And as many know, spiralizing can be your best friend when doing a Whole30!

Ginger Coconut Chicken Bowl with Zucchini Noodles

From their website, the Whole30 philosophy is this (you can read more about it here):

Established by Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Hartwig (of Whole9) in April 2009, the Whole30® is our original nutritional program designed to change your life in 30 days. Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.

The cookbook which today’s recipe comes from is their newest cookbook, and I found it hard to pick one of the 150 recipes to make – they all look so approachable, fulfilling, and delicious.

Ginger Coconut Chicken Bowl with Zucchini Noodles

I was drawn to this recipe because I love anything with a coconut broth AND I was intrigued by the roasting of the veggies. It definitely amps up the flavor and texture of this recipe – and I didn’t spiralize the sweet potatoes, because a) the recipe didn’t call for it and b) the sweet potato noodles don’t stand up well in hot soups – they tend to break up.

And to answer the question I’ve received: no, I haven’t yet done a Whole30, but it’s something I look forward to challenging myself with in the future!

If you’re interested in learning more about the cookbook, read here!

Ginger Coconut Chicken Bowl with Zucchini Noodles

Have you done a Whole30? Have you found that spiralizing’s a life saver when following the program?

Watch our video to learn how to spiralize a zucchini using the Inspiralizer and subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch more videos:

 

Ginger Coconut Chicken Bowl with Zucchini Noodles

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon plus pinch teaspoon coarse salt
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 5 to 6 ounces each
  • 1 medium orange sweet potato or Okinawan sweet potato peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 small onion cut into thin wedges (about ¾ cup)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 small zucchini about 8 ounces, trimmed
  • ½ cup canned coconut milk see Tip
  • ½ cup Chicken Bone Broth page 284 or Whole30-compliant chicken broth
  • 1 cup lightly packed baby spinach leaves
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Instructions

  • Combine the ginger, olive oil, half the garlic, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and the red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Cut the chicken into bite-size strips. Add the chicken to the ginger mixture and toss to evenly coat. Cover and chill for 30 to 60 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F. In a shallow roasting pan, combine the sweet potato and onion. Sprinkle with ? teaspoon of the black pepper and ? teaspoon of the salt. Add ½ tablespoon of the coconut oil. Bake, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the coconut oil has melted. Toss the potato mixture to coat with the oil and spread it into an even layer in the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes more, stirring twice, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
  • Use a spiral slicer or julienne peeler to cut the zucchini lengthwise into long, thin noodles (or use a regular vegetable peeler to cut the zucchini lengthwise into thin ribbons). In a large skillet, heat the remaining ½ tablespoon coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, the remaining garlic, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ? teaspoon black pepper. Cook, tossing gently with tongs, until the noodles are crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the zucchini noodles from the skillet; keep warm.
  • Add the chicken mixture to the skillet. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and broth. Bring just to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Stir in the spinach.
  • To serve, divide the chicken mixture between two shallow serving bowls. Top with zucchini noodles and roasted sweet potato. Sprinkle with the cilantro and mint.
  • TIP Canned coconut milk separates in the can, with the cream rising to the top. Make sure to whisk the coconut milk well before measuring the amount needed for the recipe.

Recipe Notes

Text excerpted from THE WHOLE30 COOKBOOK © 2016 by Melissa Hartwig. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Ginger Coconut Chicken Bowl with Zucchini Noodles

with love, Ali

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Recipe Rating




comments

  • Ali - hi - love this recipe thanks the only comment i would make is related to the FONT used on your new look website - very hard read and follow :-(
  • Hi, Can't wait to make this, but I guess the font upgrade has also affected the amounts...I do not understand the "?" for the red pepper flakes and the coarse salt. Will you please update so I can revise my meal planner? Thanks so much!
  • I agree about the new font ....awful, and unreadable, and obviously does not have several needed characters......sorry, but we hope you will change it.
    • I haven't changed anything about the website, not sure what you're referring to???
      • I am looking at it on my iPad, and everything is perfect -- same font as other recipes, black, no funky characters and nothing missing. Same on my computer. Perhaps they are looking at it on a phone or something that has been updated or needs to be. :)
      • I'm on my laptop (not a mac), and the only thing funky is the character "w" - it's light on the left side and heavy on the right. Very strange! And I also have a "?" in place of a fraction in steps 2 and 3 - not in the ingredient list. Strange, right?? But the recipe looks amazing! : )
  • I have noticed that some of the "new" cookbooks have a light font and it is hard to read.
  • Ali, have you any advice on storing unused coconut milk once the can is open? Can it be frozen, for example?
  • Hi The recipe is totally readable on my Apple laptop. No unusual characters on my screen. Coarse salt is easily read as 1/2 teaspoon + pinch of coarse salt; pinch of red pepper flakes. Not sure what the others are referring to - recipe looks yummy!
    • It has a "?" as I read it on my computer, for both the salt and the pepper in step 2 and the pepper in step 3.
      • This is what it reads for me for Step 2, with random question marks in front of the teaspoon and salt: "Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F. In a shallow roasting pan, combine the sweet potato and onion. Sprinkle with ? teaspoon of the black pepper and ? teaspoon of the salt. Add ½ tablespoon of the coconut oil. Bake, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the coconut oil has melted. Toss the potato mixture to coat with the oil and spread it into an even layer in the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes more, stirring twice, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned." So weird!
  • Hi, do you have the nutrition info for this wonderful-looking recipe? My daughter has type 1 diabetes and I need to be able to count every carb she eats. Thank you.
    • I do not, since it's from another cookbook! You can just pop in the ingredients into MyFitnessPal.com to calculate!
  • I am starting a Whole 30 today, and I when I have done them in the past, there were days when I would spiralize for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! It is the best thing out there, and definitely makes a Whole 30 more interesting. I don't have this cookbook yet, but I am definitely going to try this recipe! Thanks for posting Ali!
  • I made this last night and it was delicious. I had chicken thighs so I used those and I didn't have the time to marinate them so I just add those ingredients while browning the chicken. Thanks for posting.
  • Love your postings & recipes! I have recommended your website/cookbook to numerous friends and coworkers as I'm always getting asked for cooking ideas! On that note, my coworkers placed a group order for 10 Spiralizers and recently hauled then out as our department (ICU) has started up another "Biggest Loser Weight Loss Challenge!" I love to try out new healthy recipes and I'm constantly being asked "what's in my lunch" or "have you heard of this?" I read a lot of blogs and feel that Canada is so far behind to the U.S. when it comes to cooking! However, I enjoy this as I feel that I'm one step ahead with reading and exploring! Thank you for what you do! BTW, the font is perfectly fine from my end!!
  • I'd like to take this dish for lunch at the office. I'd need to heat it up in the microwave. Do you think there are any problems with storing and then heating back up?
    • I was thinking same thing, did you try it?
  • as usual all the recipes I make from your web site turn out delicious. This one in particular was like eating at a Thai restaurant and I know what's in my food The spices were perfect More than enough for my husband and myself This is a keeper
  • I LOVE that so many of your recipes contain the Weight Watcher points. Do you happen to know how many points this recipe is? It sounds amazing.