Chrissy Teigen's Top 5 Low-Carb Meals

Try the simple recipes that keep her killer body ready for the runway.

Tiffany Tse

The world knows her as a top swimsuit model. We know her as the quick-witted mastermind behind So Delushious, her drool-inducing food blog. Christine Teigen, who goes by Chrissy, is a boss in the kitchen and a hot commodity in the modeling world (she was dubbed "Rookie of the Year" in Sports Illustrated 2010 Swimsuit Issue). She's also the first to admit that her long, lean limbs and killer bod take hard work. After Teigen launched a successful low-carb diet to prep for a major photo shoot last summer, we requested her arsenal of low-carb recipes for ourselves. The supermodel happily revealed her top five—all in her own words!

1. Yum Nua (Thai Beef Salad)

"My mom made this for me all the time growing up. It was one of the few Thai dishes I actually enjoyed. What a silly child I was. Now I love Thai food. She made this for potlucks at school and I always felt so cool and special because everyone else had boring, bland casseroles. Sure, it has a bit of sugar in it, but this is low-carb, not no-carb."

Ingredients:
Well-marbled New York steak, grilled to your liking, but preferably no more than medium rare (Note: Allow to rest at room temperature before slicing.)
1 small red onion, sliced into skinny wedges
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped, no stems
Large handful cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (or 1/2 vine-ripened tomatoes cut into wedges)
2 limes
1 tbsp. palm sugar (Note: Brown sugar may be substituted, but you may need to add more since it's not as sweet. Use the minimum and adjust to your liking.)
1.5 tbsp. fish sauce
Thai chili powder to taste (Note: This is roasted sun-dried chilies ground into a fine, very spicy powder. I use about a tsp., while my sister uses a tbsp. And I like it very hot. She's nuts.)

Directions:
Grill the steak as directed above and slice into thin strips after allowing to rest for 15-20 minutes. Add to a large mixing bowl. Because the palm sugar is so pasty, put it in a small bowl, add some of the lime juice and mush into a thick liquid form. Add non-vegetable ingredients, including lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar, first into the steak bowl. Toss with your hands to incorporate all over the steak. Add the rest of the veggies, toss and taste. Tasting as you go is the most important part. Add more fish sauce if it needs more salt, or more sugar if it is too lime-y. If you want to get fancy, mound into a shallow bowl or platter on a bed of frilly lettuce and garnish with lime wedges, additional cilantro and a chili pepper flower.