Restaurant Quality Chinese Chicken Salad with Flavorful Asian Dressing
Delicious Chinese Chicken Salad
Craving something fresh, healthy, and satisfying? You no longer have to go to a restaurant to satisfy that craving with this cold, crunchy Chinese Chicken Salad recipe. Packed with flavor and texture, it's the perfect choice for a light luncheon or supper. The tantalizingly flavorful dressing complements the crisp vegetables and tender chicken beautifully.
For a vegetarian twist, simply omit the chicken and add cashews for a satisfying protein boost. This versatile salad is sure to become a new favorite!
Servings: 2 to 3
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Suggested Tools:
· Serving bowl
. Small mixing bowl
. Chopping board
· Sharp knife
· Measuring cup
· Measuring spoons
· Spoons to toss salad
· Vegetable peeler
Start off by preparing the salad dressing per below.
Asian Salad Dressing Ingredients:
Note: You can make this dressing a day ahead to save time on serving day.
· 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
· 2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce (use gf hosin sauce for gluten free recipe)
· 2 Tablespoons peanut, avocado, canola, or vegetable oil
· 2 Tablespoons soy sauce (or mirin for gluten free)
· 1 Tablespoon honey
· 2 garlic cloves, minced or 1 tablespoon pre-minced jar garlic
· ¾ Teaspoon sesame seed oil
· ½ Teaspoon ground ginger
Optional: ½ cup red pepper, sliced thinly
Asian Dressing Instructions:
1. Add all of the ingredients in a bowl or salad dressing container/shaker (like a jar with a lid). Then add the ginger last. Whisk or shake the ingredients well and place in the refrigerator to cool until serving time.
Salad Ingredients:
· 2 cups cooked chicken breast – skinned and boneless, shredded or chopped to bite size
Note: You can use a rotisserie chicken or bake, barbecue, microwave, or sear chicken breast. For this blog, I grilled my chicken on a gas barbecue.
· 4 cups lettuce, chopped to about one-inch pieces (You can also use Napa cabbage, or any cabbage, Romaine, Iceberg, Coleslaw or a combination of any of these.)
· 8 ounces of canned mandarin orange slices, drained and gently pat dry
· 1/3 cup green onions (scallions), sliced small (use the green portion too)
· ¾ cup carrots, cut to desired 1 to 2-inch thin slices
· 1 cup won ton strips
· ¼ cup sliced almonds or ½ cashew bits
Optional:
. 1/2 cup snow peas, cut in thirds diagnally
. 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
. ½ cup sliced thinly red pepper
. ½ cup Chow Mein dry noodles
Salad Instructions:
1. If not using a rotisserie chicken, cook your chicken first before the next steps and allow the chicken to cool before preparing further for the salad.
2. Chop lettuce, onions, and carrots - keeping them separate until needed for constructing the salad.
3. Shortly before serving, construct the salad as follows:
a. Once the chicken is cut/shredded, layer it in the bottom of your salad serving bowl. Coat the chicken with a small portion of the dressing to moisten most of the chicken.
b. Place half of the lettuce on the chicken pieces along with the carrots and onions. Add a little more dressing on this portion.
c. Add the rest of the lettuce on the salad along with the rest of the carrots and onion and add a little more dressing on this last portion.
d. Add the mandarin oranges, wonton strips and almonds and toss all to combine well. Add a little more dressing (there may be a little left over even after this which you can put on the table for others to add, if desired).
e. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds as desired.
Enjoy!
The Crooked Ladle
Savor the taste
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