A Chinese chicken salad is one of those things that if I spot it on a restaurant menu, I’ll probably order it. There’s something about the crunchy cabbage, creamy avocado and bright taste of cilantro that makes it one of my favorite flavor combinations. I’ve had my go-to version that I’ve made at home for years, but it was starting to feel a bit yawn… so I decided to give it a little springtime makeover. I kept all my usual ingredients, but added extra crunch with shelled edamame and slivered almonds, and instead of sticking to just cilantro, I made it an herbal triple threat and showered the salad with mint and basil, too. But the best thing about this salad is the 3-ingredient dressing: hoisin sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar come together to create the most addictive vinaigrette that I find myself wanting to drizzle over everything. Keep reading for lots more lovely photos by Kim Jones, and the recipe that’s destined to become a weeknight staple.
*photos by Kim Jones
Serves 4 Asian Sesame Chicken Salad For the salad: 2 split chicken breast halves (skin and bones on) For the dressing: 1/4 cup good-quality hoisin sauceAsian Sesame Chicken Salad
Categories
Ingredients
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 heart of romaine, core discarded and finely shredded
1/2 head red cabbage, core discarded and finely shredded
1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
3/4 cup shelled edamame (thawed if frozen)
1 firm-but-ripe avocado, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
Instructions
That looks amazing…I’m always looking for new salads!
this looks absolutely perfect…fresh and easy! perfect for a sunny spring weeknight 🙂
This looks perfect for a dinner party!! Thanks for the fun and fresh recipe!
-Ashley
http://www.ashleykiraand.blogspot.com
This looks amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Wow! Fantastic recipe. Easy to put together and the colours are beautiful. Definate summer fav. Thanks!
Thank you for this delicious recipe. I made my own hoisin sauce based on a serious eats recipe & have used naked cutlets from the grill (vegetarian mycoprotein). I am very excited to try this out on my nephews:)
I’ve made this several times already, and it’s full of flavor ! Yummy !
I made my (yawn) chicken Asian salad this week before I saw your new version. Now I can’t wait to try your creation (can almost taste it). Will get the missing ingredients tomorrow. Thanks so much for taking me from boring to beautimous