How to make
Major work in making the Chinese Chicken Salad lies in chopping and prepping. This makes a giant salad, but who is complaining? It is delicious, a great way to have your quota of veggies, and can easily be prepared ahead. It does involve quite a bit of chopping, but that will take only 15 minutes and a sharp knife. The chopped veggies stay fresh for days, and so is the dressing. Hence, most of the time I do the prep at the beginning of the week, so you will have this incredible Chinese Chicken Salad ready in under 10 minutes for lunch.
Want to cut down the chopping time, then use ready-made packaged coleslaw mix. Other veggies you can add like bean sprouts, colored bell peppers, edamame, and tender broccoli florets. I love the savory flavor of the salad, but you would find many recipes that add mandarin oranges. Chicken alternative would be crispy fried tofu. Though I have not tried it, cooked shrimp will also work with the rest of the ingredients.
Mix together low-sodium soy sauce, ginger, garlic, oil, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Put all the ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine. I sometimes find it convenient to use my milk frother to whip the dressing. Don’t skip the sugar, as it is important to balance the salty sauces. I don’t like the aftertaste that honey gives in the dressing but that’s just a personal preference. You may use honey or brown sugar as well. You could use ground ginger powder instead of fresh one if you want to or skip ginger altogether. But fresh garlic is a must. Instead of red pepper flakes, use black pepper or a dash of sriracha for some heat Looking for a healthy alternative, add some roasted salted peanuts instead.
To prepare the dressing – take all the ingredients required like oil, sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, sugar, and pepper in a jar. Shake them well to get the vinaigrette ready. To make the salad – chop the veggies. I love to shred the veggies or cut them into julienne, as it looks aesthetically pleasing. But really, you can just chop them the way you want. Toss the veggies with the dressing and serve immediately.
To prep ahead
Prepare the veggies in advance and refrigerate them for up to 3-4 days. I usually line the container with a kitchen towel to absorb any extra moisture. Shredded chicken can also be stored for up to 3 days or can be frozen too.
More Summer Salad Recipes
Roasted Potato Salad Roasted Corn Salad Lemon Dill Potato Salad( No Mayo) Apple Kale Salad Easy and Zesty Quinoa Salad Shrimp Orzo Salad With Pesto
