A fresh and crunchy salad topped with chicken and a sweet and tangy dressing makes the perfect light lunch or dinner. This colorful salad is full of different textures and flavors in every bite!
I’ve been on a huge salad kick lately. It happens every spring and summer. Once the weather gets nicer I crave lighter meals and salads are perfect for that. However, it’s so easy to get bored with a salad – a regular tossed salad with a boring dressing just doesn’t cut it for me!
I’m always dreaming up new salad combos, so expect to see quite a few throughout the season. Anyway, one of my favorites is this Asian chicken salad. I’ve been making it for years, but never really thought about sharing it on my blog. Until now!
I love having salads for dinner. Ending the day with a light and fresh bowl of veggies topped with some protein and flavorful dressing always makes me feel so healthy. Kyle on the other hand wrinkles his nose at the sound of a salad for dinner. So I usually just enjoy them for lunch or dinner when he’s not here.
Salads are so easy and make for quick meals, so I decided I wanted to include one per week on our dinner menu. Kyle surprisingly agreed. So, I made this Asian chicken salad and put it in front of him (without the cashews and sesame seeds because he won’t eat those) and he said “can I put cheese on it?”. I swear he would eat anything if it had cheese on it.
Then, he decided he wanted it to be a buffalo chicken salad and used buffalo sauce in place of the dressing. At least he ate salad for dinner, even if it wasn’t the intended one.
I on the other hand, happily ate the Asian version and it was delicious!
This salad is full of crisp and fresh veggies, crunchy cashews and sesame seeds, and topped off with shredded chicken. The dressing is a sweet and tangy mix of soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, honey, and is flavored lightly with garlic and ginger. Flavor in every single bite!
I made a huge bowl and enjoyed the leftovers for 2 lunches. This salad will stay fresh for a few days in the fridge (keep the dressing separate), so you can prep it ahead of time and have it for quick dinners and lunches all week long.
And if you’re not into the asian flavors, you can take a note from Kyle and make it into a buffalo chicken salad! I highly recommend trying the Asian version, though!
- 1 Large Head Romaine Lettuce, thinly sliced
- ½ Head Red Cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 Cup Shredded Carrots
- 1 Small Bunch Scallions, sliced
- 1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded (I use both the light and dark meat)
- ½ Cup Cashews
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds
- 2 Tablespoons Wheat-Free Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Light Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Honey
- 1 Small Garlic Clove, grated
- ¼-inch Piece Ginger, grated
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- In a large salad bowl toss together the lettuce, cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, scallions, and chicken. Top with cashews and sesame seeds.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small mason jar, put the lid on and shake it well. Serve the salad topped with dressing.
What a colorful and yummy looking salad!! 🙂
Christina @ Bake with Christina recently posted…Coconut Vanilla Bean Cupcakes.
Thank you Christina!
Chinese Chicken Salad is my love language. I am always ordering it at restaurants. Your version sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely recently posted…Meet Our Baby Chicks!
I’m a huge fan as well – they are just so tasty! Thanks, Natalie 🙂
Asian Chicken Salad is probably my favorite salad ever! Can’t wait to make this!
Annie @ The Garlic Diaries recently posted…Fudgy Gluten-Free Brownies
It’s one of my favorites too! Let me know how you like it!