Chinese Chicken Salad: How to Make this Epic Melange

Chinese chicken salad always reminds me of the Cheesecake Factory. Back in it’s glory days when it was a fancy occasion to go there and the chain hadn’t made it has far as every suburban mall. Instead, it was tucked into fancy facades of malls that had designer labels and brands I had never heard of. These were the days when if you opted to get a salad, you never know, it may be more calorie laden than a bowl of pasta. But ignorance is bliss, especially as a chubby teenager.

But no need to worry about my version of the Chinese chicken salad. This is a recipe that is healthy and comes together quickly. It also makes a giant mound of salad, so it’s great for a group and not to mention really tasty.

My Chinese chicken salad is the perfect lunch or light dinner that you will definitely want to add to your rotation. It’s simplicity makes it both delicious and healthy. It is truly a meal you can feel good about!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 small head of red cabbage, shredded

3 carrots, sliced thin

6 scallions, chopped

4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup of almonds, slivered

1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped

2 packages of ramen instant noodles, seasonings discarded

Plenty of salt

For the Chinese chicken salad dressing:

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Thai red chili, minced (optional)

1 inch of ginger, minced

1/4 cup of sesame oil

1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 cup of soy sauce

1 teaspoon of white pepper

Sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions:

1. Let’s start by poaching that chicken so we can get it shredded. in a large saucepan or dutch oven, cover the chicken breasts with cold water. Add plenty of salt and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Drain and shred with your hands, 2 forks, or with a mixer.
2. While the chicken cooks, give the ramen noodles a few punches while they are still in the packaging to break up the noodles a bit. Remove the seasoning packets and discard. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, scallions, almonds, cilantro, and ramen noodles. Stir to combine.
3. Next, make the dressing by combining the garlic, chili, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, and white pepper in a mason jar. Shake it up to combine all ingredients.
4. Add the shredded chicken to the mixing bowl with the vegetable and pour the dressing over the top. Give it a good mix and divide into bowls. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

If you like this, you will love my lemongrass chicken noodle bowl!