Chinese Chicken Salad: A Tasty Mix of Fresh Components and Delectable Chicken
# If You’re in Search of a Crisp, Nutritious, Tasty Chicken Salad, This Salad is for You
Crisp, fresh lettuce and cabbage, sweet carrots, succulent oranges, chicken, herbs, and crunchy almonds are all combined with a zesty, umami ginger-garlic sesame vinaigrette. No dull salads here! And the best part is that this is a salad you can prepare in advance or meal prep, giving you salad enjoyment in no time.
## My Affection for Salad
At the very least, I have a strong affection for salad, allowing me to create daily salads for myself. I’m not entirely sure why, but I prefer having everything separated and then crafting salads on demand rather than having them pre-made in a container. Yet, on the rare occasion I don’t finish my salad and place it in a container in the fridge for the following day, it somehow seems to taste even better?
In my view, both fresh-made salads and meal-prepped ones are delightful. Someone should consider launching a salad business offering both options. This salad just happens to be one that tastes incredible both ways. Even if you meal prep it and the wonton strips become slightly soggy, it contributes a bit of extra flavorful texture. Naturally, if you’re a seasoned salad meal prep expert, you have those little containers set aside for your dressing and crunchy toppings, preventing those wonton strips from becoming soggy.
## What is Chinese Chicken Salad?
Chinese chicken salad is primarily a salad of leafy greens with chicken and a ginger-sesame dressing. Typically, it includes crunchy elements such as deep-fried noodles, deep-fried wonton strips, sliced almonds, and toasted sesame seeds. It often contains various herbs and occasionally mandarin oranges. It’s a refreshing, substantial salad, and it’s truly delicious! It somewhat resembles a Chinese dish featuring shredded chicken, but not exactly. Frankly, I believe it’s referred to as Chinese chicken salad because of its popularization by chain restaurants like Cheesecake Factory and P.F. Chang’s. Regardless of its questionable origins, this salad is a keeper and a staple in my regular salad lineup.
## How to Prepare Chinese Chicken Salad
As with all salads, this one requires some preparation. If you don’t find washing and chopping vegetables to be a calming activity, feel free to purchase pre-packaged cabbage mixes or shredded carrots. If cutting vegetables is enjoyable for you, then for this salad, you should:
1. **Prepare the vegetables:** Rinse, dry, and shred the lettuce; rinse, dry, and shred the cabbage; peel, rinse, dry, and julienne the carrots; rinse, dry, and slice the green onions; rinse, dry, and chop the cilantro; and drain (or peel) the mandarin oranges.
2. **Shred the chicken:** This salad is perfect for leftover chicken. Shred any extra chicken you might have, or if you need to prepare chicken breasts, use your favorite recipe or try air frying.
3. **Prepare the crunchy components:** You can buy crunchy noodles from the store or make them at home. If preparing at home, you can use wonton wrappers that you slice or egg noodles. For both options, heat about an inch of neutral oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add a small amount of the wonton wrappers or egg noodles and fry until they are golden and crispy. They will crisp up quickly. Move and flip them as necessary, and after a minute or two, take them out of the oil, drain, and let cool.
4. **Prepare the dressing:** In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, a bit of neutral oil, a small amount of sugar, minced ginger, and garlic. Taste and make adjustments as necessary.
5. **Combine:** Place the shredded greens, carrots, herbs, and chicken (and oranges, if using) in a bowl. Add the dressing and toss thoroughly.
6. **Savor:** Complete the salad by adding the crunchy components and enjoy!
## Ingredients for Chinese Chicken Salad
– **Greens:** Shredded lettuce, cabbage, and carrots make up the majority of this salad.
– **Herbs:** A mixture of thinly sliced green onions and chopped cilantro adds a touch of freshness.
– **Oranges:** This is something I’ll include if we have it available at home, but it’s not something I’d go out and purchase.
– **Chicken:** Any type of shredded chicken suits this salad.
– **Crunchy components:** Thinly sliced almonds and either homemade deep-fried wonton strips or homemade deep-fried egg noodles.
– **Dressing:** Soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and freshly minced garlic and ginger.