Description
This Chinese Chicken Salad combines fresh romaine, napa cabbage, and shredded rotisserie chicken with sweet mandarin oranges and crunchy cashews for a refreshing and satisfying meal. Tossed in a flavorful sesame ginger dressing and topped with crispy wonton strips and toasted sesame seeds, this salad offers a delightful balance of textures and Asian-inspired flavors, perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 1 head romaine, shredded
- 4 cups shredded napa cabbage
- 3 cups leftover shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 (15-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup roasted salted cashews
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cups crispy wonton strips, homemade or store-bought
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Dressing
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, orange marmalade, canola oil, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, freshly grated ginger, toasted sesame seeds, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper until well combined and smooth.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add the shredded romaine lettuce, shredded napa cabbage, shredded rotisserie chicken, drained mandarin oranges, chopped fresh cilantro, roasted salted cashews, and thinly sliced green onions.
- Toss with dressing: Pour the prepared sesame ginger dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss to ensure everything is evenly coated with the flavorful dressing.
- Serve immediately: Transfer the dressed salad to serving bowls or a platter, then top with crispy wonton strips and an additional sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds for extra texture and flavor. Serve promptly to maintain the crispiness of the wonton strips.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken with tofu or additional vegetables like shredded carrots and bell peppers.
- To make crispy wonton strips at home, cut wonton wrappers into thin strips and fry them in hot oil until golden and crisp.
- Leftover salad can be stored without wonton strips and added fresh when serving to keep crunch.
- Adjust the amount of soy sauce and salt to your taste, especially if using salted cashews.
- Fresh ginger adds brightness; if unavailable, substitute with 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger.
