Chinese · Lunch · Dinner
Chinese Chicken Salad
Tender poached chicken is tossed with crunchy napa and red cabbage, sweet mandarin segments and toasted almonds in a tangy ginger-sesame dressing. It is fresh and filling, and it keeps well enough for packed lunches.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 27% · Fat 34% · Protein 39%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 2 large (about 1 lb)450 gChicken breast, skinless and boneless
- 4 cups950 gWater, for poaching
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 5 cups400 gNapa cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 1/2 cups150 gRed cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 large100 gCarrot, julienned
- 330 gSpring onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup200 gCanned mandarin orange segments in juice, drained
- 1/2 cup10 gFresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
- 1/4 cup30 gSliced almonds
- 1 tbsp9 gSesame seeds
- 3 tbsp45 gRice vinegar
- 2 tbsp32 gLow-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp14 gToasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp21 gHoney
- 1 tbsp6 gFresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 cloveGarlic, finely grated
Steps
- 1
Put the chicken breasts in a saucepan with the water and salt.
- 2
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then cover and poach on low for 12-15 minutes, until the thickest part reaches 74 °C / 165 °F.
- 3
Lift the chicken out, discard the poaching water and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.
- 4
Shred the chicken into bite-size strands with two forks and leave it to cool.
- 5
Toast the almonds and sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until golden, then tip onto a plate.
- 6
Whisk the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, ginger and garlic in a small bowl to make the dressing.
- 7
Combine the napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, spring onions and coriander in a large bowl.
- 8
Add the shredded chicken and pour over the dressing, then toss well.
- 9
Gently fold in the mandarin segments.
- 10
Scatter the toasted almonds and sesame seeds on top and serve straight away.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a gluten-free version, use tamari labelled gluten-free in place of the soy sauce.
- To make it vegan, swap the chicken for cubed baked or pan-fried firm tofu and use maple syrup instead of honey.
- For a nut-free salad, leave out the almonds and add extra toasted sesame seeds or toasted sunflower seeds.
- If you can't find napa cabbage, use the same amount of shredded green cabbage or chopped romaine lettuce.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in an airtight container and eat within 1 to 2 days for the best texture; the chicken is safe for 3 to 4 days but the dressed cabbage softens. This salad is served cold and should not be frozen.
Make ahead
Poach and shred the chicken, shred the vegetables and whisk the dressing up to 3 days ahead, storing each separately in the fridge. Toast the nuts and seeds ahead and keep them in a sealed jar, then toss everything together just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: GlutenSoyTree nutsSesame
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (613 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 307 kcal | 50 kcal |
| Protein | 30.6 g | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 21.2 g | 3.5 g |
| of which sugars | 13.1 g | 2.1 g |
| Fiber | 4.9 g | 0.8 g |
| Fat | 11.7 g | 1.9 g |
| of which saturated | 1.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Sodium | 681 mg | 111 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
