Chinese Chicken Salad
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Inspired by Tau Tau Restaurant, Mountain View, CAOne of the keys to making a delicious Chinese chicken salad is using the right dressing. The Oriental salad dressing, typically made with a combination of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and other flavorful ingredients, adds a unique and delicious flavor to the salad. One of the benefits of making this dressing is that it's easy to prepare and can be used in other dishes as well.In addition to the Oriental salad dressing, the use of cooking oil also adds a significant amount of flavor to the salad. The oil is typically used to sauté the chicken and other ingredients, giving them a rich and savory flavor. Not only does the cooking oil add flavor to the salad, but it can also be used in other dishes, making it a versatile ingredient to have in the kitchen.Allowing each individual to use more or less of the salad dressing ensures everybody is happy.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 lettuce medium head shredded
- 5 chicken breasts cooked, shredded
- 1 cup cilantro chopped
- 1½ cups green onions chopped
- 1 cup peanuts chopped fine
Dressing
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine dressing ingredients and mix well.
- Toss salad ingredients with dressing just before serving. Suggested – 1 tablespoon dressing per 1 cup of salad.
- Additions as desired: Toasted sesame seeds ,Mandarin oranges, Chow mien noodles, Red, green, and/or yellow peppers, sliced fine, Sliced almonds instead of peanuts, Crushed pineapple.
Notes
Additional Notes and time savers:
• If you’re short on time or lazy (I am sometimes), canned chicken works great.
• Most grocery stores are now selling shredded lettuce, another time saver.
• For those that can’t have nuts, bacon bits (real or fake), add some crunchiness.
• Use the salad dressing for other meals - warm up meatloaf or frozen meatballs with it, add a dash or so to anything you might be pan frying. Since it has oil in it, it can take the place of butter, margarine, or cooking spray. Adds another dimension to lots of meats and vegetables.
• If you’re short on time or lazy (I am sometimes), canned chicken works great.
• Most grocery stores are now selling shredded lettuce, another time saver.
• For those that can’t have nuts, bacon bits (real or fake), add some crunchiness.
• Use the salad dressing for other meals - warm up meatloaf or frozen meatballs with it, add a dash or so to anything you might be pan frying. Since it has oil in it, it can take the place of butter, margarine, or cooking spray. Adds another dimension to lots of meats and vegetables.
Nutrition - See Recipe Post for Nutrition Disclaimer
Calories: 517kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 670mg | Potassium: 1102mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 937IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg