Chinese-Inspired Chicken Salad​

This crisp salad hits all the right flavor marks: sweet, salty, and savory. Plus, our simple sauce is made in a way that cuts out refined sugars and reigns in sodium.

Recipe by Real Food Detitians​

Ingredients​

For the Salad:

• 3 cups thinly sliced Napa or green cabbage*
• 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage*
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, thinly sliced
• 3 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (12 ounces cooked or 16 ounces raw)
• 1 cup orange segments (use a 12- to 15-ounce can of mandarin oranges in 100% juice, drained well, or supreme an orange, or cut fresh orange segments into chunks)
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted
• Optional: Black and/or white sesame seeds for garnish

For the Dressing:

• ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions​

1. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, sugar snap peas, green onions, and cooked chicken. Toss well to combine.
2. In a small bowl or jar combine all of the dressing ingredients. Whisk or shake well to combine. Pour over salad just before serving.
3. Gently stir in oranges, cilantro, and toasted almonds. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.

Notes​

*May substitute one 12-ounce bag of coleslaw mix for the green and red cabbage and add an additional ½ cup of shredded carrots or snow peas to create the same volume.
**May substitute 1 ½ tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce, shoyu, or tamari (gluten-free) mixed with 1 ½ tablespoons water for the coconut aminos

 

[natalielocket]

Can also substitute tofu or tined legumes for chicken.