Chinese Chicken Salad

I love a good Chinese Chicken salad, but some of the ones you find on restaurant menus are simply unjustifiable! Huge, loaded down with sugar, nuts, and fried wonton strips or Chinese noodles, they can hardly be considered healthful.

But fear not! This version, adapted from Cook This, Not That has all the flavor without the unwanted health hazards. There are a few critical ingredients, like toasted sesame oil that give this salad its recognizable Asian flavor. Just opening a bottle and smelling it takes you right to the kitchen of your favorite Asian restaurant. I personally like my chicken warm on salads, so that's how I recommend it in this one. If you put your chicken on to grill or broil when you start the salad, by the time it's cooked, you'll be ready to add it to a nearly complete meal. And a delicious one at that.

Pair this with a good crusty bread and a glass of wine and pretend you're at Spago back in the 80's where this whole Chinese Chicken Salad craze was born...


Chinese Chicken Salad
adapted from Cook This, Not That
 
serves 4

Salad 
1 head Napa cabbage, shredded
1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
1/2 packet stevia sweetener (like Truvia)
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted
1-2 chicken breasts, grilled or broiled, thinly sliced - ideally still warm!
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped 

Dressing
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 packet stevia sweetener (like Truvia)
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large bowl, combine both cabbages with the sweetener and toss to coat.  Stir in the oranges, green onions, almonds, chicken, and cilantro (reserve 1 Tbsp. of cilantro for garnish) and toss to combine. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss to coat thoroughly. 
3. Portion salad onto four plates and garnish with reserved cilantro.