Sesame Chicken Salad

I really didn’t intend to make a Chicken Salad, it just happened.

It started because I wanted to make a chili-lime slaw as a trial run for something I might do for a catering event this summer.  I then saw the toasted sesame oil in the cupboard so I let it shift the flavors into that direction.  Rice vinegar, garlic chili paste, ginger—the dressing was tasty, but I shredded a hard green cabbage and it was not-quite-right, tasting almost bitter, and too intense for what I wanted.

What to do?  Add noodles?  That would mellow it out a bit.  I rummaged around the refrigerator to discover the leftover roast chicken—chicken seemed like a way to absorb some of the bitter so in it went.  Taste.  Yep, the chicken helped, but now it needed tamari.  And there we have it, basically a Chinese Chicken Salad from the 80’s and 90’s.

The photo above is of the hard green cabbage but the second version was made with Savoy cabbage which was much gentler.  Napa cabbage would also be a great choice.

Oh, the beautiful Farmers Market!

The bounty is really starting to roll in these days, it’s like walking through an edible art show.  But this art is temporary, fleeting, it cannot be saved and it does not last, so enjoy every moment of these beauties while you can…and support your local farmers!

Sesame Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes to sit

Cook Time: 2-3 minutes, not including the Chicken

Sauté for 2-3 minutes:

1 Tablespoon Canola Oil

1 clove Garlic, minced

Remove from heat and whisk in to make the dressing:

3 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil

2 1/2 teaspoons Honey

2-3 teaspoons Chili Garlic Paste

2 teaspoons Rice Vinegar (seasoned)

2 teaspoons Tamari

2 teaspoons Lime Juice

1 teaspoon Ginger, minced or grated, or Ginger Juice

Toss dressing in a bowl with:

4 cups Napa or Savoy Cabbage, shredded

1 Mango, diced

1/2 cup Carrot, grated

1/4 cup Chives or Green Onions, minced

1 cup cooked Chicken, finely diced or shredded

1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds

Let rest for 20-30 minutes for flavors to meld. 

Taste and adjust.

Serve topped with fresh herbs:

Cilantro

Basil

Mint

More Lime if needed

Celebrate Independence however you can…

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air…”

.

Ralph Waldo Emerson