Chinese Chicken Salad

Updated Aug. 12, 2024

Chinese Chicken Salad
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(367)
Comments
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Here's a bright and flavorful way to use up leftover cold chicken that can be thrown together in about 20 minutes. —Julia Moskin

Featured in: In Quest of the Perfect Roast Chicken

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

    For the Dressing

    • ½teaspoon sugar
    • 1tablespoon rice wine vinegar
    • 1tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1teaspoon finely minced ginger
    • ½cup corn or peanut oil
    • 1teaspoon dark sesame oil
    • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

    For the Salad

    • 6cups small lettuce leaves, like baby romaine, Boston or mesclun
    • 4cups leftover roasted chicken, torn into bite-size pieces
    • 2stalks celery, thinly sliced
    • 1small jalapeño chili pepper, thinly sliced
    • 1small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
    • 1small yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
    • ¼cup cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish
    • cup toasted pine nuts
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

434 calories; 38 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 12 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 19 grams protein; 417 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Whisk sugar, vinegar, mustard and ginger together. Whisk in oils, and season to taste with salt, pepper and more sugar and vinegar if needed. Dressing should have a nice balance of sweet and tart.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl toss lettuce with a few tablespoons of dressing until lightly dressed. Arrange around sides of a large serving bowl or platter.

  3. Step 3

    Toss chicken, celery, peppers and cilantro in a bowl with dressing until well coated. Arrange in center of serving bowl, and sprinkle with pine nuts and cilantro.

Ratings

4 out of 5
367 user ratings
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Comments

I used up the last of my rice vinegar to make the dressing but when adjusting the seasoning "to taste" at the end of step 1, I found it needed additional tartness. I added a squeeze of fresh lime juice to brighten things and the citrus top note was a welcome addition.

I tried this and it wasn't tart at all. Over half a cup of oil and only one tablespoon vinegar? Could there be a typo?

Hi NM,

With the mustard, I find the dressing to be tart enough. (Vinegar and mustard seeds are the main ingredients in prepared mustard.) But you can (and should) always adjust dressings to taste. Some people like much less oil than others.

Julia

Needs more sugar and a little more vinegar. Also helps to add some chopped nuts - peanuts, almonds, etc.

For the dressing, I use no sugar or salt; I add 2 tsp Coconut Liquid Aminos (which is sweet) and the juice of half a lime. The original was very oily, so I reduce the oil to 1/4 cup olive oil plus the toasted sesame oil. Those changes seem to improve the flavor- I also add sliced red onion, shredded carrot and halved cherry tomatoes to the salad, and use peanut halves as a garnish.

We were searching for a main lunch dish to serve to someone whose tastes we didn't really know. This proved perfect, as described. We added a tablespoon of lime juice but otherwise followed the recipe. The chicken was a rotisserie version from Whole Foods. I would have given it five stars except that I lean toward adding offbeat ingredients like fruit or ethnic spices and this didn't go there ... but maybe next time it will.

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Credits

Adapted from "The China Moon Cookbook"by Barbara Tropp

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