Spring is closer than I thought. So it’s salad time again—to fill either a lunch or dinner bill. How about a big Chinese Chicken Salad? Like my other recipes, it too is very easy to prepare, and you can even do it in advance. While the dressing is similar to vinaigrette in consistency, the rice vinegar and sesame oil really add a smoky and nutty flavor. You can serve the greens alone with the dressing, or add other ingredients to create a lunch or full dinner.

Cooked chicken, turkey, shrimp, tuna or tofu are excellent proteins, and anyone can make this salad into a variety of meals. As you probably know, the chicken and shrimp versions are common salad menu items in many restaurants, and dressing variations are plentiful out there too.

Below is my favorite salad combination. This dressing recipe is my original which I came up with after much experimentation. I like it so much, I also use it on coleslaw, paper-thin sliced cucumbers and otherwise plain green salad.

To prepare the salad in the morning for a lunch or dinner, after slicing the fresh vegetables, refrigerate them in sealed plastic bags with a damp paper towel to retain crispness. You can keep them refrigerated for an extra day or two if your plans change. Then you’ll only need to assemble, dress and toss when you’re ready to eat.

The plastic bag/damp paper towel trick really helps to keep any vegetable moist and fresh.

You can vary the salad part, but the dressing recipe must be adhered to exactly to get just the right blend.

CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

Dressing:

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

¼ cup canola salad oil

1-1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar

1 tsp poppy seeds (toasted or plain)

Measure all ingredients into a dressing bottle, shake well and it’s ready. For later use, refrigerate it.

Salad:

1 head Romaine lettuce—cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

3 green onions—cut diagonally into ¼ inch pieces

2 chicken breasts or 4 thighs (skinless, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces)

1 cup fresh snow peas—sliced in half

1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts

½ cup peanuts (plain or salted)

½ cup sliced almonds (for topping)

For the chicken, you may wish to poach it yourself. I prefer to use the breast or thighs of a prepared roasted chicken available in most supermarkets. It’s a lot quicker and easier with a lot less clean up.

The combination of ingredients can vary, and will depend on what you or your family prefer. Below I have listed a few more you can add or substitute. Also, toppings can vary from fried wonton skins to Asian noodles, clear rice noodles, croutons or just a sprinkling of sliced almonds.

If you’d like to try it with Asian or clear rice noodles, you’ll find the directions for preparing those products right on the package. I never use them and prefer the sliced almonds. I don’t think they add that much flavor to the salad, but everyone’s taste differs and you may like a crunchy finish. To me they always take more time to prepare than I like to spend on a salad! The almonds always work for me.

Optional ingredients:

1 head of green, red or Chinese cabbage, sliced fine

1 8-oz can sliced bamboo shoots, drained

1 small can of Mandarin orange slices, drained

1 small can pineapple chunks, drained

½ cup fresh shredded carrots

2 celery stalks, sliced in diagonal half-inch pieces

½ cup fresh bean sprouts

½ cup cashew nuts

I think you’ll find your own combination to be delicious, and I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do.

©Pauline Boren 2008