Description
This Napa Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing is a refreshing and satisfying dish with a delightful Asian-inspired flavor. Crisp Napa cabbage, colorful veggies, tender chicken, and crunchy toppings all come together in a delicious sesame-infused dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Salad:
- 3 cups cooked chicken breast (shredded or chopped)
- 4 cups shredded Napa cabbage
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- ½ cup crispy chow mein noodles (optional)
Sesame Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove (minced)
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Salad: In a large bowl, combine the chicken, Napa cabbage, purple cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro.
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, mustard, garlic, ginger, and olive oil until well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss and Serve: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated. Top with almonds, sesame seeds, and chow mein noodles just before serving for crunch.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, use edamame or crispy tofu in place of chicken.
- This salad holds well in the fridge if you store the dressing and crunchy toppings separately until ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 27g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
