Sweet Asian Chicken Salad

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Sweet Asian Chicken Salad

Posted by Tina / 24 comments » / *Recipes, Chicken/Poultry, Salads

It is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…

(GASP)

…OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAGGUM H-O-T here in Florida!

It is officially time to turn off your ovens, break out your grills & ice cream makers, and make sure to keep plenty of iced tea on “tap”.

Oh and have salads EVER tasted so good as they do in the hot summer weather? I think not…

Oh man I could SO go for some crisp cold lettuce & cabbage topped with crunchy noodles, teriyaki chicken, mandarin oranges and some of the most DELIGHTFUL sweet and salty Asian style salad dressing.

I wish I new about this dressing when I had to that elementary school liquid density project (you know which one I’m talking about – the one where you had to pour as many liquids as you could into a jar and make sure that they didn’t mix but instead created different layers)… this dressing brings me right back to those days:

… and I’ll stop with the tangent now 😉

You should seriously try this salad! It will hit the spot FOR SURE in this steamy weather! Asian Chicken Salads not your thing? No worries, I have plenty more salads for you to check out! Some personal favorites:

Apple Chip, Gorgonzola, and Pecan Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette\

Purple Cafe Greek Salad

Columbia Restaurant’s “1905” Salad

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

Enjoy! and stay cool, people! 🙂

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Sweet Asian Chicken Salad

Yield: 6-8 servings

This makes a LOT of salad. I typically will make the dressing and chop all the lettuce but serve it on 2 separate nights (it's great for a potluck style meal).

Ingredients:

For the Dressing:
3/4 cup light olive oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the Crunchy Topping:
3 packages Ramen Noodles, broken into small pieces NOTE: DO NOT use the seasoning packets (throw away or save for later to make a broth)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted

For the Salad:
1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 small head Napa cabbage, chopped
1 bunch scallions, washed and thinly sliced
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
4 chicken breasts, marinated in favorite bottled teriyaki sauce and grilled to minimum temperature of 165ºF (cool & slice)
Dressing (Recipe above)
Crunchy topping (Recipe above)

Directions:

For the Dressing:
Whisk ingredients together well and set aside until ready to use. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

For the Crunchy Topping:
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and combine all ingredients. Bake at 350º until golden brown (tossing mixture occasionally).

For the Salad:
Toss all ingredients together and add desired amount of dressing and serve.

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24 comments

24 Responses to “Sweet Asian Chicken Salad”

1

Carla @ Carlas Confections — May 30, 2013 @ 11:12 am

Im not sure I would want it as hot as it is in Florida… but the sun sure beats the rain we are getting here in Vancouver lol! But you are so right about wanting to be away from the oven in those hot temps! Salad is the perfect summer food (with ice cream of course!!). I love this one! It looks soooo refreshing!
- Tina replied: — May 31st, 2013 @ 2:12 pm
  
  Well it’s hot AND raining here haha… hello Hurricane season 😉
2

Katie @ Blonde Ambition — May 30, 2013 @ 2:25 pm

Love the sound of that crunchy topping! And half the reason I bought a huge pack of mason jars a few months ago was so I could shake up salad dressing in them…so easy! And kinda fun too 🙂
- Tina replied: — May 31st, 2013 @ 2:12 pm
  
  I’m OBSESSED with mason jars – I use them for everything… especially salad dressings!
3

Deborah — May 30, 2013 @ 3:32 pm

I just had a Chinese-style salad last week, but now I want yours!!
- Tina replied: — May 31st, 2013 @ 2:13 pm
  
  I love how everyone’s has something a little different to it… never gets old! 🙂
4

Cassie | Bake Your Day — May 30, 2013 @ 5:56 pm

I looove this. It’s getting warm here too. Nothing like cooling off with a fresh salad. These flavors are my favorite too!
- Tina replied: — May 31st, 2013 @ 2:13 pm
  
  How far are you from Kansas City??? Hubs and I are thinking about making a trip there this summer! 🙂
5

Denise @ Creative Kitchen — May 30, 2013 @ 10:36 pm

I just made chinese chicken salad last week. SO tasty…I ate it everyday for 5 days until it was gone. The dressing is similar to this one but a few different things added. LOVE it!
- Tina replied: — May 31st, 2013 @ 2:14 pm
  
  Great minds think alike 😉
6

tracy {pale yellow} — May 30, 2013 @ 11:01 pm

This salad looks awesome! Today was the first super hot day here and I’m ready for some hearty, cold salads for dinner. Love the recipe for the crunchy topping!
- Tina replied: — May 31st, 2013 @ 2:14 pm
  
  thanks darlin! 🙂
7

claire @ the realistic nutritionist — May 31, 2013 @ 11:24 am

It’s hot here too! But I can imagine it’s REAL hot in Florida. Love this fresh easy salad!
- Tina replied: — May 31st, 2013 @ 2:14 pm
  
  yup… and it’s only the beginning! Come August I’ll be living in the pool haha
8

angela @ another bite please — May 31, 2013 @ 2:48 pm

i love asian salad…yours with the mixture of the napa cabbage…love the sound of that…good luck staying cool..in the meantime i will be enjoying your salad recipes 🙂
9

Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. — May 31, 2013 @ 11:31 pm

I do not miss the humidity in Florida, but now I am dealing with 107 degree desert heat and I can’t say it’s much better, lol. It’s totally salad season!
10

Katie — June 1, 2013 @ 9:23 pm

I agree its too dang hot for the oven. I made the mistake and turned it on last night and our house was so hot all night! This dressing and salad look divine!
11

Sues — June 3, 2013 @ 10:11 am

This salad looks like summer perfection 🙂
12

Megan {Country Cleaver} — June 3, 2013 @ 11:12 am

I avoid my oven like the plauge during the summer – I’d eat a salad every day of the week if it means keeping my oven off! And this salad, looks perfect! heck, they ALL do!
13

Ashley Bee (Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine) — June 3, 2013 @ 11:15 am

I get bored with salads SO easy, and just OD’d on my own Asian-inspired salad. This one is way different though, perhaps I could switch it up 🙂
14

Jessica — June 3, 2013 @ 4:54 pm

Girl. I agree – so freaking hot. I would love this salad for dinner tonight! Too bad Jorge is all “salad isn’t dinner”. Jerk.

PS I Love the photos of the salad dressing before and after!
15

Nutmeg Nanny — June 3, 2013 @ 10:41 pm

Oh yum! This salad is so perfect 🙂 I love Asian salads
16

Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking — June 5, 2013 @ 3:55 pm

I reaaaallly feel you on the heat, here in Austin! We’re in the 90s regularly… yea, bleh. But you’ll love BlogHer anyway, I promise! I’m so looking forward to meeting you at the Ziplist dessert party tomorrow!
17

steph@stephsbitebybite — June 5, 2013 @ 5:52 pm

I need to start adding ramen to my salads! Get some extra crunchiness