Author Notes:While this salad might not have anything to do with authentic Chinese food, but it’s deliciously refreshing—and simple and flexible enough that all the ingredients are accessible anywhere. You can easily throw it together with various leftovers, but it’s also worthy of a special shopping trip.
In terms of the salad vegetable components, you need the cabbage and one or two other vegetables. Everything else is an optional add-on: Put them all in the salad or use a combination (I like cabbage, scallions, and carrots). —Sara Jenkins
Serves: 4
/cc2b6311-56ab-46c0-927f-34ab9a5c51a1--2016-0816_chinese-chicken-salad-recipe_linda-xiao_039.jpg "Chinese Chicken Salad 2")
Photo by Linda Xiao
0Chinese Chicken Salad
Print RecipeIngredients
- For the chicken:
- 2 quarts water
- 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 star anise
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorn
- 1 head garlic, sliced in half
- One 1-inch piece ginger, crushed with the side of a knife
- A few sprigs cilantro
- 1 scallion, cut into 3 to 4 pieces
- 2 large chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
- For the salad and dressing:
- 1 napa cabbage
- 1 medium carrot, cut into matchstick-size slivers on a mandoline
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts
- 1 cucumber, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch moons
- 2 scallions, both the white and green parts, cut thin on the bias
- 1/3 cup matchstick-sized slivered radishes
- 4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1/2 cup whole cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup whole mint leaves (optional)
- 1/2 cup whole Thai basil leaves (optional)
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup crispy fried shallots (optional)
Instructions
- To the water, add the salt and all the aromatics and bring up to a boil. Drop the chicken breasts in, stir, and let just come back up to a simmer. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit, covered in the pot at room temperature, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, pull the chicken out and set aside to cool. You can strain the water and save it for a tasty soup addition another day or you can throw it all out.
- Meanwhile, shred the napa cabbage by cutting the head in half and then slicing into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-wide ribbons. Toss with the carrots, sprouts, cucumbers, scallions, and radishes. Whisk the dressing ingredients—sesame oil, lime juice, and dark soy sauce—together and pour over the vegetables.
- Using your hands, shred the cooled chicken and add to the salad. If you want, you could let it all marinate together for about 15 minutes or so. When you are ready to serve it, add in the herb leaves and the sesame seeds and toss together. Serve garnished with the crispy fried shallots
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
