Asian Chicken Salad with the Yummiest Dressing

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 45 minutes
• total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

4 to 5 cups finely shredded Napa cabbage, about 1/2 of medium cabbage (see note)

3 cups diced cooked chicken (see note)

1 cup finely shredded red cabbage, about 1/4 of medium cabbage (see note)

1 cup matchstick carrots (see note)

1 cup julienned red pepper

2 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter (see note)

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 clove garlic, finely minced

Pinch of salt and pepper

Chow mein noodles, for topping

Toasted sesame seeds, for topping

Directions

Add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss.

Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. Taste, and add additional honey, salt, and pepper, if needed.

Pour the dressing evenly over the salad and toss until evenly combined.

Top with chow mein noodles and toasted sesame seeds (optional) and serve immediately. The salad keeps well for several days in the refrigerator - if making ahead of time, reserve the chow mein noodles and sesame seeds and add them just before serving.

Notes

Vegetables: the exact amount of vegetables for this salad is variable. Add more or less, to taste (and if you omit one vegetable or another, just make up for it in volume with another of the veggies).

Cabbage: you can use a knife/cutting board or the shredding disc on a food processor for the cabbage. I prefer the cabbage finely sliced for this salad (I do it with a knife and just slice as thinly as possible).

Carrots: the carrots can be shredded on a box grater, in a food processor, sliced by hand, or storebought matchstick carrots work, too (which is what I use).

Chicken: I prefer the chicken to be diced fairly small for this recipe.

Peanut Butter: the peanut butter can be omitted for a more basic vinaigrette dressing (although I highly encourage the peanut butter – it lends a creamy sweetness that is incredible in the salad).

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving (about 2 cups
• Calories: 197 kcal
• Total Fat: 9 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 48 mg
• Sodium: 506 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 11 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Total Sugars: 7 g
• Protein: 19 g