Description
This vibrant Sesame Chicken Cabbage Crunch Salad is a refreshing and healthy dish featuring tender cooked chicken breast tossed with shredded green and red cabbage, crisp carrots, red bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, and crunchy nuts. It’s dressed with a zesty homemade sesame dressing combining rice vinegar, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, olive oil, honey, ginger, garlic, and lime juice. Perfect as a light meal or a nutritious lunch, this Asian-inspired gluten-free salad is quick to prepare with no cooking required.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast (shredded or chopped)
- 3 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
- 3 green onions (sliced)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/3 cup roasted cashews or sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
For the Sesame Dressing
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Combine salad ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the cooked chicken, green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, and roasted cashews or sliced almonds until evenly distributed.
- Prepare the sesame dressing: In a separate small bowl or jar, whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, olive oil, honey, grated fresh ginger, minced garlic, and lime juice until the dressing is well combined and smooth.
- Toss salad with dressing: Pour the dressing over the prepared salad ingredients and toss gently but thoroughly to coat every component with the dressing evenly.
- Add finishing touch: Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top of the tossed salad for added crunch and visual appeal.
- Serve or chill: Serve the salad immediately for fresh crunch, or refrigerate it for up to 2 hours to enhance the flavors before serving.
Notes
- To save time, use pre-shredded coleslaw mix instead of shredding the cabbage and carrots yourself.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the chicken and substitute with edamame or crispy tofu for protein.
- This salad is ideal for meal prep: keep the dressing separate until just before serving to prevent sogginess.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
