I’m finding it way easier to eat healthy now that we’re out of hibernation season. When the weather is cold outside, all I want to eat is cheesy pasta and creamy soups and all those wonderful stick-to-your-ribs kind of meals. But in the summer, it’s so easy to eat light and fresh meals like salads, taking full advantage of all the fresh produce that’s in season. But do you get tired of the same old boring salads all the time? I know I do!
If it was up to my family, salad would only consist of two things: lettuce and ranch dressing. Maybe some cheddar cheese and crispy bacon if we’re feeling extra decadent. But I’ve been making this crazy delicious Asian Chicken Salad lately that gets RAVE reviews from my ranch-loving family, which means this salad is a MUST-try, people. The cute, little 4 year old in my house said it was very important that I tell you all that!
So what’s this salad all about? Here’s the scoop: a mix of romaine lettuce and red cabbage, tender grilled chicken slices, and a delicious sesame dressing that is absolutely out of this world. But the real kicker is the toppings for this salad… crunchy chow mein noodles, toasted almonds, and juicy mandarin oranges! This salad reminds me of Panera’s Asian Sesame Chicken Salad that I love so much, and if you love it too, you’re definitely going to want to try this!
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- 6 cups romaine, chopped
- 1 cup red cabbage, chopped
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
Chicken Marinade:- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Dressing:- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1½ teaspoons sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Salad Toppings:- 11 ounce can mandarin oranges
- sliced almonds, toasted
- crunchy chow mein noodles
- sesame seeds
- green onions, chopped
- For the chicken: Place chicken breasts in a gallon size zip-top bag. Combine the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. Let chicken marinate 15 minutes, then grill or cook in a skillet until cooked through. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into thin slices.
- For the dressing: Toast the sesame seeds by heating them in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until they darken slightly and become fragrant. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a mason jar, add the lid, and shake vigorously. Give the jar another good shake right before serving.
- For the salad: Divide the romaine and cabbage evenly between 4 plates. Top with sliced chicken, dressing, and desired toppings.
– Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats and The Recipe Critic
Want more delicious meal ideas?
Asian Noodles with Mushrooms and Snow Peas
Spicy Cilantro Shrimp with Honey Lime Dipping Sauce
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Ohh man does that look delicious or what?! I would love to have a big bowl of this sitting on my balcony with a drink. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
Perfect summer meal, right? Nothing better than a little outdoor dining! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
This salad looks so good! We are a salad loving family and this is one I’ll definitely have to try. Thanks for sharing!
Us too! Although my husband usually prefers if there is juicy steak served along with the salad, but we still eat plenty of them around our house. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the recipe, Katie!!
This sounds pretty awesome and you are right the warm weather makes healthy eating so much easier so we are trying to take advantage of that in this house. This is a must on the recipe list!
Gotta love all that fresh produce available right now! I hope you enjoy the recipe, Shae! Let me know what you think!
This is seriously the most gorgeous salad I’ve ever seen! I totally know what you mean when you say it’s easier to eat healthy during the sumer! I’m definitely going to give this salad a try, looks so good!
It’s so much easier to make good choices in the summer, right? Except all that ice cream I crave this time of year! Lol 🙂 Hope you enjoy the salad as much as we do!
Such a gorgeous dinner! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Thanks, Karly! Pretty food is always more fun to eat, right?
Love this recipe. Quick, easy and tasty. Thanks!!!
I’m so glad you enjoy it, Debbie! Thanks for stopping by to share!
Daughters and I are officially addicted to this recipe. At minimum a twice a week meal. Each girl has some quirk and therefore I arrange a bowl of each ingredient, dress the lettuce and cabbage and they pick and choose what ever they like. In addition to the almonds I’ve give them a choice of cashews and sunflower seeds. Invariably someone dices in some avocado. So happy I stumbled upon your blog!
I’m so excited to hear that, Debbie! That’s a great tip when making this for a crowd… let each person pick and choose their favorite toppings! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing this!