From Jessica's Kitchen

gluten free dairy free soy free recipes

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
You are here: Home / main dishes / Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

January 8, 2015 By Jessica

I adapted this Chinese Chicken Salad for dinner last night. I had the “original” (minus the noodles) while out with a friend at this popular pizza chain restaurant last week.  As I’m eating, I thought: “Why not make this salad for dinner? … something light after all the sweets we have been eating since Thanksgiving”.  Not that that’s all I have been feeding my brood, but it kinda feels that way. A light, easy dinner is just what we needed.

So, I went ahead and made my version of their Chinese Chicken Salad using fresh mandarin slices (instead of canned), and green cabbage (instead of napa cabbage – a type of Chinese cabbage that is more oval than round). Either, or both of the original ingredients would work fine in here if these are not available. I just thought extra cabbage crunch and some fresh satsuma mandarin – now in season and at their best – would be better instead.

I personally love California grown, Satsuma and Golden Nugget varieties; they are slightly larger and have more of a sweet, orange flavor than say the “cuties” variety. I am not a fan of Murcott or the mandarin from Spain. Honestly, speaking here, I find them watery and tasteless. If you have them available, I encourage you to try satsumas if you haven’t yet.

Gluten free dairy free soy free Chinese chicken salad

Peeling mandarins is a fun chore, the fragrant “mist” that comes out when peeling the skin is irresistible. I just want to peel, peel, peel and eat, eat, eat … more than a few slices. I love the scent of citrus, all citrus. I also love how pretty these orange gems look in a big bowl, giving a room a jolt of color. It couldn’t have picked a better season to give a pick-me-up with all its Vitamin C, helping us keep the cold bug away. I added many mandarins in here. They add a nice natural sweetness to the salad.

I didn’t add any fried rice noodles to keep it light and didn’t want any noodles to take away from all the healthy ingredients. I feel like my kids would just look for more noodles and I am trying to lean everyone here towards grain free meals, but don’t quote me on that. I am still in the “exploring” phase.

I’m not sure if it was all the crunchy cabbage we were chewing that tricked us into feeling full because we were pleasantly stuffed. There was no need for noodles. There were so many different ingredients dressed in the simple sesame dressing that adding noodles just may be a thing of the past.

You know how I love to prepare as much as possible ahead, this salad is no exception. You can make all the components of this colorful salad a day ahead, as well as the dressing, and assemble it before serving.

For a protein-rich vegan option, try canned black beans or great northern beans, they make a tasty substitute. Leftovers make a nice lunch to pack for school, or work, well, that is if there are any leftovers … enjoy!

Gluten free dairy free soy free Chinese chicken salad

Gluten free dairy free soy free Chinese chicken salad

 

Serves 6

Ingredients:

Salad:

3 chicken breasts (bone in, preferably organic) roasted and shredded
1/2 red cabbage
1/2 green cabbage
2 bunches romaine lettuce hearts
6 scallions
3 carrots
6-8 fresh satsuma mandarins

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup champagne vinegar (I used O gluten free brand), or apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons xylitol (I use Epic Dental brand)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
juice of one mandarin (cut crosswise then squeeze into jar over a strainer)

Preparation:

For the salad:

Finely slice the red, and green cabbage. Remove ends and finely slice romaine lettuce. Trim ends of scallions (white and green side) and finely slice. Peel and grate carrots, or put into a mini food processor to finely chop. Peel clementines then remove pith from slices. Add all the ingredients into a large serving bowl.

For the dressing:

Add all the ingredients into a glass jar and shake until well blended or whisk all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Pour dressing over salad, toss to combine well. If making ahead, dress the salad just before serving.

Don't miss a recipe! Subscribe here.

Filed Under: main dishes, salads-dressings Tagged With: dairy-free, gluten-free, main dishes, paleo, salads, soy-free, sugar-free

« Poached Pears with Chocolate Ganache for New Year’s Eve (gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan)
Easy Hummus (gluten free, dairy free, nut free, soy free, vegan) »

Comments

  1. Michelle says

    January 9, 2015 at 10:41 am

    I love satumas, this salad looks deelicious and I like how healthy it is. Great dinner idea :)
    Reply
  2. Kimmy says

    January 9, 2015 at 12:36 pm

    Nice use of seasonal ingredients. I like the idea of adding black beans to make it vegan, think that sounds yummy with mandarins. Thanks.
    Reply
  3. Diane says

    January 9, 2015 at 1:24 pm

    Need recipes like this to lose the pounds I gained during the holidays. Would love to see more "lighter" recipes :)
    Reply
  4. Jill says

    January 9, 2015 at 1:27 pm

    Nom nom! I love the photos, they're making me hungry!
    Reply
  5. Mackenzie Stauskas says

    January 9, 2015 at 7:53 pm

    Such a nice dinner for a sunset or a lunch to make your day brighter. Wonderful! The tangerines are so so important, right?
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      January 11, 2015 at 9:46 pm

      Mackenzie, tangerines or mandarins are key to this salad :) Enjoy!
      Reply
  6. Robin says

    January 9, 2015 at 8:08 pm

    This may silly but what's the best way to roast chicken for this salad and how long should it cool? Thanks.
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      January 11, 2015 at 9:42 pm

      Robin, No question is ever silly. I like to roast chicken breast (preferably bone-in breast for extra flavor and moisture) in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 40-45 minutes or convection oven for 35-40 minutes. Let it cool at least 30 minutes before shredding by hand (skin removed). Enjoy!
      Reply
  7. Wendy says

    January 10, 2015 at 8:26 am

    I like how easy and thealthy this is to put together with some rotisserie chicken from my health food store. At least semi-homemade right?
    Reply
  8. Viv says

    January 11, 2015 at 12:02 am

    You wrote in the recipe "preferably organic", any reason for that? I know you usually don't specify organic (but usually use organic) in your recipes (from being a subscriber for over a year!)
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      January 11, 2015 at 9:30 pm

      Viv, I indicated "preferably organic" (I should have also added Non-GMO) for the chicken because chicken that is not organic has high levels of arsenic (arsenic is put into the feed to prevent disease) so I just felt I had to write "preferably organic" without going into dangers of arsenic and heavy metals in the post where it can get all medical rather than about the recipe.
      Reply
  9. Erica says

    January 11, 2015 at 12:08 am

    This looks like a bright and colorful dinner to have mid-winter. Think this is Monday night dinner!
    Reply
  10. Osandra Giapo says

    January 11, 2015 at 12:29 am

    nice salad, jessica !
    Reply
  11. Sheri-Lynn says

    January 11, 2015 at 5:29 pm

    lovely!!
    Reply
  12. Ken says

    January 12, 2015 at 8:02 pm

    what camera did you get? what lens are you using here??
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      January 13, 2015 at 10:59 am

      Ken, I got a Canon Rebel T5i and am using a zoom lens. This little toy is still new to me :)
      Reply
  13. Michelle says

    January 18, 2015 at 1:16 pm

    beautiful!
    Reply
  14. Irene says

    February 8, 2015 at 7:37 pm

    Salad looks wonderful and so summery in February. I cannot wait to try this for dinner this week before mandarin season is over to replace my usual canned mandarin choice and the dressing I buy at Costco!
    Reply
  15. Ann says

    June 6, 2015 at 9:30 am

    What a beautiful salad! It has all the bright colors I'm looking for in a summer salad. Can't wait to dig in :)
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      June 6, 2015 at 1:37 pm

      Thank you, enjoy!
      Reply
  16. Jackie says

    August 20, 2015 at 2:10 pm

    Made this today and can't stop eating it! So much better than the typical chinese chicken salad :) I also use the salad dressing to marinade chicken breast for grilling :)
    Reply
  17. Bruce says

    February 13, 2017 at 8:42 pm

    Used the extra mandarin oranges from my tree for this and happy I did. Simple yet flavorful. I used sugar instead of xylitol since I didn't have any and it came out great!
    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome!

Hi! I'm Jessica, welcome to my blog! I'm a wife and mother of four (all boys, including twins. Did not see that coming!) who loves to eat. Discovering food intolerances in my family and myself had me think about cooking differently with an emphasis on nutrition, but not any less deliciously. No, won't settle for that, neither will my kids! Here you will find simple, healthy, seasonal recipes we love that are gluten, dairy, and soy free. Many are also egg free, nut free, plant-based and/or grain free, given our evolving dietary lifestyle. Even though we live a life of dietary restrictions, my passion for food keeps me on a constant quest to create tasty recipes or adapt our favorite recipes from my stack of cookbooks to bring back the joy of eating again, without sacrificing flavor. Hope you find some inspiration and recipes to enjoy ... thanks for stopping by!

Follow From Jessica's Kitchen's board Gluten Free + Dairy Free Recipes (Sweet) on Pinterest.

Recent Posts

  • Apple Raisin Kugel (gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan)
  • Back to School Sandwich Inspiration (gluten free, dairy free, soy free, nut free)
  • Flourless Double Chocolate Muffins (dairy free, gluten free, soy free, paleo and vegan friendly)
  • Bagel Egg Kale Strata (gluten free, dairy free, soy free)
  • Asparagus Fennel Basil Soup (dairy free, gluten free, paleo, vegan friendly)

Categories

Also Seen in…

Elle Decor
FoodRhythms
Once a Month Meals
Gluten Free & More Magazine
Foodista
Daiya Foods
Yummly
Foodgawker
BRIT + CO
Delight Gluten Free

Food Advertising by logo
fromjessicaskitchen's Recipes, Reviews, Photos on United States Restaurant Guide

Copyright © 2023 · From Jessica's Kitchen · Privacy Policy