I was inspired by my new Katie Lee cookbook to make a light and Irresistible Chinese chicken salad. On days where it’s just too hot to eat a big meal, this is perfect. Filling yet light, it makes 2-3 entrée sized servings plus a little left over for lunch the next day, (yum!) or 4-6 side salads.
- 7 oz bag of butter lettuce, roughly chopped
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1 tbs sesame seeds (optional)
- 3 chopped green onions (whites and greens)
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp of honey
- 1 to1 ½ tsp soy sauce to taste
- 1 tbs sesame oil
- 1 tbs of your favorite nut oil, I used walnut, but you could even use a flavorless oil like canola
- 1/8 tsp granulated garlic
This is a super easy and quick recipe for a weeknight meal, and if you really want to cut down cooking time, you can always use store bought rotisserie chicken. I just cooked up the chicken I had in the fridge, but either way works great.
First make the dressing so the flavors can come together. Mix oils, lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, granulated garlic, and a pinch of the green onions in a small bowl. Taste it, and add anything to adjust to your liking. Next get out a big salad bowl, and roughly chop the lettuce. Mix in chopped green onions, and top with cubed chicken. NOTE: Make sure the chicken is at room temp so it doesn’t wilt the salad.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and almonds. At this point, you can cover with plastic wrap and save salad for an hour of 2 if you’re waiting for guests or want to get a head start on the meal. Right before serving, dress and toss the salad. So it stays crisp and fresh. Enjoy!