Chopped Chinese Chicken Salad
This recipe is inspired by my favorite Chopped Chinese Chicken Salad from California Chicken Cafe. I love all of the different textures in every bite, from the fresh chopped vegetables to cooked pasta and the crunchy fried wonton strips. The best part is the delicious Asian inspired dressing - it's tangy, a little sweet, and so good with the salad!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 lb cooked chicken breast diced
- 1 cup red cabbage thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup carrots julienned
- 1/2 cup canned mandarin oranges drained
- 1/4 cup green onion thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup wonton strips
- 1 cup cooked fusilli pasta
Dressing
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot or heavy bottomed dutch oven, heat 2 cups of neutral oil to 375F ; fry the wonton strips for 15-30 seconds or until they are a pale golden brown. Drain immediately to a paper towel where they will continue to darken.
- In a small bowl mix together avocado oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, orange juice, grated garlic, grated ginger, sesame seeds kosher salt and pepper.
- In a large salad bowl, add all the chopped romaine lettuce, chicken breast, red cabbage, carrots, mandarin oranges, green onion, almonds, crispy wonton strips, and pasta. Pour over the salad dressing and toss well. Enjoy!
Notes
Use a larger mixing bowl or salad bowl than you think - it will make it easier to toss the salad ingredients in the dressing.
Store any leftover Chopped Chinese Chicken Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Chopped vegetables will always soften and release moisture as it sits in the refrigerator - this is normal. I would store the mandardin oranges, fried wonton strips, and dressing separately from the salad. The dressing can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
If you want to make this ahead of time, I would chop all of the vegetables, cook the pasta, and make the dressing the day before. Anything longer than 24 hours in advance and I think the vegetables will be too wilted. When ready to serve, add all of the chopped vegetables, mandarin oranges, and pasta in a salad bowl or mixing bowl; toss with the dressing and serve!
Nutrition
Calories: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 408mg | Potassium: 900mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 16949IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 4mg