Last updated on December 27th, 2021 at 04:20 pm
Welcome this colorful sesame soy chopped salad with chicken to your table for a feast on the eyes and the tongue. Color and flavor abound in a salad that comes together with tons of crunchy texture.
This one is inspired by another of my mom’s recipes from growing up. She actually first saw it in a local church cookbook. The yellow spiral binding of that cookbook is now quickly deteriorating and the pages are well worn with use.
This recipe calls for cooked, shredded chicken. If you’re looking for a way to cook the chicken, I chose to do it in the slow cooker. I added chicken breast into the cooker along with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and a dash of both sesame oil and ground ginger.
I’ve also made this recipe with canned chicken before by doctoring it up in a pan with some of the dressing for the salad. But you can cook the chicken any way you like.
Frying Rice Sticks
This is perhaps the most entertaining part of the recipe. Almost like a fun science experiment. But do be careful, because very hot oil is involved in making the magic happen. You may also want to have an apron handy. See the video below for a short demonstration.
You are currently entering the splatter zone.
Start with a package of thin rice sticks. You should be able to find them at your local grocery store, but they can also be purchased online if you can’t find them.
To puff them up for the sesame soy chopped salad, heat up oil about 1 to 2 inches deep in a pan. Drop in a handful of the rice sticks and watch as they magically puff up before your eyes. It should happen in about 5 to 7 seconds if the oil is at the right temperature.
If some of the top layer hasn’t fully cooked, then use tongs to flip it over for a few seconds. Then grab it all and pull it out of the oil, letting it drain out over the pan. Place the puffed rice on a paper towel-lined plate and cook another batch until you have enough for the whole salad.
Make a Meal of Sesame Soy Chopped Salad
For the most part, this is a meal in and of itself. Just toss together the salad or let everyone assemble it themselves based on their own dietary needs or wants. That is usually one of the best features of serving a salad – letting everybody add in what they want.
But you can embellish with a few sides to add even more food to the table.
For sides, I recommend any of the following:
- Semi Spicy Sugar Snap Peas
- Ramen in Homemade Chicken Stock
- Bao Buns
- Sauteed Green Beans
Whether served alone or with some delicious sides, the colors, flavors, and textures of this sesame soy chopped salad are sure to delight.
How did yours turn out?
I’d love to hear when you try out this sesame-soy chopped salad with chicken! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.
Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.
Sesame Soy Chopped Salad with Chicken
Course: SaladsDifficulty: Easy8
servings20
minutes5
minutes25
minutesColor and flavor abound in this sesame soy chopped salad with chicken that comes together with tons of crunchy texture
Ingredients
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1/8 package of thin rice strings
Vegetable oil for frying the rice strings
4 cups roughly chopped romaine
2 cups roughly chopped red cabbage
2 cups roughly chopped green cabbage
2 to 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
1/2 cup mandarin orange slices
1/2 cup sliced green onion
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Directions
- Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, and dried ginger in a small bowl to make the dressing
- Heat oil in a pan about 1 to 2 inches deep over medium-high heat
- Add in a handful of rice sticks and let them cook for about 7 seconds until fully puffed, flipping if necessary
- Remove the puffed rice sticks from the oil, let them drip extra oil back into the pan, and then place them on a paper towel-lined plate
- Repeat steps 3-4 until you have enough puffed rice for the whole salad
- Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl, add in the puffed rice sticks, and pour the whisked dressing over the salad
- Toss the ingredients until well-mixed and serve
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