For many, ringing in the New Year comes with resolutions. And many of those resolutions involve eating better. But lest you think that means bunny food and giving up flavor, Seasoned Cooking is here to help you with great meal ideas that are brimming with flavor, great ingredients, and the nutrients your body craves. We continue our journey of healthy eating that's downright delicious with a salad that feels like it does it all.
I went out of my way to include all kinds of color in this beautiful salad. Again, rotisserie chicken is an excellent source for the protein in this dish. With the holidays in our rear view mirrors, simple dishes that use convenient ingredients and bring a lot of color and flavor to a season often devoid of both is just what we need. Many of the particular ingredients can be tweaked, but try to keep a bit of brightness on your plate by making colorful choices. I opted for purple cabbage and bright orange carrots alongside red pickled jalapeños - then most of the remaining ingredients were greens and neutral hues, although the black sesame seeds added at the end really add a shock of contrast too. Trying to make sure your salad has at least 3 or 4 main colors will make it more interesting and beautiful on your plate and that matters so much to our visually-focused brains.
This salad is a great make ahead lunch to take to work. It's also lovely alongside a good sandwich or cup of soup. You could even work in a few dumplings or an egg roll or two to the mix. However you choose to make it yours, enjoy!
Spring Roll Chicken Salad
- 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 2 cups shredded red or purple cabbage
- 1 cup coarsely shredded carrot
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup steamed edamame
- ⅓ cup pickled red jalapeños, chopped
- ⅓ cup peanuts, chopped
- 4 ounces vermicelli rice noodles, cooked and snipped into bite-sized lengths
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken - rotisserie chicken works well
- ⅓ cup toasted sesame oil
- ⅓ cup rice wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup white miso paste mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons hot honey
- 1-2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, cabbage, carrots, green onions, cilantro, cucumbers, edamame, jalapeños, peanuts, rice noodles, and chicken. Set aside.
To make the dressing, combine the toasted sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, white miso paste in water, and hot honey in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add extra water, as needed, to thin.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the black sesame seeds and serve. Enjoy!
- Yields: 6 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes