Dairy-Free Chinese Chicken Salad
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
It's easy and inexpensive to make your own restaurant-style salad. I like to serve the garnishes on the side, so everyone can pick their own salad toppings. If you're planning ahead, marinate the chicken in the morning or the night before.
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
Chicken
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed or minced
Dressing
  • ⅓ cup rice vinegar (unseasoned)
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar or sweetener of choice
  • 1½ teaspoons sriracha or chili-garlic Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons peanut, olive, or grapeseed oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Base Salad
  • 8 to 10 cups greens (I use a combination of regular salad greens and cabbage)
  • 1 large carrot, shredded or julienned
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced or chopped
Optional Add-Ons
  • 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
  • ¼ to ½ cup sliced water chestnuts
  • 1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds
  • ½ cup crispy chow mein noodles (not gluten-free)
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
Chicken
  1. If the chicken breasts are thick, butterfly them. Place the chicken in a single layer in a glass baking dish.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. Drizzle this mixture over the chicken.
  3. If you have time, allow the chicken to marinade for at least 30 minutes or overnight. If not, pop them in the oven as soon as it preheats.
  4. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
  5. Bake the chicken for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is cooked through. The juices should run clear, but be careful not to overcook the breasts, as they can easily dry out.
  6. Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces or shred it with two forks.
Dressing
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, sugar, sriracha or garlic sauce, and ginger.
  2. Drizzle the oils into the dressing while whisking.
Base Salad
  1. Add the greens, carrots, bell pepper, and cooked chicken to a large bowl.
  2. Drizzle on the dressing and toss to coat.
  3. Add any Optional Add-Ons that you like and briefly toss the ingredients together. Or, serve the add-ons in small bowls and let people choose their own garnishes.
  4. Divide the salad between four plates, to serve.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ¼ salad without options Calories: 384 Fat: 18g Saturated fat: 3.7g Carbohydrates: 16.8g Sugar: 9.9g Sodium: 1051mg Fiber: 3.5g Protein: 35.9g
Recipe by Go Dairy Free at https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/easy-chinese-chicken-salad