I always get a little pit in my stomach whenever one of those dramatic restaurant exposes comes up online or on the news. You know what I’m talking about. A picture of a beautiful green salad or light sandwich is shown, but then the announcer comes on with his dark and scary “mwahaha” voice and challenges, “Do you KNOW what you’re eating?” Dum..dum..DUM!!!!
Ok, by this point in life, I know that most of the healthier-seeming options in restaurants are often less than such. But every now and then I’m still blown away by the nutrition facts. And more often than not, big beautiful salads tend to win the awards for most fat and calories. I remember when I recently looked up the nutrition facts for one of my favorite Asian chicken salads from a large well-known restaurant chain, it scored in at a whopping 98 grams of fat. Nope, no typo there. 98, people!!!!
Gah. This is why I like salads made at home!
So for anyone else out there who might like Chinese chicken salads, today I’m happy to be sharing with you a Lighter Chinese Chicken Salad recipe. No fried chicken, crispy fried wontons or heavy peanut-y dressing here. Just lots of greens and veggies tossed with marinated chicken and almonds, topped with a yummy sesame ginger vinaigrette. Quick, easy, and full of flavor you can feel good about. Just the way I like it.
I vote we leave the number 98 for boy bands. ;)
Lighter Chinese Chicken Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
A lighter version of the ever-popular Chinese Chicken Salad!
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 head Romaine lettuce, shredded
- 4 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup edamame
- 2/3 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup chow mein noodles
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- sesame ginger vinaigrette (see ingrediente below)
Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. sriracha chile sauce (optional)
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
To Make The Salad:
- Combine chicken breasts, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar in a large bowl or ziplock bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and season both sides of each chicken breast with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 4 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. Remove and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Then cut into thin strips.
- In a large bowl, toss together Romaine, red cabbage, edamame, carrots, chicken, chow mein noodles and almonds until combined. Toss with your desired amount of vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
To Make The Vinaigrette:
- Whisk together all ingredients until combined. You can add more sriracha for an extra kick.
is this safe for someone with diabetes?
Hey Ravia. There is sugar in the rice wine vinegar, and then of course there’s the honey (both in the vinaigrette). The recipe is for 4-6 servings, but if you’re concerned, you could use Agave instead of the honey (it’s more concentrated, and lower on the glycemic index). Interestingly enough, some studies have showed that vinegar can reduce blood sugar and insulin levels, 2 hours after a meal. You can check out one article here. I’m not a doctor, so I’m not positive though! I hope this helps!
Made these in mason jars for the week. Yum Yum Yum. Lunch today was definitely a treat. Thanks!
I found this recipe via Pinterest and made it last night. What a hit! I expected to have leftovers, but there were none. My husband ate 4 helpings and my picky eater ate 2!
I added more chicken and lettuce and omitted the edamame and sriracha. Also, added just a touch more honey. I also used Ramen noodles since that is what I had on hand.
This one definitely gets added to the regular dinner rotation! Thanks so much for sharing it!
I am making this salad for a 4th of July gathering. Wanted something really healthy. I know I will love it! Right up my alley. Thanks for the great recipe. This will be a winner.
Made this tonight for dinner, and it was fantastic! Already had some cooked chicken, so I didn’t marinade it–still sooo good. The sesame ginger dressing is perfect. My husband even commented, “This is a keeper!” Great recipe.
I dare Applebee’s salad! Oh no! How unhealthy. Cannot wait to try this! Did you post calorie/servings info? Did I miss that? Was just wondering how many WW pts this would be. Thank you! Love your blog.
Meant love! Not dare!
Love this recipe. Thank you.
So delicious! I made it last night and my family loved it. I fried some thinly sliced wonton strips instead of the chow mien noodles because I was making cream cheese wontons, too. Thanks for the great recipe, and I had no idea “that” salad had 98 grams of fat! Insane! That was my go to item, but no more.
I have made this salad twice. It is beautiful and delicious! My brother and his family are coming this weekend and I am planning to make it for them. I think they will love it, too.
Nutrition information?