Asian Chicken Cranberry Salad (Printable Version)
Tender chicken meets sweet cranberries and crunchy vegetables in a zesty Asian-style dressing. Fresh, satisfying, and ready in under 40 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or cubed
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 cups napa cabbage, thinly sliced
03 - 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
04 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
05 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
→ Add-ins
06 - 1/3 cup dried cranberries
07 - 1/3 cup roasted cashews or almonds, roughly chopped
08 - 1/2 cup mandarin orange segments, fresh or drained from can
→ Dressing
09 - 3 tbsp soy sauce, low sodium preferred
10 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
11 - 2 tbsp mayonnaise
12 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
13 - 2 tsp honey
14 - 1 clove garlic, finely minced
15 - 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
16 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - Place cooked chicken, napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, green onions, dried cranberries, roasted nuts, and mandarin orange segments in a large salad bowl. Toss gently to distribute ingredients evenly.
02 - Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, mayonnaise, toasted sesame oil, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, and black pepper in a small bowl until completely smooth and emulsified.
03 - Pour prepared dressing over salad mixture. Toss gently using salad servers or hands to coat all ingredients uniformly without crushing vegetables.
04 - Taste salad and adjust seasoning with additional black pepper if needed. Serve immediately while vegetables retain maximum crunch, or refrigerate 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing comes together in seconds but tastes like you simmered it all day
- Perfect for meal prep because the flavors actually get better overnight
- That crunch cabbage nut combo is absolutely addictive
02 -
- The dressing will seem thin but that is exactly what you want to coat all those crunchy textures
- Wait to add cashews until just before serving if you are meal prepping so they stay crisp
03 -
- Toast your cashews in a dry pan for 2 minutes before adding
- Use a vegetable peeler to create perfect carrot ribbons instead of julienne