Grilled Ginger-Sesame Chicken Salad

Fresh ginger, hoisin, soy sauce, and sesame oil, this salad is brimming with the rich, distinctive flavors of Asian cuisine. Manage the heat with the amount of Sriracha added to the dressing.

Prep Time1 hr 10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr 50 mins

Servings: salads

Author: Terri @ that's some good cookin'

Ingredients

Marinade and dressing:

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup very finely peeled chopped fresh ginger
1/3 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce (see suggested substitution in notes)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2-3 teaspoons sriracha, per heat preference
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup minced green onions, white and green parts

Salad:

1 head savoy cabbage, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
3 carrots, shredded or cut into matchstick-size strips
4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on a sharp diagonal
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (See notes.)
1 1/2 teaspoons white sesame seeds, toasted (See notes.)
1 1/2 teaspoons black sesame seeds, optional

Instructions

Marinade:

In a medium bowl, whisk soy sauce, ginger, canola oil, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, and salt to blend.
Place chicken breasts in a zip-style plastic bag. Add 1/3 cup marinade to the bag, gently express the air out of the bag and seal closed. Place bag with chicken in the refrigerator. Marinate chicken for at least 1 hour, turning bag over after 30 minutes.

Dressing:

To the remaining marinade, whisk in the vinegar and green onions. Set aside.

Chicken:

Remove chicken from marinade and cook in a grill pan over medium high heat, about 4-5 minutes per side or until thickest part of chicken is no longer pink. Place cooked chicken on a cutting board and loosely cover chicken with foil. Let rest 15 minutes.
Cut chicken crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices or cube as desired..

Salad:

In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, cabbage, carrots, green onions, cilantro, and half of the almonds. Lightly coat salad with some of the dressing.
Mound salad in center of 6 plates. Re-whisk dressing and drizzle a little over salad. Sprinkle with the remaining almonds and the sesame seeds. Pass remaining salad dressing, if any.

Notes

Substitution for hoisin: In place of the hoisin, add an additional 2 tablespoons low salt soy sauce, 1/2-1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic.
To toast almonds: Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. In a shallow baking pan or dish, place almonds in a single layer. Cook for 10-15 minutes until light golden brown, shaking pan after 7 minutes. Remove almonds from pan and put into a room temperature bowl or plate to stop the cooking process.
To toast sesame seeds: Preheat oven to 350-degress F. In a small, shallow baking pan, place sesame seeds in a single layer. Bake for about 5 minutes or until sesame seeds just begin to turn a very light golden brown. Do not over-cook. Remove pan from oven and pour seeds into a small, room temperature bowl to stop the cooking process.
Recipe adapted from Redbook Magazine