Asian Chicken Salad

Date Prepared: 05/21/11

Source: Everday Food. March 2011, pp. 98.
Also available online: http://www.marthastewart.com/340687/asian-chicken-salad


Asian Chicken Salad

 *Recipe:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 3 limes)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 jalapeno, minced

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 cups shredded red cabbage (about 1/2 medium head)

1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 large)

1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

To Serve:

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, jalapeno, oil, and sugar until combined. Add cabbage, carrots, cilantro, mint, and chicken, and toss well to combine. Serve immediately. 

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Difficulty: Easy - This recipe is a prep-and-serve and requires very little culinary expertise. The most difficult part of this recipe is preparation of the cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken could be used as a quick and easy substitute.

Accessibility: Common - There are very few ingredients required for this preparation, all of which can be obtained at a typical grocery store.

Visual Appeal:  Visually, the dish offers vibrant colors as well as different textures. The deep red of the cabbage is contrasted with brightness of the shredded carrot carrot and cilantro.

Overall Taste: The flavor is equally as important as the visual appeal. The dressing is the star in this dish. Fresh lime juice really brightens the dish. An additional jalapeno was added on a whim. The heat was a welcomed experience but was by no means overwhelming. The dressing was neither too sweet nor too salty and seemed well balanced (as best I know).

Overall Experience: The decision to prepare this recipe was based on the day's weather conditions and my afternoon plans. It was overcast, soggy, and humid. After a planned workout, I didn't want something too heavy. This salad was a great choice. It was light and bright with citrus. Not to mention, light in calories. The dish was good but not particularly exciting. I wanted to add something. Ironically, I wanted to add cheese. If I needed something quick and fresh, I might turn to this recipe.

I realize this dish doesn't showcase much technique or even very deep flavors. But sometimes simply is good enough.

Additional Notes: The recipe calls for shredded carrots and cabbage. I managed to shred about half of the cabbage and was concerned that it would not have enough variety in texture. I finely sliced the remaining half of cabbage. This technique provided some variety in texture but made the dish somewhat clunky to eat.

*The recipe and instructions for this recipe have been reported to maintain the original instruction and is not an original recipe and belongs to the source indicated. This post has been prepared as a review only and with no intention to take credit for this recipe. This recipe has been reviewed without instruction or influence by the parties or companies mentioned therein.