Chicken Cashew Crunch Salad (Print Version)
Tender chicken, crunchy cashews, and crisp vegetables with a tangy Asian-inspired sesame dressing.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Chicken
01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ For the Salad
05 - 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
06 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage
07 - 1 large carrot, julienned
08 - 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
09 - 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
10 - 1 cup snow peas, trimmed and sliced on the bias
11 - 3/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews
12 - 1/2 cup crunchy chow mein noodles (optional)
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
→ For the Dressing
14 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce
15 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
16 - 1 tablespoon honey
17 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
18 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
19 - 1 garlic clove, minced
20 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
21 - 1/2 teaspoon sriracha (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast for 12–15 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded romaine lettuce, red cabbage, julienned carrot, sliced bell pepper, green onions, snow peas, and half of the roasted cashews.
03 - Whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, olive oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, and sriracha in a small bowl until emulsified and smooth.
04 - Add the sliced chicken to the salad bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss gently until all components are evenly coated.
05 - Scatter the remaining cashews, chow mein noodles, and fresh cilantro over the salad. Serve immediately to preserve maximum crunch.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dressing comes together in about sixty seconds and tastes like something from a restaurant that charges eighteen dollars a plate.
- Every single bite has crunch, which is the one thing most salads get wrong.
02 -
- If you dress the salad and let it sit more than ten minutes the crunch disappears and you end up with a sad wilted pile.
- Toasting the cashews in a dry skillet for two minutes transforms them from good to absolutely irresistible.
03 -
- Julienned carrots look fancy but a simple box grater works just fine and saves five minutes of careful knife work.
- Let the dressing sit for ten minutes before using it so the garlic and ginger have time to bloom into the liquid.