Chinese Chicken Salad

Name: Chinese Chicken Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves to serve 6
Ingredients: 6 small chicken breasts; olive oil; salt and pepper; 8 oz young green asparagus; ½ red bell pepper; 3 spring onions (a.k.a. scallions or salad onions); 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds; 2 mandarins (or clementines or tangerines); young spinach leaves, rocket or watercress; 1 clove garlic; ½ teaspoon fresh ginger; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds; 4 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons good apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons light soy sauce; 1 tablespoon sesame oil; ½ tablespoon honey; 1 oz smooth peanut butter; 1 teaspoon salt; freshly ground black pepper

Ready in 1 hr

Recipe by Graham

Chinese Chicken Salad is a truly delicious light meal or, using just half the amount of chicken, starter course. This is restaurant quality cooking that you can easily make right at home, except it’s healthier and a million times tastier!

As with all Chinese cookery, preparation is nine-tenths of the job so I always prepare everything first and have all the ingredients handy before I even start cooking.

Preparation Time

20 Minutes

Cooking Time

40 Minutes

Ingredients for Chinese Chicken Salad

If you are not familiar with any ingredients, please check our International Cooking Terms page.

Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements

To serve 6:

6 small chicken breasts
olive oil
salt and pepper
8 oz young green asparagus
½ red bell pepper
3 spring onions (a.k.a. scallions or salad onions)
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
2 mandarins (or clementines or tangerines)
young spinach leaves, rocket or watercress
FOR THE DRESSING
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons good apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ tablespoon honey
1 oz smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper

How to Cook Chinese Chicken Salad

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper and roast for 35 to 40 minutes in a preheated moderate oven (Mk 4 - 400ºF - 180ºC) until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile make the dressing... Peel and crush (mince) the garlic and peel and grate the fresh ginger. Place all the dressing ingredients in a bowl or jar and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Set aside until the end.
When the chicken is cooked and cool, remove the meat from the bones (if any), discard the skin and slice the meat crossways in slices about ¼" (6mm) thick. Set aside.
Cut the asparagus diagonally in lengths of about 1½" (4cm). Blanch them in a pot of boiling salted water for about 5 minutes until crisp-tender, then drain the water and plunge them into ice water to stop them from cooking. Drain and place on absorbent kitchen paper.
Cut a whole red pepper in two and retain one half for later use. Deseed the remaining half and cut into strips about the same size of the asparagus pieces. Cut the spring onions diagonally into similar lengths to the pepper and asparagus. Gently toast the white sesame seeds for a few minutes until golden brown. Peel and segment the mandarins.
Place a handful of green leaves (young spinach leaves, rocket or watercress - it's your choice) on each plate. Evenly spread the asparagus, red pepper and spring onion pieces over the leaves. Arrange the sliced chicken breast on top, and sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over. Give the dressing a final short whisk and drizzle over the chicken and vegetables.
Arrange a few segments of mandarins around each plate, then serve your Chinese Chicken Salad cold or at room temperature.

GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
Choose small chicken breasts - about 100g - 120g (4oz - 4½oz) each - so that each plate gets a complete breast