Ask Colin what kind of food I want in the winter, and he’ll respond “warm and comforting”. Ask him what I want in the summer and he’ll say “crisp and refreshing”. He knows me well. For me, this salad is the epitome of a crisp and refreshing meal. My mom used to make it when I was growing up and when a hot summer day struck a few years back, I knew exactly what I wanted. I got the recipe from her and have been making it ever since.
The original recipe included those crunchy, fried Chinese noodle things. They have trans fat, so in an effort to eat healthy I don’t use them. Feel free to use them or add something else with a crunch. Also, the dressing makes about double what you need for this amount of lettuce/chicken. I save the remainder and use it on other salads/dishes.
[This is a de facto post - no photo as dinner is long gone!]
Asian-ish Chicken Salad
2 small heads romaine lettuce, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 clove garlic
1 inch hunk ginger
½ c sugar (or less – I used about 1/3 c)
½ c white vinegar
½ c salad oil (canola)
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Sesame seeds (toasted, optional)
Poach chicken breasts in boiling water with the garlic and ginger. Simmer for about 15 minutes, drain and cool. Cut into bite sized pieces. Mix all dressing ingredients and chill.
Place lettuce, scallions and chilled chicken pieces in a large salad bowl. Pour on chilled salad dressing and toss. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Serves 2 very hungry people
I love asian fusion food. Now this is a very delicious recipe! But I would add some lemon juice in the dressing. Thanks for sharing.