Asian Sesame Chicken Salad

Method

1. Whisk the dressing in a small bowl: soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and grated ginger. Stir until the honey dissolves. Taste — it should be savory, tangy, slightly sweet, and aromatic from the ginger and sesame. Adjust any element that feels off.

2. Combine the cabbages, carrots, scallions, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. The mix of napa (mild, tender) and red cabbage (crunchy, slightly peppery) gives you textural variety and visual contrast. The carrots add sweetness and color.

3. Add the shredded chicken and pour the dressing over everything. Toss thoroughly to coat every strand of cabbage and piece of chicken. The dressing should be evenly distributed — not pooling at the bottom.

4. Top with toasted almonds, crispy wonton strips, and sesame seeds immediately before serving. The almonds add nutty richness, the wonton strips add shatteringly crisp texture, and the sesame seeds reinforce the sesame flavor from the dressing.

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl Recommended: Vollrath 13-Quart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
• Small bowl for dressing
• Sharp knife or mandoline Recommended: Victorinox Fibrox Pro 8in Chef's Knife

Chef Notes

• The most important thing: Add the wonton strips and almonds at the very last second before serving. They go soggy within minutes of contact with the dressing. The crunch contrast against the soft cabbage and chicken is essential to this salad.
• Rotisserie chicken is a legitimate shortcut here. The salad has enough flavor from the dressing and toppings that the chicken just needs to be tender and shredded.
• Shred the cabbage thin — thick chunks don't absorb the dressing and are hard to eat. A sharp knife or mandoline makes quick work of it.
• This salad holds up well if you keep the dressing separate. Pack the salad and dressing in separate containers for meal prep and combine when ready to eat.
• The dressing balances salty (soy), sour (vinegar), sweet (honey), and nutty (sesame) — the same four-element framework as many Asian sauces.

Common Substitutions

Ingredient	Substitution	Notes
Soy sauce	Tamari or coconut aminos	Tamari is gluten-free. Coconut aminos are lower sodium.
Fish sauce	Soy sauce + pinch of sugar	Loses the fermented depth but adds salt and umami.
Rice vinegar	White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar	Both are milder than distilled white.
Sesame oil	Toasted walnut oil or peanut oil	Walnut oil is nuttier. Peanut oil for frying.
Honey	Maple syrup or agave nectar	Maple adds distinct flavor. Agave is most neutral.
Fresh ginger	Ground ginger (¼ tsp per tbsp fresh)	Ground is more concentrated — use less.

What You're Practicing

Building a balanced Asian dressing from pantry staples teaches you the same four-element framework (salt, acid, sweet, fat) that applies to Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese dressings. The specific ingredients change — fish sauce instead of soy, lime instead of rice vinegar — but the structure is identical. Visit Vinaigrettes for more on building dressings.

Slaw-style salads teach you about texture management. Unlike leafy salads that wilt, shredded cabbage holds its crunch even after dressing. This makes slaws ideal for meal prep, picnics, and any situation where the salad needs to hold for more than 10 minutes.