Asian Chicken Salad

From EatingWell: Summer 2004, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005) — Subscribe Now!

Crunchy vegetables and tender chicken breasts tossed in a tangy vinaigrette make a refreshing main-dish salad. If you poach the chicken yourself, reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid to make the dressing.

6 servings, 2 cups each

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

Dressing

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce, (see Ingredient notes)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tahini paste
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, or reserved chicken-poaching liquid

Salad

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
8 cups shredded napa cabbage, (1 small head; see Ingredient notes)
1 1/2 cups grated carrots, (2-3 medium)
5 radishes, sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped scallions
3 1/2 cups shredded skinless cooked chicken, (about 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast) (see Tip)

Preparation

To prepare dressing: Combine soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and chile-garlic sauce in a glass measuring cup; stir to blend. Heat canola oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture to the pan; bring to a simmer. Whisk in tahini and broth (or poaching liquid); cook until reduced slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool.
To prepare salad: Heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add sesame seeds and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small plate to cool.
Combine cabbage, carrots, radishes, scallions and chicken in a large shallow bowl. Stir dressing to recombine and drizzle over the salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the dressing (Step 1) for up to 2 days.

Ingredient Notes: Chile-garlic sauce is a spicy blend of chiles, garlic and other seasonings; it is found in the Asian section of the market.
Napa cabbage has an elongated head and is pale green in color with tender, tapered white ribs. Its tightly packed, crinkled leaves have a crisp texture. Discard the cone-shaped core. One small head yields about 8 cups shredded.
Tip: To poach chicken: Combine two 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth, 2 chopped scallions, 2 slivers fresh ginger and 2 cloves garlic in a large skillet; bring to a simmer. Add 11/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast and cook over medium heat until no longer pink inside, 10 to 15 minutes. The flavorful poaching liquid will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Per serving: 289 calories; 14 g fat (2 g sat, 7 g mono); 64 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 3 g fiber; 518 mg sodium; 355 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (100% daily value), Vitamin C (60% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 fat