Chinese Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

 For the chicken:

     1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1 pound)

     1/4 teaspoon salt

     1/8 teaspoon black pepper

 For the salad:

     4 cups shredded romaine lettuce

     2 cups shredded napa cabbage

     1 cup shredded carrots

     1/2 cup chopped red onion

     1/2 cup chopped cilantro

     1/4 cup chopped roasted cashews or peanuts

     1/4 cup mandarin oranges, drained

 For the dressing:

     3 tablespoons soy sauce

     2 tablespoons rice vinegar

     1 tablespoon sesame oil

     1 tablespoon honey

     1 tablespoon grated ginger

     1 clove garlic, minced

     1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cook the chicken: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place chicken breast in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Let cool slightly.

2. Shred the chicken: Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, use two forks to shred it into thin strips.

3. Prepare the salad: In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, napa cabbage, carrots, red onion, cilantro, cashews, and mandarin oranges.

4. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using).

5. Assemble the salad: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Add the shredded chicken and toss gently.

6. Serve immediately: Enjoy the Chinese Chicken Salad as is, or garnish with additional sesame seeds or chopped green onions.

Tips:

 For a more flavorful salad, marinate the chicken in a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic for 30 minutes before baking.

 If you don’t have roasted cashews or peanuts, you can toast some raw nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until they are fragrant and golden brown.

 Mandarin oranges can be substituted with other canned citrus fruits, such as pineapple chunks or mandarin segments.

 To make a spicier salad, add more red pepper flakes to the dressing.

 This salad is also delicious with other protein sources, such as tofu, shrimp, or salmon.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!