Asian Chicken Cabbage Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing

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Asian Chicken Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing (dairy and gluten-free recipe) by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com
Thank you ALDI for sponsoring today’s post!

This year, I’ve been making a conscious effort to increase my daily greens! And I’ve been doing that by eating a salad as a main course at least once a week. 

I’m not talking about eating wimpy salads that consist of nothing but lettuce and dressing. I’m talking entrée salads. Salads with plenty of texture, color and of course, major flavor. I need my salad to be crunchy, creamy, sweet and salty. And, it must have fruit and greenery (of course).  

This Asian chicken salad with creamy sesame dressing has ALL of that. It’s made up of crunchy cabbage, toasted cashews and sesame seeds, carrots, cilantro, green onions and sweet mandarins. Then, it’s topped with a sweet and savory sesame dressing.

Asian Chicken Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing (dairy and gluten-free recipe) by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

Let’s talk about this creamy dressing for a minute. It’s a little sweet, a little salty and has just the right amount of umami. I use nut butter for creaminess so this dressing is completely dairy-free. You can use cashew butter, almond butter or peanut butter. It also has some major flavor ingredients packed in: rice wine vinegar, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), sesame oil, ginger and honey. 

Asian Chicken Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing (dairy and gluten-free recipe) by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

I got the majority of the ingredients used in this recipe from ALDI. They have such a great produce section and their organic and gluten-free options seem to expand every time I visit. You can even find a big selection of nuts and nut butters there. These are typically higher priced items elsewhere, but at ALDI you can get them for less than what you’ll find at other stores (I’m pretty much obsessed with their cashew butter –  try my cashew butter blondies for dessert!).

Asian Chicken Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing (dairy and gluten-free recipe) by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

If you want to eat healthier while still feeling satisfied then this is the salad to make. I like topping mine with grilled chicken for extra protein but you can leave it out if you want to. For a quick-fix, use some pre-cooked rotisserie chicken instead.

Asian Chicken Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing (dairy and gluten-free recipe) by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

Asian Chicken Salad

Asian Chicken Salad

5 from 2 reviews
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Servings 4
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 10 mins

Ingredients
 

Asian Chicken Salad

  • ½ cup unsalted whole cashews cut in half or roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 2 chicken breasts grilled and sliced (or use leftover chicken)
  • ½ head cabbage thinly sliced
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • ½ cup sliced green onions
  • 4 mandarins peeled and cut into segments

Creamy Dressing:

  • ½ cup olive oil or avocado oil
  • 2 tablespoons cashew or almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Place the cashews and sesame seeds on a small baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, toss the cabbage, carrots, cilantro leaves and green onions in a large bowl. Top with grilled chicken and mandarins.
  • Add all of the dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined; drizzle on top of the salad.
  • Garnish with cashews and sesame seeds and serve.
Did you make this recipe?Tag @myheartbeets on Instagram and hashtag it #myheartbeets!

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Asian Chicken Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing (dairy and gluten-free recipe) by Ashley of MyHeartBeets.com

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Find out more about my cookbooks Indian Food Under Pressure and South Asian Persuasion.

About Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley. Thanks for being here! I truly believe that food brings us closer together. Gather around a table with good food and good people, and you’ll have the ingredients you need to create some happy memories. My hope is that you find recipes here that you can’t wait to share with family and friends.

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Comments

  1. mavee125 says

    5 stars
    This Asian Chicken Salad is so delicious and healthy indeed! I used a low-sodium soy sauce instead and I really love its lighter side. Glad I got to get all my needed ingredients in Karman Foods. Cravings solved!

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