Crunchy Asian Sesame Chicken Salad
Most salads are on a clock. Dress them and they start collapsing within twenty minutes, which makes them useless for packed lunches or anything made ahead. This one is the exception, and it is the reason it stays in my rotation year-round.
Cabbage is the whole reason. It is sturdy enough that dressing it hours in advance actually improves it, which is close to unique among salads.
Why Cabbage Beats Lettuce Here
Lettuce leaves are thin and mostly water held in fragile cells. Salt and acid draw that water out through osmosis, the cell walls collapse, and within half an hour you have limp greens sitting in a pool of diluted dressing.
Cabbage is built differently — dense, tightly layered, with thick cell walls. It gives up moisture slowly and keeps its snap for hours, even days. Dressed cabbage softens just enough to stop being tough while staying genuinely crunchy.
That means you can make this in the morning and eat it at one o’clock, or make it Sunday and eat it Tuesday. It is one of the few salads that is arguably better on day two, once the dressing has had time to work into the shreds.
The one thing that does not survive is the almonds. Add those at the table.
The Dressing Ratio
The dressing here is a straightforward vinaigrette in structure: acid, salt, sweet, fat, aromatic. Three tablespoons of rice vinegar, two of soy sauce, two of honey, and two of oil.
What is worth noticing is how much less oil it uses than a standard vinaigrette, which is typically three parts oil to one part acid. This one is nearly the reverse. That works because cabbage is robust and can take a sharp dressing without being overwhelmed, and because soy sauce and honey both add body that oil would otherwise provide. The result is bright and light rather than heavy.
The toasted sesame oil is not a cooking oil, it is a flavouring. A single tablespoon carries most of the character of the dressing. Do not substitute regular sesame oil, which is untoasted and tastes of very little, and do not increase the quantity — it goes from fragrant to overpowering quickly.
Shake it in a jar rather than whisking. Honey is thick and clings to the bottom of a bowl; a sealed jar shaken hard emulsifies it properly in ten seconds.
Ingredient Notes
- Green and red cabbage (6 cups total). Shred them finely — thin shreds absorb dressing and are pleasant to eat, thick chunks are not. A mandoline or the slicing disc of a food processor makes short work of it, and bagged coleslaw mix is a perfectly reasonable shortcut.
- Cooked shredded chicken (2 cups). Rotisserie chicken is the intended route. It is seasoned, it is fast, and the mix of light and dark meat has more flavour than plain poached breast. Leftover roast chicken works equally well.
- Sliced almonds (1/2 cup, toasted). Toast them. Raw sliced almonds taste of almost nothing; five minutes in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, transforms them. Watch closely — they go from golden to burnt in seconds.
- Rice vinegar (3 tbsp). Mild and slightly sweet, which is why it suits this. Use unseasoned rice vinegar if you can find it, since the seasoned kind already contains sugar and salt.
- Fresh ginger (1 tsp, grated). Fresh, not ground. Grate it on a microplane and it dissolves into the dressing.
- Cilantro (1/4 cup). If you are one of the people for whom cilantro tastes of soap, use fresh mint or Thai basil instead — both work well.
How to Make It
Shake the dressing together in a jar: rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, olive oil, and ginger. Shake hard until the honey has fully dissolved and the mixture looks uniform rather than separated.
Combine the cabbages, chicken, carrots, green onions, and cilantro in a large bowl. Use a bigger bowl than you think you need — tossing six cups of cabbage in a snug bowl means half of it ends up on the counter.
Pour over the dressing and toss thoroughly. Really toss it, for thirty seconds or so, using tongs or your hands. Cabbage takes some work to coat evenly, and a badly tossed slaw has dressing pooled at the bottom and dry shreds on top.
Top with the toasted almonds and sesame seeds at the moment of serving. Not before.
Let it sit 15 minutes if you have time. The cabbage softens slightly and the flavours settle. It is good immediately and better after a rest.
Meal Prep Notes
This is one of the best make-ahead salads there is, but there is a right way to do it.
Fully dressed, it holds in the refrigerator for 3 days. It softens progressively — day one is crunchy, day two is pleasantly tender, day three is soft but still perfectly good. Some liquid will collect at the bottom; just toss it again before serving.
Undressed, the chopped vegetables and chicken keep for 4 days and the dressing keeps for a week in its jar. This is the better option if you want maximum crunch, and it means lunch is ten seconds of assembly.
Keep the almonds separate either way. They go soft within an hour of hitting the dressing and lose the entire point of being there.
For packed lunches, portion the salad into containers and put the almonds in a small bag or in the lid.
Variations
- Add crunch. Crushed ramen noodles (the classic), wonton strips, or chow mein noodles. Same rule — add at the last minute.
- Edamame. A cup of shelled edamame adds protein and colour.
- Mandarin oranges. Drained canned segments, for sweetness. A classic pairing with this dressing.
- Peanut version. Whisk 2 tablespoons of peanut butter into the dressing and swap the almonds for roasted peanuts.
- No chicken. Leave it out for a side salad, or substitute crisped tofu or edamame for a vegetarian main.
- Spicy. Sriracha or chili crisp in the dressing.
- Extra vegetables. Thinly sliced red bell pepper, snap peas, or cucumber. Cucumber releases water, so add it only to portions you are eating that day.
What to Serve It With
It is a complete meal on its own — protein, vegetables, and enough substance to be filling. As a side it works with grilled chicken, salmon, or anything off a barbecue, and it is a good thing to bring to a potluck precisely because it does not wilt on a table.
It also makes an excellent filling for wraps, which is a good use for the third day of leftovers.
Questions
How long does it keep once dressed?
Three days refrigerated. It softens over time but does not go limp the way a lettuce salad does.
Can I use bagged coleslaw mix?
Yes, and it saves a lot of shredding. A 14 oz bag is roughly what this recipe needs, and most already include carrot.
Do I have to toast the almonds?
Not strictly, but untoasted almonds contribute texture and almost no flavour. Five minutes in a dry pan is a large return on a small effort.
What can I use instead of rice vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. Both are sharper, so use a little less or add a touch more honey.
Can I make the dressing in advance?
Yes, up to a week in the fridge. It may separate — shake it again before using.
Is this good for meal prep?
It is one of the best salads for it. Keep the almonds separate and it holds up for three days.
Can I use pre-cooked chicken from the freezer?
Yes — thaw it fully and drain any liquid, which would otherwise dilute the dressing.
Crunchy Asian Sesame Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Method
- In a small jar, shake together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, olive oil, and ginger until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine both cabbages, chicken, carrots, green onions, and cilantro.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat.
- Top with toasted almonds and sesame seeds, and serve.
