Asian Chicken Salad with a Soy-Free Dressing
With school starting and all of the after-school activities that go with it, our schedules have been very full lately. Posting to my blog seems to be on the back burner for now. Though I recently created this very easy salad recipe that I wanted to share with you. The soy-free dressing is scrumptious and the salad can be prepared in a snap. It actually stores well in the fridge in separate containers ready to go for a quick lunch!
I make often make my Asian dressings and marinades using Coconut Aminos since we have one family member who cannot tolerate soy at all. It is dark and rich and very similar to tamari though with a hint of sweetness. I also used coconut vinegar in this recipe though you could substitute brown rice vinegar if need be.
All of the greens in these photos are from our garden except the cabbage. I ran out of space this year and didn't plant any cabbage! Our garden has been thriving this year and we now have a forest of tender kales, collards, bok choy, chard, and lettuces. It is so much fun to walk out the back door and harvest your lunch!
For info on how to cook chicken so it is tender and shreds easily, please visit my Chicken & Wild Rice Salad post. You can use a whole chicken or chicken parts (thighs, breast, wings). I used about eight chicken thighs with the bone and skin today and now have a few quarts of rich chicken stock. I freeze the stock in quart jars to use in soups later on.
Reminder: If you would like to participate in this month's Go Ahead Honey it's Gluten Free roundup on Packing a School Lunch then email me your recipe link and attached photo by September 27th, 2010. I have received some great entries so far! At the end of this month I will put all of your photos and recipe links into a blog post to share.
Asian Chicken Salad
This salad is a nutritious combination of thinly sliced dark leafy greens, crunchy almonds, carrots, and chicken. You could use sliced almonds in place of the slivered. Try adding daikon radish, chopped cilantro, and sliced green onions too!
A great way to thinly slice the greens is to stack them on top of each other then roll them. Take a sharp knife and cut into thin slices. Another name for this cutting method is called chiffonade.
Salad
Dressing
Garnish
- Toss all of the ingredients for the salad into a large bowl if serving immediately. If you want to stretch the salad over a few days place all ingredients into separate containers and store in the fridge.
- To make the dressing, place all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until combined. Pour dressing over salad, toss and serve.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and sesame seeds if desired.
Use this recipe in our Meal Planner
About the Author
Ali Segersten
Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
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Comments
I just made this for the 3rd time. It is my favorite dressing right now. This time, I added a strip of roasted red pepper in olive oil preserved from our garden and it blended really well.
Heidi
This looks delicious!! I can't wait to try it!
I can not stop thinking about this recipe! Hopefully I will get it done this weekend. It looks delicious :)
That is such a terrific looking salad, Ali. I love salads with an Asian flair topped with chicken. :-)
I need to get my act together to participate in GAH. Thanks for the reminder!
Hugs,
Shirley
I just ate a huge bowl of this, and I declare it is DIVINE! The dressing is wonderful (I used a little less sesame oil and a little more coconut aminos), and I see a lot of it in my future. :)
I just discovered your blog, and I´m so excited that it´s possible to bake real gluten-free bread. I just ordered some teff flour, which is a little difficult, here in Spain. Hope it arrives soon. All the recipes here are gorgeous. And follow the Seignalet diet, so I´m really impressed. Thanks a lot!
Love Asian Chicken Salads! This looks so fresh and delicious.
As another commenter said, your cookbook is excellent - one of my regulars! This recipe looks great. I love light salads and this fits the bill perfectly.
Very rarely does a salad look appetizing to me. THis is an exception!
Ali, thanks for sharing this wonderful looking recipe! I appreciate your willingness to share your wisdom through your blog, and I strongly encourage readers who have not already to purchase your cookbook, an amazing piece of work.
Wok Mei offers a line of gluten free, soy free Asian flavor sauces.
This looks easy and delicious!! Thanks for another great recipe!
I love your blog. I'm going to try this recipe. I did buy the coconut amino & used them. They tasted great but, I had a reaction. I'm not allergic to coconut to my knowledge. I'm going try the recipe with your other suggestions. Thanks for the great blog. I visit all the time. Terri