Description
This Asian Chicken Cranberry Salad is a vibrant, fresh, and flavorful dish combining crunchy coleslaw mix, tender rotisserie chicken, toasted nuts, dried cranberries, and a zesty homemade dressing. Perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner, it balances sweet, savory, and tangy notes with an easy-to-make sesame-ginger vinaigrette, making it a crowd-pleaser for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 12 cups coleslaw mix (2 small bags)
- 4 cups rotisserie chicken, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups toasted sliced almonds (or cashews)
- 1 ½ cups dried cranberries
- ¾ cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup sesame sticks (optional)
- 1 ½ cups chopped cilantro
- 1-2 small cans mandarin oranges, drained
- ¼ cup black sesame seeds (or regular sesame seeds)
Dressing
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 tablespoons honey (or brown sugar)
- 4 tablespoons minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- About 3 tablespoons water (to thin the dressing)
Instructions
- Prepare the salad base: In a large bowl, layer the coleslaw mix, finely chopped rotisserie chicken, toasted almonds or cashews, dried cranberries, finely diced red onion, sesame sticks if using, chopped cilantro, and black sesame seeds. This creates a diverse texture and flavor foundation for the salad.
- Add mandarin oranges: Gently fold the drained mandarin oranges into the salad mixture. This step incorporates juicy sweetness while preserving the fruit’s shape and freshness.
- Make the dressing: In a blender, combine extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, low-sodium soy sauce, chopped garlic, honey or brown sugar, minced ginger, and toasted sesame oil. Blend until smooth, adding about 3 tablespoons of water to reach a pourable consistency. This vibrant dressing brings together sweet, savory, and tangy flavors.
- Dress the salad: Drizzle the prepared dressing evenly over the salad ingredients. Toss gently to fully coat all components without bruising delicate pieces, ensuring balanced flavor in every bite.
- Serve or chill: Serve the salad immediately for a fresh crunch, or chill for a short time to allow flavors to meld further, enhancing the taste and texture before serving.
Notes
- You can substitute almonds with cashews for a slightly different nutty flavor.
- If you prefer a sweeter dressing, increase the honey or brown sugar slightly.
- For a gluten-free version, ensure the soy sauce used is gluten-free.
- Adding sesame sticks is optional but adds a nice crunch to the salad.
- The salad is best served the same day but can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
