This crunchy and creamy salad is a favorite go-to dish for many. It has all the nutritious vegetables including kale, avocado, scallions, carrot, tofu, red pepper, and others. Tahini and lemon juice dressing gives it the perfect taste. The sesame seeds and cashews on top are bonuses.
Ingredients
Chicken Cashew Salad
- Napa cabbage, green cabbage, or kale – 5 cups, chopped
- Rotisserie chicken – 2 cups, shredded
- Tofu
- Carrots – 1 cup, shredded
- Green onions – 1 cup, finely chopped
- Roasted cashews – ¾ cups
- Fresh cilantro – ¼ cup, finely chopped
Dressing
- Tahini – ¼ cup
- Tamari – 2 tablespoons
- Rice vinegar – 2 tablespoons
- Toasted sesame oil – 1 tablespoon
- Maple syrup – 1 tablespoon
- Garlic clove – 1, grated
Cooking method
Prepare the rotisserie chicken. You will get a burning effect. Once it is cooked in your rotisserie shred chicken pieces to add to the salad. Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients in a glass jar. Make the consistency smooth. Now put all the vegetables, chicken, and cashews in a large bowl. Add some salt for seasoning. Pour the salad dressing you just made on top. Now toss everything well. You will love the smell of sesame oil. Serve the salad immediately to get the best taste. You can refrigerate and store it for two days.
Tips
If you are planning to make the salad beforehand, then it is better to use kale and green cabbage. Avoid using Napa cabbage as it might wilt. If you can keep it in an airtight container, the cashews will also stay crunchy. If you don't find tamari in the market then you can use soy sauce instead. Tamari is very similar to soy sauce, except that it's less salty. You can serve the salad cold without spoiling its original taste. You can also use coconut anions for a similar taste.
Napa cabbage is a Chinese cabbage that gets tender easily. It is sweeter than the normal cabbage. You can use the normal cabbage as Napa cabbage may not always be available in the market. As you don't need to reheat it, you can just grab and go to your office and enjoy this delicious salad for lunch.
Recipe variations
You can easily turn this dish into a vegan. Just replace chicken with chickpeas. You will get the same nutrition. You can also add cooked quinoa, farro, or brown rice. You can use sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead of nuts. You can make the Asian variation of this salad with rice. You can do it with leftover rice and chicken. First, put the salad on the platter and then layer it with rice, chicken, and roasted cashews. You can use other dressings than tahini-tamarind dressing.
Health factors
You will be surprised to know that despite its size, cashews are very fulfilling. Try having a number of them when you are hungry. It contains protein, fiber, and healthy fats. If you add it to your salad, your satiety will increase and you won't crave much for foo. So, you will be able to manage your weight. Kale and cabbages are green nutritious veggies. They contain loads of vitamins and fiber to keep you healthy. This nutrient-rich salad can easily replace your carb meal and help you stay healthy.
Cashew crunch salad with sesame dressing gives an Asian taste to your salad. But the tahini-tamari dressing adds a Chinese flavor to it. If you can cut the vegetables and keep them in zip-lock bags in the freezer then you can make this salad very quickly anytime. It's a great side dish to serve your guests along with the main course.
