A healthy Chinese chicken salad full of crunchy veggies like cabbage, carrots, sprouts, and snap peas! Served with a light, flavorful soy sesame dressing!
This healthy Chinese chicken salad is a favorite healthy meal for me! It's super light, crunchy, and doesn't weigh you down. I love how healthy it is without losing any of the flavor. The trick is to add a variety of vegetables for texture and crunch so you don't miss the fried wontons or noodles. Also you want your dressing to be super flavorful, tangy, and zippy!
Healthy Chinese Chicken Salad
If you've been to Cheesecake Factory, chances are you've had their Chinese chicken salad. I get it many times but sometimes I crave a healthier version. What makes this healthy is there are no fried wontons and rice noodles which really cut down on the calories and carbs. The dressing is also sugar free so this entire salad can be low carb friendly, just omit the mandarin oranges.
This healthy Chinese chicken salad is so filling and satisfying. Usually after eating any salad, I get hungry immediately after and crave something more substantial but not with this salad. The chicken and peas provide a lot of protein to keep you full along with all that fiber from the veggies.
Save yourself time and use leftover chicken in this recipe. I used leftover rotisserie chicken and it was fantastic! This Asian chicken salad is a great way to use any leftover chicken because you can just shred it up or chop it up however you want.
Note: I highly suggest using a mandolin (affiliate link) for this recipe. I always use a mandolin when making salads with more than 2 or 3 ingredients because it's so much faster.
The sesame soy vinaigrette is simple and delicious. It makes a wonderful base for an Asian salad dressing and can be spruced up with fresh herbs. Feel free to add fresh garlic, ginger, citrus zest or dried herbs to this dressing. It can also be kept in the fridge for up to a week.
This salad also keeps wonderfully and doesn't wilt or get soggy as quickly as other salads. Cabbage, carrots, and peas are heartier than lettuce such as romaine or iceberg, so you can keep this salad out longer and still have it be fresh!
Enjoy this healthy Chinese chicken salad with mandarin oranges for lunch, dinner, or as an appetizer! You won't miss any of the flavor in this healthier version!
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please share, rate, and comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Healthy Chinese Chicken Salad
Equipment
☑ Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups cooked chicken - shredded
- 6 ½ cups savoy cabbage - shredded
- 1 ½ cups carrots - shredded
- 1 ¼ cups sugar snap peas
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 can mandarin oranges - 11oz can; optional
- ½ cup cashews
- ¼ cup cilantro - chopped
- 1 stalk scallion - chopped
Soy Sesame Dressing
- 3 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 5 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon agave - optional if you prefer sweetness
Instructions
- Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Next mix together the ingredients for the soy sesame dressing and dress the salad immediately before serving.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Ashley Jones
Love this recipe! We use it quite often. I double the carrots and celery and add minced onion flakes to it and use Uncle Ben's Wild Rice. After a couple hours check it to see if it needs a little bit more water added.
Jamie
Thanks Ashley! I'm so happy to hear that! 🙂
Evie
Hi Jamie!
I have been following your blog for some months now, and let me just say - your recipes NEVER disappoint! This Chinese Chicken Salad would have to be my favourite though. I make it for work lunches regularly, and several of my colleagues have now started following your blog as a result. (They definitely had food envy to begin with haha!)
Thanks again and keep up the GREAT work!
Jamie
Aww thank you so much Evie! I'm so happy you and your coworkers have found my recipes! Do let me know if there are any recipes you'd like to see. 🙂
Uma
Such a tasty way to use up leftover roast chicken - love the crunch of the textures in this dish and that tasty dressing. We enjoyed this with one of your new agua fresca drinks! So good!
Jamie
Thank you so much Uma! So glad you enjoyed both recipes! 🙂
jordin
I love soy sesame dressing, it’s great on most salads and makes it so much flavorful!
Jamie
Me too Jordin! It's such an easy dressing to make and I like making a double portion so I can save it for later. 😀
Eileen Kelly
This is the perfect salad for me! I love the dressing! I won't miss the carbs from wontons and .noodles. The salad packs a punch and great flavor from the veggies and dressing!
Jamie
Thanks so much Eileen! Who needs wontons and noodles when you have so much crunch and flavor already right? 🙂
Adriana
Absolutely in love with this salad and the presentation those peas look so yummy and give a super nice look to the dish, yummy!
Jamie
Thanks Adriana! The peas give this salad such a lovely sweet crunch. I can't have Chinese chicken salad without it hehe
Sharon
I love getting Chinese Chicken Salads when eating out but I love this recipe so I can make it right at home. Looks delicious!
Jamie
Totally! It's super simple to make and is just as good as the restaurant version and healthier too! 🙂
Kristina
Can't get over how easy that dressing is to make! This salad is definitely a must make soon!
Jamie
Thank you Kristina! Yes the dressing is super simple but so good. I hope you enjoy it!