Description
This salad is an adaptation of Kristin Donnelly’s Chinese Chicken Salad from her book Modern Potluck. I accidentally turned this salad vegetarian after arriving at the store before the rotisserie chickens were ready. And then I accidentally let the cashews sit in the dressing over night and fell in love with the texture. That’s how this adaptation came to be. The soaked cashews are best prepped a day in advance.
Ingredients
Scale
- Dressing
- 1/4 c. lemon juice, fresh
- 3 tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 2 tsp. tahini
- 1 1/2” piece of ginger
- 1/2–1 tsp. chili garlic sauce
- 1/2 c. grapeseed oil
- Soaked Cashews
- 1 1/2 c. roasted cashews, divided
- Salad
- 1 large napa cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds), shredded
- 1/4 red cabbage, shredded
- 4 carrots, grated
- 1 1/2 c. sugar snap or snow peas, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 2 green onions, sliced
- handful of cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- A day in advance, make the dressing. Combine ingredients in a high-powered blender and blitz until smooth. Set aside.
- Soak the cashews. Into a bowl or jar with a lid, add 3/4 cup of cashews. Pour in half of the dressing. Cover, shake, and let sit overnight. Pour in the remaining dressing into a separate, covered jar. Place both in fridge.
- On the day of, assemble the salad. Chop, dice, grate, and prep the vegetables. Place into a large serving bowl. Just before serving, add in the soaked cashews plus their dressing, remaining 3/4 cup cashews, and dressing. Toss and serve. Garnish with avocados if you wish.
Notes
If using a rotisserie chicken, shred a 3-pound bird and add it into the salad. Skip the soaking of cashews and use only 3/4 cup.