Chicken Cashew Crunch Salad with Tahini-Tamari Dressing Recipe
This Chicken Cashew Crunch Salad is a vibrant, flavorful dish featuring shredded rotisserie chicken, crunchy cashews, and fresh Napa cabbage tossed in a creamy sesame-teriyaki tahini dressing. Quick to prepare and packed with textures and savory-sweet Asian-inspired flavors, it’s perfect for a healthy lunch or light dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Asian-inspired
- Diet: Low Salt
Ingredients
Scale
Sesame-Teriyaki Dressing
- 1/4 cup tahini, well-stirred
- 2 Tbsp lower-sodium tamari
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove, grated or finely minced
Chicken Cashew Salad
- 5 heaping cups chopped Napa cabbage (or substitute green cabbage or kale)
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup shredded (matchstick) carrots
- 3/4 cup finely chopped green onions (from 1 bunch)
- 3/4 cup roasted, salted cashews
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: In a glass jar or a large liquid measuring cup, combine the tahini, tamari, rice vinegar, maple syrup, toasted sesame oil, and grated garlic. Whisk thoroughly until the dressing is completely smooth and well emulsified.
- Combine the salad ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped Napa cabbage (or your chosen cabbage/kale substitute), shredded rotisserie chicken, shredded carrots, chopped green onions, roasted cashews, and chopped fresh cilantro. Season with a few pinches of salt to taste.
- Toss with dressing: Pour the prepared sesame-teriyaki dressing over the salad mixture and toss everything thoroughly to coat the ingredients evenly.
- Serve or refrigerate: Serve the salad immediately for the freshest crunch or refrigerate it for up to 2 days. The salad will maintain its flavor best on the first two days; by day 3, ingredients may soften but flavors remain delicious.
Notes
- For make-ahead preparation, use a mix of green cabbage and kale instead of Napa cabbage for a heartier salad less prone to wilting.
- The salad is best eaten within 2 days; after 3 days the greens and cashews soften but flavors stay sharp.
- To speed up prep, use a food processor with shredding blades to shred cabbage and carrots.
Keywords: Chicken salad, cashew salad, tahini dressing, Asian salad, quick salad, healthy salad, no cook salad
