Asian Chicken Salad with Wonton Crisps

Salty, Sweet, Crunch, AND Healthy — This Asian Chicken Salad with Wonton Crisps Has It All

I’m sure most of you have had an Asian Chicken Salad at some point in your life. Most fast food chains have some kind of Asian Chicken Salad on their menus. But, many of those are caloric bombs, laden with fat and sugar, which kind of defeats the purpose of getting a salad. This Asian Chicken Salad with Wonton Crisps recipe is made with low-sugar dressing and only a small amount of oil, making it the perfect, light summer salad.

Salad with Asian Flair

I feel pretty confident saying this kind of salad is rarely found in Asian countries. But, it does have Asian flair because many of the ingredients have Asian origins and are commonly used in Asian cooking. I started making this salad when I lived in Australia. There were these delicious fried asian noodles made by a company called Chang’s that had an Asian Salad recipe listed on the back of the packaging. The Chang’s recipe was delicious, but it was also pretty much all sugar and oil. So, my Asian Chicken Salad is a healthy riff of that recipe.

Asian Components

The Lettuce:

This salad features Napa Cabbage, also called “wombok” or “Chinese Cabbage”, which is widely in China, Korea, and Japan. In Korea, Napa cabbage serves as the main ingredient in kimchi. Napa cabbage is not spherical like the a standard cabbage most Americans are accustomed to, but instead is more oblong-shaped. If you can’t find Napa cabbage, you can use romaine lettuce as a substitute, but the Napa cabbage really gives the salad great texture.

Mandarin Oranges:

I love a little fruit in my salad, controversial, I know. Mandarin oranges are the perfect addition as they are small, sweet, and juicy. You can totally used canned mandarin oranges, and honestly, I prefer to as it’s more convenient. You can use regular oranges, but I suggest segmenting them to remove the skins. And yes, mandarin oranges are native to SE Asia, so they fit that Asian Component Criteria.

“Fried” Wontons:

Every salad is better with a little crunch, and this Asian Chicken Salad is no different. I air fried wonton wrappers, but you can also pan fry them or even buy pre-made wonton crisps. Check your salad isle near the croutons for these. Some stores have them, and some don’t.

Sesame Seeds:

Not only do sesame seeds add a touch of elegance to your salad, they also add great flavor, a little crunch, and more nutritional value as they are jam-packed magnesium and fiber. Sprinkle these bad boys on to the salad to garnish. If you’re feeling frisky, you can even toast them prior to adding them to the salad to enhance their nutty flavor and crunchy texture.

Dressing:

This Asian Dressing is vinegar-based. You can use white vinegar or even rice wine vinegar. The dressing gets its Asian zing from the saltiness of the soy sauce and the nutty flavor of the sesame oil. I always add a little chili paste or sambal oelek for an extra kick and garlic because, well, I love garlic. To decrease the amount of oil and sugar in the dressing, I add a little of the mandarin orange juice. I also use Swerve sweetener in place of regular sugar.

Green onion or Chives:

Rather than using raw red onion, which has a pretty intense flavor, I prefer to use green onions or chives. Each has a similar flavor, and I tend to use them in dishes interchangeably depending on what I have leftover in my fridge.