Asian Chicken Cranberry Salad
A vibrant, flavorful salad featuring coleslaw, chicken, cranberries, almonds, and a tangy sesame-ginger dressing.
Ingredients
- - 12 cups coleslaw mix 2 small bags
- - 4 cups rotisserie chicken finely chopped
- - 1½ cups toasted sliced almonds or cashews
- - 1½ cups dried cranberries
- - ¾ cup red onion finely diced
- - 1 cup sesame sticks optional
- - 1½ cups chopped cilantro
- - 1-2 small cans mandarin oranges drained
- - ¼ cup black sesame seeds or regular sesame seeds
- Dressing:
- - 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- - ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- - 4 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- - 3-4 cloves garlic chopped
- - 4 Tbsp honey or brown sugar
- - 4 Tbsp minced ginger
- - 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- - 3 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Prepare Salad: In a large bowl, layer coleslaw mix, chicken, almonds, cranberries, red onion, sesame seeds, sesame sticks (optional), cilantro, and mandarin oranges (if desired).
- Make Dressing: Blend olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, honey, ginger, sesame oil, and water until smooth.
- Combine: Lightly drizzle dressing over salad mixture and toss gently to coat. Adjust dressing quantity to taste.
Notes
- Add sesame sticks for extra crunch or omit for a lighter version.
- For added flavor, use fresh mandarin segments instead of canned.
- Store leftover dressing separately to keep the salad crisp for up to 1 day.