RECIPE: Bang Bang Summer Chicken Salad

This salad is the perfect answer to a hot summer day, a cool colorful slaw mixture tossed with a spicy peanut dressing and topped with cold shredded chicken.  Squeeze refreshing lime juice over the salad to add piquancy and highlight the bold flavors.

Ingredients

Salad dressing:

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 red Hawaiian peppers, chopped

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1/2 cup canola oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Salad:

6 cups finely shredded Napa cabbage ( or mixture of red cabbage and Napa)

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned

1 carrot, grated

1 bunch green onions, chopped (julienne tops of greens for garnish)

3 cups cold shredded chicken

2 limes, quartered

2 tablespoon chopped peanuts for garnish

Chili oil

Directions

1. Whisk together the vinegar, peanut butter, ginger, garlic, chopped peppers, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and canola oil in a medium bowl.
2. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Combine cabbage, carrots, cilantro, mint, cucumber, and green onions in a large bowl.
4. Add the 3/4 cup of the dressing and toss to combine.
5. Add the rest of the dressing to the shredded chicken and toss.
6. Mound the salad on a serving platter and top with the shredded chicken, and chopped peanuts.
7. Drizzle with chili oil, if desired. Garnish with quartered limes and julienned onions.

This post has been a contribution by Kristin Frost Albrecht on behalf of The Food Basket, Hawai’i Island’s Food Bank.