Chopped Chicken and Cabbage Salad with Carrot-Ginger-Peanut Dressing
About this Recipe
This colorful chopped salad is one of my favorite ones to prep for weekday lunches. It is protein and veggie packed, and reminds me of the flavors you get from a green salad at your favorite Asian restaurant. We use rotisserie chicken to save time cooking a whole chicken. I like to shred my cabbage and carrots at home using my food processor or mandolin, but you can easily use pre-shredded veggies to save even more time! This dressing is a staple and on constant rotation in my house. The base is similar to a restaurant-style carrot-ginger dressing, but even creamier and tastier with the addition of peanut butter. There is absolutely no cooking required in this one, so it is great to make in the summer months. Once we chop the chicken, shred and chop the veggies and blend up the dressing, we can either toss it together immediately to serve or store the salad and dressing separately for later. This dish takes just 15 minutes to prep, making it a perfect meal prep recipe, packed with fiber and protein.
Why Rotisserie Chicken?
- High in Protein – It is a great source of animal protein to support muscle repair and growth.
- Versatile – It is great for salads, casseroles, sandwiches, bowls, tacos, soups and wraps.
- Affordable – It is usually cheaper than buying a whole chicken yourself.
- Convenient – Fully cooked and ready to eat, saving time in the kitchen.
- Reduces Food Waste – Cooks faster than whole pieces of meat, making it great for weeknight dinners.
Chopped Chicken and Cabbage Salad with Carrot-Ginger-Peanut Dressing is an easy and tasty way to enjoy chicken and cabbage for meal prep or an easy weeknight dinner.
What is Chopped Chicken and Cabbage Salad with Carrot-Ginger-Peanut Dressing?
This recipe is a crunchy, protein-packed, flavorful, healthy and filling full salad made with rotisserie chicken, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, bell pepper, scallions and cilantro. The salad is tossed in a creamy dressing made with carrots, ginger and peanuts blended in a blender until smooth. We simply chop the chicken, shred and chop the veggies and blend the dressing. The dressing takes just five minutes to blend, and the entire dish comes together in just 15 minutes. We don’t need a stove or an oven, which makes prep and clean up simple. This salad can be tossed with the dressing and enjoyed immediately or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for later in the week! Sounds good right? So let’s make it!
How to make Chopped Chicken and Cabbage Salad with Carrot-Ginger-Peanut Dressing?
It’s a very easy recipe and requires only 15 minutes to make. So you can prep it, cook it and have it as part of dinner or prepped for lunch the next day in under 20 minutes, making it perfect for meal prep or a quick weeknight dinner. We chop the chicken, shred and chop the veggies, blend the dressing and serve. Enjoy this salad immediately or store it in the refrigerator for later.
What you’ll need:
- Salt – for seasoning.
- Yellow Onion – key for the dressing.
- Fresh Ginger – key for flavor for the dressing.
- Rice Vinegar – acid for the dressing.
- Tamari Soy Sauce – key for flavor for the dressing.
- Peanut Butter – key for creaminess for the dressing.
- Maple Syrup – to sweeten the dressing.
- Olive Oil – to emulsify the dressing.
- Sriracha – to add a little spice to the dressing.
- Sesame Oil – key for flavor for the dressing.
- Rotisserie Chicken – easy cooked protein for the salad.
- Green Cabbage and Red Cabbage – colorful variety for a wilt-free salad base.
- Carrots – used for both the dressing in whole form and for the salad in shredded form.
- Red Bell Pepper – crunch and flavor for the salad.
- Fresh Cilantro – flavor for the salad.
- Scallions – flavor for the salad.
- Sesame Seeds – texture and flavor for the salad.
- Peanuts – optional for a crunchy topping for the salad.
What to serve with Chopped Chicken and Cabbage Salad with Carrot-Ginger-Peanut Dressing
Personally, I think this salad is perfect as is–packed with protein, veggies and fiber. If you want to add anything to this salad, I would recommend adding some rice or noodles for some carbohydrates. The dressing is also great as a spring roll dip or a chicken or beef satay dip.
Tips:
- To save time, you can purchase pre-shredded cabbage and/or carrots.
- If you would prefer to keep this plant-based, you can use edamame in place of the chicken.
- Use leftover dressing for a dip for roasted veggies, green salads, spring rolls or chicken or beef satay.
- To store these ingredients for meal prep, store the salad and the dressing separately airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Chopped Chicken and Cabbage Salad with Carrot-Ginger-Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh ginger
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup tamari soy sauce
- 6 tbsp natural peanut butter
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp sriracha
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp salt
For the salad:
- 4 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 3 cups shredded green cabbage
- 3 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 bunch scallions, chopped
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- Chopped peanuts, optional for serving
Instructions
Make the dressing. Add the carrots, onion, ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce, peanut butter, maple syrup, avocado oil, sriracha, sesame oil and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
Assemble the salad. Add the chicken, green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, cilantro, scallions and sesame seeds to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
At this point, you can toss the dressing with the entire salad to serve, or you can serve the salads individually with the dressing on the side. Top with peanuts, if desired.
Notes
* To store this salad, I recommend storing the dressing in a jar or airtight container separately from the salad in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
