Now for the final recipe from Simple Pleasures: Incredibly Craveable Recipes for Everyday Cooking by Jodie Moreno. This Sesame Crunch Chicken Salad with Marinated Cucumbers is the perfect recipe for summer. Jodie’s salad is the perfect blend of crunchy, savoury, and refreshing flavors. Whether you’re looking for a light yet satisfying meal or a dish that’s both healthy and delicious, this recipe is sure to become a go-to. Be sure to check out Jodie’s latest cookbook, in bookstores now. Get ready for this delicious Sesame Crunch Chicken Salad with Marinated Cucumbers recipe:
Sesame Crunch Chicken Salad with Marinated Cucumbers
This super-refreshing, satisfying salad has so many layers of flavor and texture. By individually dressing each tier of the salad and layering them in a specific order, each bite is bursting with unique flavors. While the layering is super important, you can stray from the recipe by swapping out or adding certain ingredients. If there is another veggie you want to add to the salad, julienne it and throw in it with the cabbage. And if you want to substitute tahini (for an extra sesame kick) or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise in the dressing, that would be great as well—just make sure if you’re using tahini to thin it out with about 1⁄3 cup water before mixing with the other ingredients.
SERVES 4
FOR THE CUCUMBERS
1 to 2 baby cucumbers, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil, such as grapeseed or sunflower
1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE DRESSING
1⁄3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon sesame oil
FOR THE SALAD
1⁄2 roasted chicken, meat pulled from bones and shredded (about 2 cups)
1⁄2 head green cabbage (about 4 cups)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon neutral oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
TOPPINGS + ADDITIONS
10 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
IN A SMALL BOWL, toss the cucumbers with the oil, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and let them marinate for approximately 15 minutes while you make the rest of the salad.
TO MAKE THE DRESSING, place all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to combine.
ROUGHLY CHOP the shredded chicken. Transfer to a large serving bowl along with cabbage, scallions, radishes, jalapeño, and 1 tablespoon neutral oil. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the chicken and vegetables and toss to combine.
TOP with the marinated cucumbers, mint, basil, and a heavy sprinkle of the sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Recipe Excerpt from Simple Pleasures: Incredibly Craveable Recipes for Everyday Cooking by Jodie Moreno. Photography by David Alvarado. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith Books.
