Asian Chicken Salad

Today we're making Asian Chicken Salad. Not in the mood for salad? Don't be deterred! This star of this recipe is the grilled chicken. A fast, Asian-inspired marinade adds tons of flavor to boring old chicken breasts. You can just make the chicken and serve it with rice and Sesame Green Beans if that suits your fancy.

But the salad is really great! So refreshing and crunchy and summery. Don't let the ringing endorsement of the chicken in the previous paragraph keep you from making the salad.

And now I'm blabbering. Good gosh. Just make some dinner. Cheers to salad. Or not salad.  

Asian Chicken Salad
Serves: 4
Adapted from Menu Musings

1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon (or more to taste) red pepper flakes
2 chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 large head Napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
3 large carrots, shredded
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup sunflower seeds*

In a jar or small bowl, mix together soy sauce, ginger, oil, hoisin sauce, salt, and red pepper flakes. Place chicken in a baking dish or a Ziploc bag and pour 4 tablespoons of the marinade over the chicken. Turn to coat the chicken and allow it to marinate for about 30 minutes.

Add vinegar to the remaining marinade and set aside. This will be the dressing.

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Grill chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Once chicken is fully cooked, allow it to rest for about 10 minutes so the juices redistribute. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl mix cabbage, carrots, cilantro, sunflower seeds, and chicken. Drizzle with dressing to taste and toss to coat.

*Don't have sunflower seeds sitting in your pantry? Feel free to substituted toasted slivered or sliced almonds.