Sesame ginger chicken jar salads
Shredded chicken, edamame, mandarin oranges and crunchy cabbage in a sesame ginger dressing, layered so the lettuce is still crisp on day three.
- 20 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $3.45 a serving
- 490 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: It’s ready in 20 minutes, start to finish.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1½ cups frozen shelled edamame
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 can canned mandarin oranges, drained
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- ½ cup cashews (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Each serving has about 490 calories, 36 g protein, 32 g carbs and 27 g fat, and costs about $3.45 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No honey? Maple syrup works.
- No red cabbage? Green cabbage or coleslaw mix works.
- No shredded carrots? Carrots work.
- No green onions? Chives work.
- No romaine lettuce? Green leaf lettuce or iceberg lettuce or butter lettuce works.
- No cashews? Almonds work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Put the edamame and water in a bowl, cover with a plate and microwave for 2 minutes, until hot. under cold water to cool, then shake dry.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Timer: 2 min
Dolly’s tip: Frozen vegetables are safest heated before they go into a cold salad. Two minutes does it.Shake the vegetable oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, ginger and garlic in a small jar until blended.
the cabbage and green onions, and the chicken into bite-size pieces with two forks.
Thinly slice. Thinly slicing means cutting slices about an eighth of an inch thick, roughly two coins stacked. Thin slices cook in seconds and soften fast, which quick dishes need.
How you’ll know: A slice bends a little when you hold it by one edge, and slow, steady cuts beat fast ones.
Shred. Shredding means making thin strips, either on the big holes of a grater or by pulling cooked meat apart with two forks. Shreds soak up sauce and mix evenly through a dish.
How you’ll know: Cooked chicken pulls apart into strands with little effort, and cheese comes off in long, loose strips.
Food safety: Rotisserie chicken, deli meat, canned tuna and cooked shrimp are already cooked. Keep them cold until you use them, and heat them until steaming hot if the recipe warms them.
Divide the dressing among 4 quart jars, then layer in the edamame, carrots, cabbage and mandarin oranges.
Add the chicken and green onions, pack the romaine in on top, and seal.
Dolly’s tip: They keep 3 days in the fridge. Keep the cashews in a small bag so they stay crunchy.At lunch, tip the jar into a bowl, , and scatter the cashews over.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop plans your lunches along with the week’s dinners, puts what you need on the same grocery list, and walks you through each step.
