Here is a really tasty salad to make any time of the year. It’s a very good dish to take to a potluck party since the prepared ingredients can easily be combined just before serving. The homemade wonton chips are key to making this salad so good.
You can grill chicken or bake it. In a pinch, you could also use the white meat portion of a rotisserie chicken though I find Granny’s teriyaki chicken to be the best choice.
Napa cabbage has beautiful ripply leaves, a crunchy texture and a mild cabbage flavor with just a hint of pepper. Whatever other ingredients you choose to use in your salad, please don’t leave this out.
I love crispy snow peas. All they need for this salad is a quick 10 second blanch in boiling water. Drain in an ice bath and pat dry before slicing.
Homemade won ton strips are so delicious. It only takes a few minutes to fry them in little batches where they become utterly crunchy. It’s worth the effort to make your own.
Since you won’t need the entire package for this salad, slice the extra pieces into wider strips and fry them up for a snack.
Above are the extra won ton pi that I cut wider and cooked using the same pot of oil. Some of them puff up as they fry, making them light and crispy. Salt the chips as you take them out of the pan. Best snack ever.
Napa Cabbage Salad with Teriyaki Chicken & Crispy Won Tons
4
servingsIngredients
- Dressing
1/3-1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar (use larger amount for tangier dressing)
2 tablespoons sweet mirin
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 teaspoons roasted sesame oil
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds + more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
- Salad
2 grilled or baked teriyaki chicken breasts, thinly sliced
8 cups chopped Napa cabbage
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded carrot
3 ounces snow peas, blanched for 10 seconds, cooled in ice bath and thinly sliced (optional)
4 green onions, thinly sliced
Handful of chopped cilantro
4 ounces Won ton pi, cut into thin strips about 1/3-inch wide (use leftover pieces for won ton chips)
Oil for frying won ton pi strips
Directions
- Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a large jar, shake to combine well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Toss together all of the salad ingredients, except for the cilantro. Place in a bowl or zip-top bag and keep chilled in the refrigerator.
- Heat a medium pot with 1 1/2 to 2-inches of oil to 360 degrees. Fry won ton pi strips in batches, turning once so both sides are nice and golden brown. Fry for a minute or two, until nicely browned. They will curl a bit when fried. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle with a little salt. Continue with the rest of the won ton pi strips. You can make these a day in advance and store them in a plastic freezer bag in the refrigerator. (While I have the oil hot, I fry the remainder of the packaged won ton pi strips for snacks, cut wider.)
- When you are ready to serve the salad, transfer the cabbage mixture to a large bowl. Add chopped cilantro. Shake the dressing and add spoonfuls (you may not need all of the dressing) to the vegetables making sure they are well coated. Add more as needed. Transfer the dressed salad to a large low-sided serving bowl or divide it equally into 4 low-sided individual serving bowls. Arrange chicken on one side of the salad. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the salad. Scatter fried won ton strips over the top. Serve with extra dressing on the side.