No-Cook Sesame Chicken Salad
This salad comes together fast and provides crunch plus sweet and salty notes from the oranges and Asian dressing.
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You don’t have to pull out every last one of your pots and pans, fire up the stove and spend an hour-plus cooking in order to create a healthy, satisfying meal. Actually, you don’t even have to cook at all – with just a bowl and a few key ingredients in your fridge and pantry, you can whip up this Sesame Chicken Salad in no time. And you can do it without heating up anything, not even the chicken,
In this easy, low-effort no-cook Sesame Chicken Salad, you’ll get a rainbow of delicious, nutrient-rich ingredients. To save time, we’ve used shredded (and leftover) rotisserie chicken in the salad, which offers a punch of protein and makes this meal oh-so-satisfying. The carrots, romaine lettuce and bell peppers add plenty of fiber, plus must-have nutrients like vitamins A and C. And the mandarin orange slices don’t just add a juicy bite to each forkful; they also offer even more vitamin C, plus minerals like potassium and magnesium.
This recipe is just one example of an easy, no-cook meal, too. You can save even more time and skip cooking all week long! Our one-week Skip the Stove meal plan is filled with recipes that can be made without firing up your stove or preheating your oven. These meals are perfect for your busiest weekdays and nights, but they’re also great to make when the weather is warm (and it’s way too hot to cook!). Keep these recipes in mind when you’re looking for something cool, low-effort
Sesame Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded (4 cups)
- 2 cups sliced or torn rotisserie chicken
- 1 carrot, shredded or cut into matchsticks
- 1 15-oz can mandarin oranges packed in juice, drained
- ½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup unsalted almonds, chopped
Preparation
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil; set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together lettuce, chicken, carrot, drained orange sections, bell pepper and almonds. Toss salad with dressing.
Note: If you’re following our no-cook meal plan or are making extra to enjoy throughout the week, store the leftover salad and dressing in separate containers in the refrigerator. Toss together when you’re ready to eat.