Chinese Napa Cabbage Salad with Chicken and Sesame Recipe
A light, crunchy salad with napa cabbage, chicken and sesame in a simple soy-vinegar dressing. In China, similar salads are often served as cold appetizers before the main meal. On a Polish-style table it can be an interesting alternative to classic mayonnaise-based salads – it’s lighter, yet still filling.
In many Chinese homes, light, cold salads made from cabbage or cucumber are served alongside hot stir-fries to add freshness and crunch. This version with chicken is closer to everyday home cooking than to heavy, restaurant-style salads.
This salad combines the crunch of fresh napa cabbage and vegetables with juicy chicken and aromatic sesame, all tied together with a simple Asian-style dressing. It’s quick to prepare, feels light, and works equally well as a main dish or a side.
Why this version works
- Finely shredding the cabbage helps it quickly absorb the dressing and keeps it from dominating the texture of the salad.
- Chicken fried without a coating makes the salad filling without weighing it down like mayonnaise-based versions.
- Toasted sesame added at the end brings a pronounced aroma and pleasant crunch.
- The dressing proportions are balanced so it coats the ingredients instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Chef's tips
Don’t overcook the chicken – it should be just cooked through and still juicy. If you prepare the components in advance, keep the vegetables and meat well chilled and dress the salad at the last moment so it stays crisp.
How to serve
Serve in a large bowl family-style, or portion onto individual plates and top each serving with an extra pinch of toasted sesame seeds. It pairs well with steamed rice, dumplings or simple stir-fried vegetables.
Watch out for
- Do not add warm chicken to the salad – the steam will make the cabbage wilt quickly and turn watery.
- Sesame seeds burn easily; take the pan off the heat as soon as they become very fragrant and lightly browned.
Substitutions
- You can replace rice vinegar with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, using slightly less.
- Swap chicken breast for roasted turkey or leftover roast chicken without the skin.
- Fresh cucumber can be replaced with thinly sliced radishes for a sharper accent.
Ingredients
- napa cabbage about half of a medium head - 400 g
- chicken breast - 250 g
- carrot medium - 1 piece
- fresh cucumber large - 0.5 piece
- spring onion (green onion) - 3 piece
- toasted sesame seeds - 2 tablespoons
- soy sauce - 3 tablespoons
- vinegar can be replaced with apple cider vinegar - 2 tablespoons
- sesame oil for aroma, can be omitted - 1 tablespoon
- vegetable oil for frying the chicken - 1 tablespoon
- sugar - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Cut the chicken breast into thin strips, removing any sinew. Season lightly with salt and pepper so that each piece is evenly coated but not oversalted.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and fry for 7–8 minutes, stirring, until the pieces are cooked through in the centre and lightly golden in places. Transfer to a plate and let cool until no longer steaming.
- Halve the napa cabbage lengthwise and remove the tough core. Slice the leaves very thinly across the grain; cut the thicker, white part more finely so it softens faster in the dressing.
- Peel the carrot and grate it on a coarse grater or cut into thin matchsticks similar in length to the cabbage strips. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, scoop out the watery seeds, then slice the rest into thin half-moons.
- Slice the spring onion into thin rounds, including the green part. If it is very sharp, cover with cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry – this will mellow the flavor.
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and sugar until the crystals dissolve and the dressing is smooth and slightly thickened. Taste and, if needed, add a pinch more sugar or a tiny splash of vinegar.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, shaking the pan often. When the seeds turn lightly golden and smell intensely nutty, immediately transfer to a bowl so they don’t continue to cook on the hot pan.
- In a large bowl combine the napa cabbage, carrot, cucumber, spring onion and cooled chicken. Pour over the dressing and mix thoroughly with your hands or a large spoon until the cabbage softens slightly, looks glossy and is coated in a thin layer of dressing.
- Sprinkle the salad with the toasted sesame seeds just before serving. Gently stir the top so some seeds fall between the ingredients, but leave most on the surface so they stay crunchy.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I like to add a bit more vinegar for extra freshness and sometimes a pinch of chili flakes for a gentle heat. This salad is also a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken from another meal.
