Chicken and Celery Salad With Wasabi-Tahini Dressing

By Sue Li

Updated July 27, 2020

Chicken and Celery Salad With Wasabi-Tahini Dressing
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(771)
Comments
Read comments

Inspired by the desire to make use of some leftover wasabi paste, this is the kind of chicken salad that’s sure to become a go-to recipe. The best advice here is to make a large batch, and save it for multiple meals. Equally delicious cold or at room temperature, this salad is especially good in a sandwich, tucked into soft potato rolls. Embrace the wasabi and think of it as a hot mustard; you can even dial it back, starting with less, then adding more to taste. Lime juice lends a mellow acidity that rounds out the dressing.

Featured in: This Chicken Salad Comes With a Kick

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 2small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
  • Kosher salt
  • ¼cup fresh lime juice, plus more lime wedges, for serving (3 to 4 limes)
  • ¼cup tahini
  • 1 to 2tablespoons wasabi paste
  • 2garlic cloves, grated
  • ½teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 8 to 10celery ribs, plus ½ cup celery leaves
  • Sesame seeds, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

168 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 18 grams protein; 371 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium pot, cover chicken breasts with about 2 inches of water, and season with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer on low until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and let cool.

  2. Step 2

    While the chicken cools, make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, tahini, wasabi paste, garlic, sugar and ¼ cup water until smooth. Season to taste with salt.

  3. Step 3

    Cut celery into 2-inch segments, then cut segments lengthwise into matchsticks and place in a large bowl.

  4. Step 4

    Using two forks or hands, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and transfer to the bowl with the celery.

  5. Step 5

    Pour dressing over the chicken and celery and toss to coat. Top with celery leaves and sesame seeds, and serve with lime wedges.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
771 user ratings
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Comments

Hope

from article: The combination of wasabi and celery is similar to a cold appetizer found in Taiwanese-Chinese cuisine, simply called hot mustard celery salad. In the dish’s usual preparation, blanched celery ribs are peeled or have the tough strings pulled out, and are then tossed with a dressing made with hot mustard powder. Make the recipe as it is, but don’t stop there. Much like a jar of the best marinara sauce, this dressing has endless possibilities. Try it with tofu and celery. Use it on

Linda Hoaglund

Better yet, poach chicken thighs with a little white wine or sake and some ginger slices, which leaves you with a savor cooking brother to mix with the tahini for a much lighter dressing.

Marta Ekena

I immediately went out and bought the ingredients to this dish when I saw Sue Li making it on Instagram. Then I came to the NYT website a few days later for the recipe and was nervous after reading all the negative remarks. I remembered that Sue Li remarked that you should add the wasabi paste in increments in case it was too hot for your palette. I’m so glad I listened, the salad came out great, and like a few others I added shredded green apple pieces to give it a little sweetness. New fave

Margaret J

I loved it - Asian twist on chicken salad. My boyfriend thought it was weird. Not bad. Just weird.

RunBakeEat

Delicious AND nutritious. Thank you! Added thinly sliced apples and seasoned with cracked white pepper.

Molly

Maybe I’m just clumsy, but I found the celery cutting method to result in a bloody mess for my thumb. I would cut the celery lengthwise first and then cut at the 2 inch mark to reduce the chance of rolling.

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