Chicken Salad With Greens and Ginger Dressing
Updated July 8, 2025
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
FOR THE DRESSING
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
½ cup corn or peanut oil
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
FOR THE SALAD
6 cups small lettuce leaves, like baby romaine, Boston or mesclun
4 cups leftover roasted chicken, torn into bite-size pieces
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 small jalapeño chili pepper, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
¼ cup cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish
⅓ cup toasted pine nuts
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
5 grams carbs; 70 milligrams cholesterol; 389 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 30 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 417 milligrams sodium; 25 grams protein; 1 gram sugar
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
- Step 1
Whisk sugar, vinegar, mustard and ginger together. Whisk in oils, and season to taste with salt, pepper and more sugar and vinegar if needed. Dressing should have a nice balance of sweet and tart.
- Step 2
In a large bowl toss lettuce with a few tablespoons of dressing until lightly dressed. Arrange around sides of a large serving bowl or platter.
- Step 3
Toss chicken, celery, peppers and cilantro in a bowl with dressing until well coated. Arrange in center of serving bowl, and sprinkle with pine nuts and cilantro.
Private Notes
Comments
I used up the last of my rice vinegar to make the dressing but when adjusting the seasoning "to taste" at the end of step 1, I found it needed additional tartness. I added a squeeze of fresh lime juice to brighten things and the citrus top note was a welcome addition.
I tried this and it wasn't tart at all. Over half a cup of oil and only one tablespoon vinegar? Could there be a typo?
Hi NM,
With the mustard, I find the dressing to be tart enough. (Vinegar and mustard seeds are the main ingredients in prepared mustard.) But you can (and should) always adjust dressings to taste. Some people like much less oil than others.
Julia
Yummy! i played around a bit wuth rhe ingredients by adding some cucumber, fresh mint with the coriander, green onion and added freshly chopped ginger to a leftover, homemade Asian dressingi had in the fridge. i topped my salad off with fchopped peanuts.i used baby gem lettuce. Super refreshing and a very, very lo-cal salad!
Needs more sugar and a little more vinegar. Also helps to add some chopped nuts - peanuts, almonds, etc.
For the dressing, I use no sugar or salt; I add 2 tsp Coconut Liquid Aminos (which is sweet) and the juice of half a lime. The original was very oily, so I reduce the oil to 1/4 cup olive oil plus the toasted sesame oil. Those changes seem to improve the flavor- I also add sliced red onion, shredded carrot and halved cherry tomatoes to the salad, and use peanut halves as a garnish.