Description
This Whole30 Chinese Chicken Salad with Dates is a refreshing and flavorful Paleo and gluten-free dish featuring tender cooked chicken, crisp romaine lettuce, shredded cabbage and carrots, crunchy almonds, and sweet medjool dates. The homemade sesame dressing combines coconut aminos, rice vinegar, olive oil, toasted sesame oil, garlic, and ginger to create a creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet complement to the salad. Ready in just 10 minutes, it’s perfect for a healthy, satisfying lunch or light dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 2 cups cubed cooked chicken (about 2 lb raw)
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 2 Natural Delights® pitted medjool dates, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- Optional: sesame seeds for garnish
Sesame Dressing
- 2 Natural Delights® pitted medjool dates
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare Dressing Ingredients: Combine all ingredients for the sesame dressing in a blender. Let the dates soak and soften while you chop and assemble the salad components.
- Assemble Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cubed cooked chicken, chopped romaine lettuce, shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced almonds, chopped medjool dates, and chopped green onions. Mix well to combine all the salad ingredients evenly.
- Blend Dressing: Once the dates have softened, blend all the dressing ingredients until smooth and creamy, ensuring no chunks remain for a silky texture.
- Toss Salad with Dressing: Pour the freshly blended sesame dressing over the salad mixture. Toss thoroughly to coat all the ingredients evenly with the flavorful dressing.
- Garnish and Serve: If desired, sprinkle sesame seeds over the top for added texture and visual appeal before serving immediately.
Notes
- This salad is best served fresh but can be chilled for up to a day in an airtight container for meal prep.
- Cooked chicken can be roasted, grilled, or sautéed according to preference prior to cubing for the salad.
- Medjool dates soften quickly in the dressing, adding natural sweetness and creaminess—ensure they are pitted and chopped for easy blending.
- For added spice, you can include a dash of crushed red pepper flakes in the dressing.
- This recipe is compliant with Whole30 and Paleo diets, and is gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Chinese-Inspired
Keywords: Whole30 chicken salad, paleo chicken salad, Chinese chicken salad, gluten free salad, medjool date salad, sesame dressing, healthy chicken salad, no-cook salad
