Oriental Chicken Salad with Lentils
Chilled lentil salad with julienned cucumber, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil dressing, served over romaine lettuce with strips of cooked chicken breast. Tangy rice vinegar and soy sauce base with a kick from garlic chili paste creates a light, protein-rich main course.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry USA lentils, rinsed
- 1 qt water
- 2 tbsp scallions, minced
- 2 cups cucumber, seeded and julienned
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp soya saucetamari1:1gluten-free alternative
4
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp garlic chili pastesriracha0.75:1thinner consistencyadjust ratio
2
- 2 tbsp dark sesame oilneutral oil1:1lighter flavorless aromatic
2
- salt, to taste(optional)
- black pepper, freshly ground, to taste(optional)
- romaine lettuce leaves
- 4 cups cooked chicken breast, julienned
Instructions
- 1
Combine lentils and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
- 2
Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender.
- 3
Drain lentils, cover and chill.
- 4
Combine scallions, cucumber, garlic, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, chili paste and sesame oil in a bowl and mix well.
- 5
Add dressing mixture to lentils and mix well.
- 6
Season with salt and pepper.
- 7
Arrange lettuce leaves on serving plates.
- 8
Arrange chicken over lettuce then spoon lentils over chicken.
Tips
Chill lentils thoroughly before assembling for best flavor development.
Julienne cucumber and chicken to uniform size for even texture throughout.
Good to Know
Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Assemble just before serving to prevent lettuce from wilting.
Lentils can be cooked and chilled up to 2 days ahead. Dressing can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Assemble and serve immediately.
Serve chilled as a light lunch or dinner entree.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip chilling the lentils to avoid warm salad and loss of freshness.
Do not over-cook lentils to avoid mushy texture and broken grains.
Do not dress salad more than 1 hour before serving to avoid soggy vegetables.