Ginger Sesame Grilled Chicken Green Salad

I am all about the idea of living seasonably.  There is just something about immersing yourself in a particular time of year that makes the days seem less redundant.  The same can be said about food.   As we head into Spring and Summer my mind shifts towards grilling and greens. So in the spirit of seasonal living I present to you my Ginger Sesame Grilled Chicken Green Salad!

I love this salad because it doesn't use your usual greens, and the marinade (which is AMAZING), also serves as the dressing!  I could eat an ENTIRE bowl of this in one setting, and I can't wait to show you how I made it so...

Let's Get Started!

Ginger Sesame Grilled Chicken Green Salad:
*Prep Time 20 minutes *Cook Time: 8 minutes *Difficulty:  Easy  *Servings:  4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 head of Napa Cabbage, chopped
• 1 lb. of Curly Kale. chopped
• 4 Green Onions, sliced
• 1/2 c. Carrots, julienned
• 1/2 c. Cilantro, chopped
• 1 Clove of Garlic, minced
• 1/4 c. Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. Fresh Ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
• 1 tbsp. Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1 tsp. Sriracha Sauce
• 1/4 c. Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1/4 c. Almond Slivers, toasted
• 1/4 c. Sesame Seeds, toasted

To begin we are going to make the marinade for the chicken.
Into a mixing bowl pour the soy sauce,

Extra virgin olive oil,

Ginger,

Garlic,

Hoisin Sauce and toasted sesame oil,  

And the sriracha sauce,

Then whisk everything together.
I actually like using a mason jar for this.  It makes mixing super easy.

Now place the chicken in a resealable bag, and pour HALF of the marinade over it.

Seal the bag tightly and place in the refrigerator.
You can let this marinate for 15 minutes or overnight.

While the chicken is marinating let's tend to our greens.
I chose Napa cabbage for this salad because it is super good for you and it doesn't get any more fall than cabbage, right?

Chop the Napa cabbage into bite-sized pieces.

Next, pull the kale leaves from the stem, and chop that into bite-sized pieces.

A little trick I learned about kale is that, if you massage it a little, it takes the bitter edge off.
Kinda like a woman, right?  You rub our shoulders and we are like putty in your hands.

Now put the greens in a large salad bowl.

Add the carrots.
I cheated and bought the pre-cut ones.

Then slice your green onions.

Place 2/3 of the green onions into the salad bowl. 

Now give the cilantro a rough chop.

And place it into the salad bowl.

Now into a dry pan, add the slivered almonds.
Place over medium/high heat and let toast util the almonds brown, 2-3 minutes.

Pour them into the salad bowl.

Next add the sesame seeds to the pan and repeat the same process.

Poor them into the bowl as well.

This already looks STUNNING!
If I wanted to keep this veg, I would add some edememe here, dress it, and call it done, but it gets better!

Now for the dressing!
Add the rest of the green onion to the bowl.

And add the rice wine vinegar.
Give it a nice whisk.

Now you can remove the marinating chicken from the refrigerator and grill/cook it over medium/high heat for 4 minutes on each side.

Give the chicken a nice chop and add it to the bowl.
B-E-A-U-T-F-U-L!

Now pour the dressing over the salad and give everything a toss so that it is all coated with the dressing.

And it's that simple!
This is one of the most lovely salads you will ever lay your eyes on, and the flavor, OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD! Sweet, salty, savory, crunchy, fresh, literally perfection in a bowl. So celebrate the month of March, and the spring season with me and head into the kitchen to make this Ginger Sesame Grilled Chicken Green Salad tonight!  

And as always...

Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,
~The Kitchen Wife~