Bang Bang Chicken Salad

We turned a classic Chinese street food snack into a delicious salad that features a peanut sauce, cold shredded chicken, and lots of crunchy veggies.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

Chicken

  • 1 chicken breast
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 2 cloves garlic

Salad

  • 2 carrots peeled and sliced julienne or thin strips
  • 1 cucumber sliced julienne or thin strips
  • 2 Cups sugar pea pods cut in half
  • 2 basil or Thai basil leaves sliced thin
  • 2 scallions cut thin on the bias

Dressing

  • 1 Tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • dash sesame oil
  • dash soy sauce
  • pinch cayenne pepper

Garnish

  • roasted peanuts crushed
  • Thai basil leaves fresh
  • sesame seeds toasted

Instructions
 

  • Place the chicken breast in a saucepan with the seasonings and enough water to cover generously. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and cook 20 minutes or until the chicken is done. You can test it by pressing on it and it should be firm. Allow the chicken to cook in the liquid for 15 minutes. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the liquid and seasonings and shred the chicken in a bowl.
  • Meanwhile, slice all of the veggies and keep chilled.
  • Make the dressing by warming the peanut butter in a microwave for 15 seconds, and then stir in the rest of the ingredients.
  • To make the salad: Toss the chicken and veggies with the dressing. Top with the garnishes. Serve immediately or chill up to 8 hours until ready to serve.

Notes

Chef's Tips: If you don't have Thai basil just use regular basil or dried basil. You can use any kind of vinegar in place of the rice wine vinegar.
Nutrition Facts: Serves 4. Each 1 cup serving: 141 calories, 7g fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 19mg cholesterol, 108mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate,3 g fiber, 5g sugars, 11g protein.
Copyright foodandhealth.com, reprinted with permission.