Do they still sell those Chinese Chicken Salad kits at Costco? Those were a staple every time we made a Costco run growing up, and I absolutely loved them. It’s been a long time since i’ve had one, but they certainly left a mark since i’m still talking about them however many years later.
While they may have been delicious, they don’t exactly fit into my current diet. The wonton strips, dressing and crunchy chow mein noodles aren’t gluten free, and obviously chicken is chicken, so I decided to create my own version and I’m honestly pretty impressed.
Let me be clear, my version is not a copycat of the Costco kit. I used Napa cabbage and purple cabbage for more texture, and in place of chicken, I decided to use shredded jackfruit since it so closely resembles pulled chicken. Sliced almonds and carrot shreds give a nice crunch, and Mandarin oranges round it all off.
This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, vegan and grain free. If you want to make this ahead of time, you can mix everything together (minus the jackfruit, oranges, almonds and dressing), and keep it in a ziplock in the fridge for a few days. Just top with the almonds, jackfruit, oranges and dressing before serving.
Vegan Chinese ‘Chicken’ Salad
Author: The Lean Clean Eating Machine
Jackfruit:
- 2 cans jackfruit in brine; drained, rinsed and shredded with hands
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos for soy free or low sodium tamari
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Salad:
- 1/2 head Napa cabbage; thinly shredded (about 6 cups)
- 1/4 head red cabbage; shredded (about 2 cups)
- 1 large carrot; shredded (about 2 cups)
- 1 small bunch green onions; trimmed and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 (8-ounce) can finely sliced water chestnuts
- 1 (11-ounce) can Mandarin oranges in water; drained (if you can’t find them in water, drain and rinse them)
- Sliced toasted almonds for topping
Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos or low sodium tamari
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce or chili sauce
Instructions:
- In a small dish, combine 2 tablespoons coconut aminos, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper. Whisk to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, shred rinsed and drained jackfruit with hands into pieces. You can even do this with harder stemmed pieces and seeds. Set aside.
- Place your prepared jackfruit in a large frying pan with a small drizzle of oil, and mash the jackfruit up slightly more so it resembles pulled chicken. Let jackfruit cook on medium/high heat, stirring occasionally, until edges start to turn slightly golden brown, then add in your prepared marinade and stir to thoroughly coat. Let simmer for another 2 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Prepare your veggies.
- In a large bowl, combine Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, scallions, water chestnuts, Mandarin orange and prepared jackfruit (only put jackfruit in if you plan on serving immediately, otherwise store jackfruit separately).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, brown sugar and chili sauce. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.
- Divide among bowls and top each serving with toasted almonds.