Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad

January 20, 2026

This salad is an explosion of fresh flavours and satisfying textures. While chopping the vegetables can be therapeutic, you can make this a speedy weeknight meal by using store-bought rotisserie chicken and pre-shredded slaw mixes from the supermarket. It’s light, healthy, and the longer it sits, the better it tastes!

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The Salad Base:

350g (approx. 2 cups) cooked chicken, shredded or cut into thin batons (Store-bought roast chicken works perfectly here)
3 cups cabbage (Napa or regular), finely shredded
½ red onion, very finely sliced (slice thinly so it becomes "floppy")
1 red capsicum (bell pepper), finely sliced into thin batons
2 small cucumbers (or 1 long continental), deseeded and sliced into half-moons
2 carrots, peeled and julienned (or use a shredder)
1 large chilli, deseeded and julienned (optional)
1 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
1 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
The Dressing:
2 tbsp lime or lemon juice
2 tbsp rice vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey
2 large garlic cloves, very finely minced

The Crunch:

½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, finely chopped

Method

Combine the lime juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sweetener (sugar/honey), and minced garlic in a jar. Screw the lid on tight and shake vigorously. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavours to meld and the garlic to mellow.
In a very large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, cabbage, onion, capsicum, cucumber, carrots, chilli (if using), mint, and coriander.
Pour half of the dressing over the salad ingredients. Toss well to coat everything. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes.
Why? This allows the vegetables to soften slightly and absorb the flavours, making the texture more "slaw-like" and less raw.
Just before serving, give the salad another toss. Add most of the remaining dressing (taste as you go—you may not need all of it depending on your preference).
Transfer to serving bowls and sprinkle generously with the chopped peanuts for that essential crunch.

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