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Asian Salad with Smoked Chicken

Asian Kale Salad

An herbaceous kale salad dressed with a fragrant and flavorful sesame vinaigrette.

New to our salad repertoire is a kale salad laden with fresh herbs. This was designed for our chef demonstration at our local Saturday Farmer’s Market on July 4th weekend, utilizing that day’s market available produce. Fresh and light, this salad is full of bright flavors with an Asian influence.

Cooking Method
Cuisine
Courses , ,
Difficulty Beginner
Time
Prep Time: 20 mins Total Time: 20 mins
Servings 8
Best Season Suitable throughout the year
Description

This was designed for our chef demonstration at our local Saturday Farmer’s Market on a July 4th weekend, utilizing that day’s market available produce. Fresh and light, this salad is full of bright flavors with an Asian influence.

Ingredients
    SESAME DRESSING
  • 1 cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 cup sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • 1/2 tsp chili oil
  • 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
    • KALE SALAD
  • seasonal kale (chopped)
  • smoked chicken breast (small dice)
  • carrot (julienne)
  • Armenian or English cucumber (julienne)
  • red onion (small dice)
  • fresh mint (rough chop)
  • fresh basil (rough chop)
  • fresh cilantro (rough chop)
  • fresh ginger (minced)
  • black and white sesame seeds (garnish)
Instructions
    SESAME DRESSING
  1. Prepare Sesame Dressing

    Gather all of your ingredients for the dressing, measure and combine.

  2. Blend

    Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth and emulsified.

  3. Chill

    Cover and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.

    4. KALE SALAD
  4. Build Salad

    While the dressing is holding in the refrigerator, gather all of your prepared salad ingredients. When it comes to salads, proportions are at the discretion of the cook and season. Always start with a larger base of kale, then add lesser amounts of the cucumber, carrots and chicken. To that even lesser amounts of the herbs. When adding the ginger, add just a touch, due to its power in flavor. Finally add a dusting of the sesame seeds. Toss everything together in large bowl.

  5. Serve

    Just before serving, add desired amount of dressing and toss. Plate and serve immediately for your guests.

Note

Depending on availability and seasonality, this recipe can be modified to your liking. The greens are easily adjustable to what you have on hand, but I would suggest that you utilize at least a couple types of fresh herbs, to enhance and maintain the brightness of this preparation. The protein component can easily be switched to another, such as pork. Also, the Sesame Vinaigrette can be used to serve alongside spring rolls as a dipping sauce.
Culinarily Yours,
Chef Cal

Keywords: kale, sesame, cucumber, chicken, spring rolls
Read it online: https://culinarilyyours.net/recipe/asian-kale-herb-salad-with-smoked-chicken-and-sesame-dressing/
The DeMercurios
Chef and Mrs Chef

Instead of a New Year’s resolution, Christa DeMercurio asked her chef husband to be her tutor/mentor/sage (not the herb) for the 2018 year, teaching her his tips, tricks and wisdom in the culinary department. She figured that after over a decade together, their bakers dozen year should be a fun journey of cooking. Her husband, Cal DeMercurio, has been in the food service business since, well, forever (40-ish years). When it comes to the restaurant life, she's always been more comfortable in the Back Office and sometimes Front of the House, but never really ventured into the professional kitchen. She's obtained a few skills by observing her husband over the years and then experimenting here and there at home. Now she's taken her apprenticeship to the next level with him cooking side by side with her.

Thank you for cooking with us!   Culinarily Yours, Chef Cal and Christa DeMercurio