This Chinese Chicken Salad Is A Perfect Weight Watchers Lunch

This Chinese Chicken Salad is a burst of freshness and a blend of flavors and textures that you will love.

It’s a salad that defies expectations, offering a refreshing departure from the ordinary. Packed with fresh ingredients like Chinese cabbage, tangelos, and a colorful assortment of vegetables, this salad is not only visually appealing also really filling.

What sets it apart is the unexpected addition of ramen noodles – yes, the same ones you might find in instant soup packets. These crispy noodles add a delightful crunch to the salad, elevating it to a whole new level of enjoyment.

The dressing, infused with Asian flavors like soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, and a hint of sweetness from honey (or a substitute), ties everything together.

Chinese Chicken Salad Overview

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes (for chicken)

Servings: 4

Serving size: 1350 g. 

4 WW points per serving

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (300 g.)
• 1 Chinese cabbage
• 1 tangelo (tangerine), peeled and segmented
• 1 cup shredded purple cabbage (about 100 g)
• 1 cup spiralized carrots (about 100 g)
• 2 cups shredded lettuce (about 100 g)
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• ½ packet of ramen noodles, crushed (discard seasoning packet) (about 50 g.)
• ¼ cup peanuts (about 60 g)

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup soy sauce (about 60 ml)
• 1 teaspoon stevia (about 30 ml)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (about 15 ml)
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger (about 15 g)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (about 30 ml)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions:

1. Start by cooking the chicken breasts. You can grill, bake, or poach them until they’re fully cooked. Once cooked, shred the chicken using two forks and set aside.

2. Prep the Vegetables:

3. Purple and Chinese Cabbage: Remove any outer leaves and slice the cabbage into thin shreds using a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer.

4. Carrots: Peel the carrots and use a julienne peeler, spiralizer, or a sharp knife to cut them into thin strips or matchsticks.

5. Lettuce: Wash the lettuce leaves thoroughly and pat them dry with paper towels. Then, stack the leaves on top of each other, roll them tightly, and slice across into thin ribbons.

6. Scallions: Trim off the roots and any wilted parts. Slice the scallions thinly, both the white and green parts.

7. Tangelo: Peel the tangelo and remove any seeds. Segment the fruit by carefully cutting between the membranes to release the individual segments. Set aside.

8. In a large mixing bowl, combine the prepared shredded cabbage, carrots, lettuce, and sliced scallions.

9. Add the cooked and shredded chicken to the bowl with the vegetables.

10. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing: soy sauce, stevia, sesame oil, grated ginger, rice vinegar, and minced garlic.

11. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients in the large mixing bowl. Toss everything together until the salad is evenly coated with the dressing.

12. Just before serving, add the crushed ramen noodles and tangelo segments to the salad and toss again to combine.

13. Sprinkle the peanuts over the top of the salad for an extra crunch. Serve immediately and enjoy your delicious Chinese Chicken Salad!

Variations and Substitutions

While the recipe calls for a specific set of vegetables, feel free to customize it to your liking. If you’re a fan of snow peas or broccoli, go ahead and add them in. And for an extra crunch, consider tossing in some sliced almonds.

As for the dressing, don’t be afraid to experiment with different sauces like hoisin or additional soy sauce to suit your taste preferences.

Tips and Tricks for Making Chinese Chicken Salad

• Use a spiralizer, mandoline, or even a sharp knife to thinly slice the carrots. Grating them with a cheese grater is also an option if you don’t have any of the aforementioned tools.
• Adapt the salad to suit your taste and the ingredients you have on hand. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
• While the salad can be stored in the refrigerator for a few hours, it’s best enjoyed immediately. Be sure to add the dressing just before serving to prevent the noodles from getting soggy.

WW Points

Grilled skinless boneless 0 points
chicken breast 0 points
Cooked Chinese (pak-choi) cabbage 0 points
Tangerine 0 points
Cabbage (all varieties) 0 points
Romaine lettuce 0 points
Scallions 0 points
Peanuts 6 points
Soy sauce 1 point
Stevia leaf herbal extract 0 points
Sesame oil 4 points
Fresh ginger 0 points
Unseasoned rice vinegar 0 points
Garlic 0 points
Dry ramen noodles 6 points
½ package(s) without flavor packet 0 points