Chinese chicken salad

This light Chinese chicken salad from Ollie Wong-Hee makes for a great starter, or a main dish with cooked rice to serve to dinner party guests. With lightly poached chicken, crisp vegetables and a soy-based dressing, this recipe is ideal for warmer months.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

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episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

PG

Ingredients

• 1 litre water
• 50 g fine salt
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 small daikon (or kohlrabi) thinly sliced
• 4 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup coriander leaves
• Cooked rice, to serve (optional)

Sesame dressing (makes extra) 

• 50 ml light soy sauce
• 50 ml simple sugar syrup (see Note)
• 50 ml Chinese red vinegar
• 35 ml sesame oil
• 10 ml chilli oil
• ½ tsp finely grated ginger

Resting time: 20 minutes

Instructions

1. Combine the water and salt in a medium saucepan, then add the chicken breasts and gently heat over medium-high heat. When it begins to gently bubble, cover, turn off the heat and allow to cool completely, until the chicken breasts are completely cooked through.
   
2. Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the dressing in a jug or small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, spring onion, daikon, mushrooms and coriander leaves and mix gently to combine.
   
3. Once the chicken is cooked, drain and use your hands to finely shred and add to the bowl with the vegetables. Pour over as much of the dressing as you like – there may be a little extra remaining. Mix gently to combine the salad and dressing. Serve with rice, if you like.

Note

• To make a simple syrup, place 1 part sugar to 1 part water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool and thicken. Store in fridge.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Well Dressed

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

PG

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

PG