Asian Wonton Chicken Salad

I know that posting a salad recipe right now, when everyone else is starting to share recipes for hearty casseroles and comforting soups, seems a little odd. However, I maintain that there is no unacceptable time of year to enjoy fried wontons. Who’s with me?

And the crispy fried wontons are just one of this salad’s delicious elements. The other? A to-die-for sweet sesame dressing that I would be perfectly happy to drink from a straw. Throw in some poached chicken, some crisp romaine, and lots of fresh veggies, and you have the perfect Asian salad. You can make every part of it ahead of time and throw it together on a night you need a quick, effortless dinner.

(And by the way, I feel the need to mention that this is very kid-friendly. Give your little one some chicken, veggies, cashews and wontons and a little dish of dressing for dipping, and they’ll love it. At least, mine did!)

Asian Wonton Chicken Salad
slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

For the dressing:
2/3 cup rice vinegar
1 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed or very finely minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons sesame seeds

For the salad:
2 heads romaine lettuce
3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
Cherry tomatoes
1 cucumber, sliced
Cashews
1/2 package wonton wrappers
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Place all ingredients for salad dressing into a quart jar (or something equivalent) and shake vigorously. Set aside.

2. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a pot on the stove top. Use pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut wontons into three strips. Fry wontons a few at a time and set on paper towels to dry.

3. Tear clean lettuce into chunks and place in a large salad bowl. Top with cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and cashews. Add shredded chicken and top with dressing. Toss salad together. Once everything is well coated, add wonton strips and gently toss to combine.