Despite not being an authentic Chinese dish and having its origins in California, this salad makes its summer-time rounds at restaurants and picnics alike. I wouldn't skimp out on the sugar. Part of the appeal this salad has over others is its sweet and savory dressing. It's roughly 1/2 c. cooked chicken per serving, so adjust the recipe accordingly to accommodate more people.
Serves 4.
The basic salad
CCS uses romaine lettuce and/or napa cabbage leaves as its salad base. You could use other types of lettuce, but they simply won't hold up against the dressing over several hours. You'll want to use a lighter-tasting vegetable oil, so olive oil or coconut oil have to sit this out. You could chop or shred the lettuce leaves. Home cooks tend to shred the salad (like how cabbage for coleslaw is cut), and most retail packages have 1" pieces of lettuce leaves--largely this is so that the salad has a longer shelf life.
1/2 head napa cabbage, shredded or cut into 1" pieces
1/2 head romaine lettuce leaves, shredded or cut into 1" pieces
2 c. shredded or cubed cooked chicken breast
3 stalks green onions, thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
The dressing:
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 c vegetable oil (grapeseed, peanut, or canola)
Optional ingredients:
fresh snow peas, trimmed
mandarin orange slices, fresh or canned
deep fried wonton skins (cut into 1/4" strips and deep fried in 375 degree F oil)
toasted sesame seeds
toasted sliced almonds
crunchy noodles
fresh bean sprouts
bean thread noodles or thin rice noodles, cooked and drained
