Chicken and Vegetable Salad With Asian Dressing

This salad of shredded chicken tossed with a colorful slaw of red bell pepper, green cabbage and carrot, coated in an aromatic and savory soy dressing is designed to hold up well in the refrigerator, so it is an ideal make-ahead dinner, packed lunch or potluck party dish. The key is to store the dressing separately and toss it with the salad within several hours, or right before serving.

For the salad

1¼ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

1½ cups thinly sliced green cabbage

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, scrubbed well, and then cut into ribbons with a vegetable peeler

¼ cup packed cilantro leaves

16 large Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves, for serving

For the dressing

3 tablespoons walnut oil or olive oil

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons honey

1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger root

1 small clove garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon salt

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chicken breasts between pieces of plastic wrap, then pound them to an even ½-inch thickness.

Arrange them in a single layer in a baking dish; drizzle both sides with the olive oil and season with the salt. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake (middle rack) for 20 to 30 minutes, or just until the chicken has cooked through (start checking at 20 minutes). Uncover and let cool.

Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 3 days. The undressed salad components can be refrigerated a day in advance. The dressing may be refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. Once dressed, the salad should be consumed within several hours for best quality.

When you're ready to assemble the salad, pull the chicken apart with your fingers into thin strips. (Alternatively, you could skip the cooking step and use 3 cups of meat pulled from a cooked rotisserie chicken.)

Combine the chicken, cabbage, bell pepper, carrot and cilantro in a mixing bowl.

Whisk together the walnut or olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, toasted sesame oil, ginger, garlic, salt and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl to form an emulsified dressing. Pour over the salad and toss to coat evenly.

Serve in or alongside lettuce leaves, to be eaten taco-style.

Serves 4

Nutrition | Per serving: 330 calories, 34 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 6 g sugar

From nutritionist and cookbook author Ellie Krieger