This crunchy and creamy salad is a favorite go-to dish for many. It has all the nutritious vegetables including kale, avocado, scallions, carrot, tofu, red pepper, and others. Tahini and lemon juice dressing gives it the perfect taste. The sesame seeds and cashews on top are bonuses.
Ingredients
Chicken Cashew Salad
- Napa cabbage, green cabbage, or kale – 5 cups, chopped
- Rotisserie chicken – 2 cups, shredded
- Tofu
- Carrots – 1 cup, shredded
- Green onions – 1 cup, finely chopped
- Roasted cashews – ¾ cups
- Fresh cilantro – ¼ cup, finely chopped
Dressing
- Tahini – ¼ cup
- Tamari – 2 tablespoons
- Rice vinegar – 2 tablespoons
- Toasted sesame oil – 1 tablespoon
- Maple syrup – 1 tablespoon
- Garlic clove – 1, grated
Cooking method
Prepare the rotisserie chicken. You will get a burning effect. Once it is cooked in your rotisserie shred chicken pieces to add to the salad. Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients in a glass jar. Make the consistency smooth. Now put all the vegetables, chicken, and cashews in a large bowl. Add some salt for seasoning. Pour the salad dressing you just made on top. Now toss everything well. You will love the smell of sesame oil. Serve the salad immediately to get the best taste. You can refrigerate and store it for two days.
Tips
If you are planning to make the salad beforehand, then it is better to use kale and green cabbage. Avoid using Napa cabbage as it might wilt. If you can keep it in an airtight container, the cashews will also stay crunchy. If you don't find tamari in the market then you can use soy sauce instead. Tamari is very similar to soy sauce, except that it's less salty. You can serve the salad cold without spoiling its original taste. You can also use coconut anions for a similar taste.
Napa cabbage is a Chinese cabbage that gets tender easily. It is sweeter than the normal cabbage. You can use the normal cabbage as Napa cabbage may not always be available in the market. As you don't need to reheat it, you can just grab and go to your office and enjoy this delicious salad for lunch.
Recipe variations
You can easily turn this dish into a vegan. Just replace chicken with chickpeas. You will get the same nutrition. You can also add cooked quinoa, farro, or brown rice. You can use sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead of nuts. You can make the Asian variation of this salad with rice. You can do it with leftover rice and chicken. First, put the salad on the platter and then layer it with rice, chicken, and roasted cashews. You can use other dressings than tahini-tamarind dressing.
Health factors
You will be surprised to know that despite its size, cashews are very fulfilling. Try having a number of them when you are hungry. It contains protein, fiber, and healthy fats. If you add it to your salad, your satiety will increase and you won't crave much for foo. So, you will be able to manage your weight. Kale and cabbages are green nutritious veggies. They contain loads of vitamins and fiber to keep you healthy. This nutrient-rich salad can easily replace your carb meal and help you stay healthy.
Cashew crunch salad with sesame dressing gives an Asian taste to your salad. But the tahini-tamari dressing adds a Chinese flavor to it. If you can cut the vegetables and keep them in zip-lock bags in the freezer then you can make this salad very quickly anytime. It's a great side dish to serve your guests along with the main course.
A super fresh, super summery Lemon Herb Pasta Salad! Packed with tangy marinated chickpeas, chewy pasta, lots of herbs and garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, and a handful of parmesan to top it off.
Consider this your weekly (daily?) reminder that really delicious food does not need to be complicated.
The basics – garlic, lemon, herbs, olive oil – are prepared to deliver. They are usually somewhere in the pantry or fridge, and they are always going to serve us well.
I give you Exhibit A: The Lemon Herb Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas which involves deliciously squishy pasta coated in a silky "sauce" of olive oil and lemon juice (I'm all about no-recipe dressings), tossed with chickpeas that have been soaking in a flavor bath of fresh garlic and herbs and such, and finished with more herbs and lots of salt and pepper and some Parmesan cheese. Is it good warm? Is it good cold? Is it good as a side or a main or a… snack? The answer to all of the above is Y-E-S.
This is all you need:
- Chewy, tender, appropriately noodley pasta
- Hearty little chickpeas
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Basil and parsley
- GARRRRLIC
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese
Thank you for understanding the amount of effort I'm prepared to give right now (minimal) and the delicious results I am expecting in return (major).
This served me so right on both levels.
"Marinated chickpeas" is how you make it FEEL fancy, but all it really is is giving a shot of big garlic / lemon / herb flavor into the whole thing with very little effort.
First, grab your pantry ingredients. DeLallo all the way.
We're working with fewer ingredients here, so QUALITY MATTERS! Phenomenally textured authentic Italian pasta, good solid olive oil that actually, um, tastes like olive oil, and a can of never-fails-you chickpeas, and you're basically halfway there.
The pasta gets cooked.
The chickpeas get… marinated. Overnight would be ideal, but lol. If you are short on time, I promise your mouth will still be happy with the work that's been done. Just let the chickpeas hang out with all their flavors while you prep the rest. If you are bold, give them a little mashing with a fork so they soak up some extra flavor.
Toss with herbs and cheese and salt and pepper and lemon zest and the other good things you like….
And YOU'RE EATING THIS YUMMY LUNCH.
Or second lunch. Or bedtime snack.
Lemon Herb Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas – it is there for you this week. THERE. FOR. YOU
OK here's my Roasted Broccoli Salad and it's EVERYTHING! The broccoli's perfect fried roasted mess of shape, crisp, bright lemon & tangy feta — everything's around a big bowl. A true hero of a meal!
Here's the thing I want you to know about this roasted broccoli salad:
It is quite possibly my favorite way that I have ever eaten broccoli in my entire life.
This salad was introduced to me by my friend Liz, who got it from another friend, Amanda, which I like to think is just how the best recipes come about. Now to your screen, here, to be eaten in 5 seconds flat, from one food loving person to another, and onto another.
The ingredients here are humble and low-key, but together they make a FLAVOR BANG:
- shallot
- bacon
- feta
- lemon
- broccoli
- sourdough
Now toss in some olive oil, salt, pepper and you are on the beautiful roasted broccoli ride.
It Has Everything You Want In a Salad
The flavors in this are just everything I want in all my meals ever: Roasted broccoli, tangy, crunchy, slightly bitter and bright from the lemon zest, salty from the crisped up bacon, built around a big bowl of roasted broccoli (in and of itself, is a real hero).
Reasons I love this as an SOS meal:
- It's incredibly delicious. Good food, good mood. Instant lift.
- This is actually so minimal hands on prep. It pretty much all happens on a pan, marinating you all the time for… not being in the kitchen.
- This is super customizable. To take an example, perhaps you'd like to really bulk it up; you could add something like some rotisserie chicken or even some more roasted veggies.
- And it actually does keep really well as leftovers. Obviously, just keep those croutons nice and dry in a separate container, and the bread is the one tricky thing that can get soggy. But I promise you that this salad can be eaten garlic and all, hot, cold, room temp – I know you're going to ask, but I've even eaten these leftovers for breakfast. On that SOS train to the very last stop.
I don't mean that you should be jealous, but at this very moment there is a sheet pan of broccoli, bacon, and shallots in my oven.
My house smells amazing, I already am eating this and IT IS A GLORIOUS DAY.
ROASTED BROCCOLI SALAD: FAQS
I'm all out of bacon! What can I sub?
Pancetta would be delicious! Dice it up into tiny cubes – or lots of grocery stores sell pancetta pre-cubed (SOS win!). Fry it up in a pan for a few minutes, and then throw it on the salad.
When do leftovers still taste delicious?
If you can store the broccoli and other ingredients separately from the sourdough croutons, this will keep for 3 – 5 days in a covered container in the fridge. If they go in with the dressing, other ingredients along with the croutons they might breakdown quicker and get soggy the next day. I think I've eaten it as slightly soggy leftovers and it's still really good. 🙂
This looks great! Is this a full meal?
So this salad is extremely filling! Not that this isn't already full of bread, bacon and cheese but if you want something else with it, these chicken meatballs or store bought rotisserie chicken would be good.
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Absolutely! What you should keep in mind is that the oven cooking on the frozen broccoli option takes more time. You can either remove the shallots from the pan after 20-30 minutes or begin the broccoli first, adding the shallots to the pan 10-15 minutes later so that your other ingredients don't overcook.
Thoughtful cultivation nurtures bountiful harvests.
Choose Varieties for Your Conditions
Assess sunlight, soil quality and temperature fluctuations. Basil succeeds in 6+ hours direct sun and rich soil. Lemon balm tolerates partial shade. Cilantro bolts quickly in heat over 80°F, opting for slower bolting varieties. Garlic and ginger prefer cool areas while turmeric, galangal thrive in tropical heat and humidity. Dwarf plant varieties fit compact spaces better than standard sizes. Research each herb’s ideal growing conditions.
Prepare Optimal Growing Beds
Layout raised beds, aboveground planter boxes or in-ground garden plots. Beds allow for improved drainage. Dig and amend soil with 2-3 inches of compost or well-aged manure along with lime if soil tests acidic. Work amendments thoroughly into soil’s top 6-12 inches. Position beds in locations receiving full sun for at least 6 hours daily if possible. For shaded spots, supplement with LED grow lights hung 2-3 feet overhead and operated 12-16 hours per day. Lay down landscape fabric, straw mulch or build physical edging to suppress weeds from thriving around plants.
Start from Seedlings or Seed
Purchase nursery transplants when seasons allow for jumpstarted harvests. Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks prior in seed starting mix under grow lights. Hardening off seedlings gradually acclimates them to sun and breeze before transplanting after last spring frost when soil reaches 60°F. Plant seeds directly in ground when soil reaches at least 60°F, thinning as baby plants develop. Provide climbing structures for vining crops like pole beans, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Water Consistently Yet Thoroughly
Check soil moisture daily, watering deeply whenever top 1-2 inches start to dry out. Water seedlings more regularly versus established plants. Deploy soaker hoses beneath mulch or use drip irrigation tape next to individual plants for targeted, efficient delivery. Water consistently in morning to allow foliage time to dry out before nightfall.
Fertilize Monthly Through Growth
Once plants reach 4-6 inches tall, side dress with balanced 5-10-5 fertilizer, working it lightly into top few inches of soil. Supplement trace minerals by brewing weekly compost or manure tea to boost production organically. Fertilize after major trimmings or each productive season.
Prune for Continuous Harvests
Pinch back leggy growth or remove spent foliage regularly. Harvest whole basil stems or sprigs of other herbs often to encourage regrowth. Cut back spent plants in fall after 1st frost to tidy beds for winter. Protect more tender perennials with mulch.
Monitor for Pests or Disease
Inspect plants daily, removing diseased foliage or pest sightings promptly before spreading. Spray neem oil, insecticidal soap or compost tea regularly as preventative or at first signs of issues like aphids or powdery mildew organically if possible. Protect seedlings with row cover fabric from pests.
Extend the Harvest Season
Before fall frost, move pots indoors under lights or near sunny windows. Hang herb bundles to air dry for use year-round. Freeze or can pesto, herbs in oil for delicious culinary gifts and meals later.
Conclusion
With attentive care tailored to plant preferences, homegrown herbs and spices provide flavorful, healthy ingredients for creating memorable meals and culinary satisfaction.
