Flavorful Chicken & Cabbage Salad with Sesame Almonds

Discover the Ultimate Flavorful Chicken & Cabbage Salad with Sesame Almonds

In the culinary world, some dishes simply captivate with their perfect balance of flavors and textures. Our Flavorful Chicken & Cabbage Salad with Sesame Almonds is one such revelation, offering a vibrant, satisfying, and incredibly delicious meal that’s perfect for any occasion. Inspired by beloved deli favorites and elevated with thoughtful techniques, this salad transforms simple ingredients into a sophisticated and wholesome dish. Featuring tender poached chicken, crisp cabbage, fresh scallions, crunchy sesame seeds, and toasted almonds all tossed in a zesty white balsamic and sesame oil dressing, it’s a symphony of tastes that will leave you wanting more.

Whether you're looking for a refreshing lunch, a light yet filling dinner, or an impressive make-ahead dish, this chicken cabbage salad with sesame seeds, scallions, and almonds checks all the boxes. It's not just a salad; it's an experience.

The Heart of the Salad: Perfectly Prepared Chicken & Cabbage

The foundation of any great salad lies in the quality and preparation of its core ingredients. For our Flavorful Chicken & Cabbage Salad, this means perfectly tender chicken and wonderfully crisp yet yielding cabbage. The methods we employ ensure each component contributes its best to the overall harmony of the dish.

Mastering the Poached Chicken

While many recipes might call for leftover rotisserie chicken or quickly pan-fried pieces, our recipe leans into the elegant simplicity and superior tenderness of a poached whole chicken. Using a 3-pound whole chicken not only imbues the salad with incredible flavor but also offers the added bonus of creating a rich, homemade chicken stock from the bones and poaching liquid. This method ensures the chicken remains incredibly moist and easy to shred, soaking up the dressing beautifully.

If tackling a whole chicken feels like a step too far, don't despair! You can easily substitute boneless, skinless chicken pieces, such as two or three breasts or a mix of breasts and thighs. To prepare these, simply bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the chicken pieces, turn off the heat, cover, and let them poach for about 15 minutes. This gentle cooking technique yields equally tender results. Once cooled slightly, the chicken can be easily shredded, ready to mingle with the other ingredients.

The Secret to Tender Cabbage: Salting for Success

One of the distinctive qualities of this salad is its perfectly textured cabbage – crisp enough to hold its own, yet tender enough to be truly enjoyable. This isn't achieved by chance but by a clever technique learned from renowned culinary sources like The Slanted Door cookbook: brief salting. Finely shredded cabbage, about 2.5 pounds from a single head, is gently massaged with kosher salt. This process, often overlooked, performs a dual function:

Relaxes and Tenderizes: The salt helps to break down the cabbage's tough cell walls, allowing it to "relax" and become more pliable. This makes the shreds wonderfully tender and much easier to chew.
Releases Excess Liquid: Salting draws out some of the cabbage's natural water content. This not only concentrates its flavor but also prevents the dressing from becoming watered down, ensuring it adheres better to each strand.

The result is a cabbage that beautifully absorbs the dressing, contributing both crunch and a lovely, almost sweet tenderness to the salad. This vital step is key to transforming a good salad into an exceptional one. For a deeper dive into this technique and other secrets, explore our guide on Tender Cabbage Salad: Poached Chicken & Salting Secrets.

Crafting the Perfect Dressing & Unforgettable Toppings

Beyond the primary ingredients, the dressing and textural additions are what truly elevate this chicken cabbage salad with sesame seeds, scallions, and almonds from good to extraordinary. Each component is carefully selected to contribute to a symphony of flavors and satisfying crunch.

The Zesty & Aromatic Dressing

The dressing for this salad strikes a beautiful balance between tangy, savory, and subtly sweet. It��s light enough not to overpower but robust enough to coat every shred of cabbage and piece of chicken with vibrant flavor. The key players include:

White Balsamic Vinegar (1/4 cup): Offering a milder, less assertive tang than traditional dark balsamic, it provides a clean, bright acidity without staining the cabbage.
Neutral Oil (1/2 cup): Canola or grapeseed oil serves as the perfect base, carrying the flavors without imposing its own.
Sesame Oil (2 tablespoons): This is where much of the salad's signature nutty, aromatic depth comes from. Its distinctive flavor is central to the Asian-inspired profile.
Fresh Lemon Juice (1 tablespoon): A squeeze of fresh lemon brightens the entire dressing, adding another layer of zesty acidity.
Sugar (2 teaspoons): A touch of sugar balances the acidity of the vinegars and lemon juice, creating a harmonious sweet and sour profile.
Kosher Salt (2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon): Essential for seasoning the dressing itself and contributing to the overall flavor balance, especially considering the pre-salted cabbage.

Whisked together, these ingredients create a dressing that is both complex and incredibly appealing, tying all the diverse elements of the salad together seamlessly.

Crunchy Accents: Sesame Seeds & Sliced Almonds

Texture is paramount in this salad, and the roasted sesame seeds and sliced almonds deliver a delightful crunch that contrasts beautifully with the tender chicken and cabbage. A generous 1 cup of sliced almonds and 1/3 cup of sesame seeds are folded into the mix. Toasting these before adding them is a simple step that significantly amplifies their nutty flavor and aroma, adding depth and warmth to every bite. The combination of these two elements is what gives the salad its distinctive "sesame almonds" character.

Freshness & Aromatic Kick: Scallions

Finally, six thinly sliced scallions provide a fresh, mild oniony bite that cuts through the richness of the dressing and the heartiness of the chicken. Their vibrant green color also adds a beautiful visual appeal to the finished dish. They are folded in at the end to maintain their crispness and fresh flavor.

Assembling Your Masterpiece: Tips for Success

Bringing all these carefully prepared components together is the final step in creating your delicious Flavorful Chicken & Cabbage Salad with Sesame Almonds. The process is straightforward, but a few tips can ensure the best results.

Step-by-Step Assembly

Prepare Cabbage: Shred the cabbage finely and toss it with the specified amount of kosher salt. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, then drain any released liquid thoroughly. This step is crucial for the cabbage’s texture and its ability to absorb the dressing.
Poach Chicken: Prepare your whole chicken or boneless pieces as described earlier. Once cooled, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Toast Nuts & Seeds: Lightly toast your sliced almonds and sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant and slightly golden. Watch them closely as they can burn quickly.
Whisk Dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk together the white balsamic vinegar, neutral oil, sesame oil, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and the remaining kosher salt until well combined.
Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained cabbage, shredded chicken, toasted almonds, toasted sesame seeds, and thinly sliced scallions.
Dress & Toss: Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients. Toss everything gently but thoroughly, ensuring every piece of chicken and cabbage is coated.
Chill for Best Flavor: While delicious immediately, this salad truly shines after chilling for at least an hour in the refrigerator. This allows the flavors to meld and the cabbage to further absorb the dressing.

Enhancements & Variations

While the recipe as written is perfect, feel free to personalize it:

Add More Vegetables: Shredded carrots, bell peppers, or even a handful of chopped fresh cilantro can add extra color and nutrients.
Spice it Up: A pinch of red pepper flakes in the dressing can add a subtle kick.
Nutty Alternatives: While almonds are fantastic, toasted cashews or peanuts could also provide a delicious crunch.
Make it Vegan: Omit the chicken and add crispy tofu or tempeh for a equally satisfying plant-based version.

This salad is not only delicious but also incredibly versatile. It makes for excellent meal prep, often tasting even better the next day as the flavors deepen. For more make-ahead tips and inspiration, check out our article on Sumi Salad Inspired: Make Ahead Chicken Cabbage Meal.

Beyond the Recipe: Why This Salad Shines

The Flavorful Chicken & Cabbage Salad with Sesame Almonds is more than just a collection of ingredients; it's a testament to how simple, wholesome components can be transformed into an unforgettable culinary experience. Its inspiration, notably the Sumi Salad from places like the Honest Weight Food Coop in Albany, highlights a tradition of crafting salads that are both nourishing and deeply satisfying.

This salad stands out for several reasons:

Nutritional Powerhouse: It’s packed with lean protein from the chicken, fiber and vitamins from the cabbage, and healthy fats from the sesame oil and almonds.
Incredible Texture: The interplay between the tender chicken, crisp-yet-tender cabbage, and crunchy almonds and sesame seeds makes every bite exciting.
Balanced Flavor Profile: The dressing perfectly marries savory, sweet, and tangy notes, ensuring a well-rounded and harmonious taste.
Exceptional for Meal Prep: Unlike many salads that wilt quickly, this dish holds up remarkably well in the refrigerator, making it an ideal choice for healthy lunches throughout the week. In fact, many find its flavors deepen and improve over time.

It's a meal that feels both comforting and invigorating, satisfying hearty appetites while leaving you feeling light and energized. Whether served as a centerpiece for a casual gathering or as a reliable option for your weekly meal plan, this salad is sure to become a beloved favorite.

Conclusion

The Flavorful Chicken & Cabbage Salad with Sesame Almonds offers a delightful journey for your taste buds, combining robust textures with an explosion of savory-sweet and tangy notes. From the perfectly poached chicken to the tender, dressing-absorbing cabbage, and the irresistible crunch of sesame seeds and almonds, every element plays a crucial role in creating this outstanding dish. It's a testament to how thoughtful preparation and quality ingredients can elevate a simple salad into a truly memorable meal. We encourage you to try this recipe and discover firsthand why this chicken cabbage salad with sesame seeds, scallions, and almonds is destined to become a staple in your culinary repertoire.