Shaker Chicken Cucumber Salad (Printable version)

A protein-rich blend of chicken, cucumber, and scallions with a savory soy-sesame dressing.

# Ingredient list:

→ Salad

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
02 - 1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
03 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
04 - 1 small carrot, julienned (optional)
05 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

→ Soy-Sesame Dressing

06 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
07 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
08 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
09 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
10 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
11 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
12 - ½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
13 - Juice of ½ lime

# Step-by-step guide:

01 - Whisk soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger, garlic, chili flakes if using, and lime juice in a small bowl or jar until combined.
02 - Layer chicken, cucumber, scallions, carrot if using, and sesame seeds in a large container or mason jar.
03 - Pour the prepared dressing over the layered ingredients.
04 - Seal the container tightly and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to evenly coat all ingredients.
05 - Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 24 hours. Shake before serving to redistribute the dressing.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • Everything goes into one container, so theres no mess and no extra dishes to wash later.
  • The dressing gets better as it sits, soaking into the chicken and cucumber overnight.
  • You can shake it right before eating and it feels like youre making lunch all over again.
  • Its filling enough to keep you going without feeling heavy or greasy.
02 -
  • If you add the dressing too early and let it sit for days, the cucumber will release water and dilute everything.
  • Toasting sesame seeds in a dry pan for two minutes makes them taste completely different, nutty and almost buttery.
  • Using a container thats too full means the salad wont shake properly, leave at least an inch of space at the top.
03 -
  • Always taste the dressing before you pour it, you can fix it now but not after its shaken in.
  • If youre making multiple servings, use separate containers so each one stays fresh and you can customize the heat level.
  • Let the chicken cool completely before layering it, warm chicken will wilt the cucumber and make everything soggy.
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