Bob’s Chicken and Cabbage Salad
Author Melissa Broder’s late father, Bob, was an ardent fan of purple cabbage. Like an “eat a wedge of it with blue cheese dressing” sort of fan. Originally inspired by a recipe from The Frog Commissary Cookbook, this crunchy chicken and cabbage salad quickly became Bob’s calling card, as Melissa tells it. It was the dish he’d bring to “every birthday luncheon, barbecue, and graduation party.” With a bright and punchy sesame-ginger dressing plus tons of texture from bean sprouts, canned water chestnuts, and toasted nuts, it’s little surprise why this was beloved. This recipe makes a mountain of salad—enough to feed a crowd.
Servings: 6
Equipment
- Instant-Read Thermometer
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Heavy-Duty Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
Dressing
- 8 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 2-inch piece of ginger peeled, finely chopped (about 1 Tbsp.)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar
- ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
Salad and Assembly
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 2 lb.)
- 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt plus more
- ¾ cup raw almonds
- ½ small head of purple cabbage about 10 oz., cored, thinly sliced
- 4 baby bok choy thinly sliced crosswise
- 6 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 (8-oz) cans cans water chestnuts drained, quartered
- 1 (7-oz) bag mung bean sprouts about 2½ cups
Instructions
Dressing
- Whisk 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped, one 2" piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped (about 1 Tbsp.), ½ cup vegetable oil, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, ¼ cup toasted sesame oil, ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar, 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 3 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar, and ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper in a small bowl to combine.Do Ahead: Dressing can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Whisk before using.
Salad and Assembly
- Pour ½ cup dressing into a medium bowl. Add 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 lb.), sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and turn to coat. Let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Toast ¾ cup raw almonds on a large rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop; set aside.
- Line baking sheet with a piece of foil about twice its length. Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip back into bowl, and arrange in a single layer on baking sheet; discard marinade. Fold foil up and over chicken and bring edges together to make a packet; crimp tightly to seal.
- Bake chicken until cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted through foil and into the thickest part of a breast should register 150℉), 30–40 minutes. Let cool in foil, then tear open packet and shred chicken into large pieces.
- Place chicken in a large bowl. Add ½ small head of purple cabbage (about 10 oz.), cored, thinly sliced, 4 baby bok choy, thinly sliced crosswise, 6 scallions, thinly sliced, two 8-oz. cans water chestnuts, drained, quartered, one 7-oz. bag mung bean sprouts (about 2½ cups), and remaining dressing; toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
- Pile salad on a platter; top with reserved almonds.
Notes
If it’s helpful, you can prep the vegetables, chicken, and dressing ahead of time and hold them separately, tossing everything together at the time of serving.
