Mango Cashew Chicken Salad

There are certain meals that I eat when Paul is not home for dinner: Garlic & Herb Pasta; Naked Noodles; Corn & Black Bean Fajita Grilled Cheese, and this, my new favorite: Mango Cashew Chicken Salad.

This salad has been on weekly rotation in my house for the last six weeks or so for a few very good reasons: Paul has been gone a lot on trips with students; I have a life-long obsession with cashew chicken;  I have a new-found obsession with mangoes; After a practice hike on an evening when it’s 95 degrees with 85% humidity, cooking dinner ends up fairly low on my to-do list; on those same nights, all I want is a light meal, a gallon of water, and my feet up on the couch.

So this summer-y version of cashew chicken has become my go-to.  I usually make this and eat it for dinner one night, and then have 3 additional lunches out of it.  It holds up perfectly for leftovers and I think it actually gets better as it sits!

It’s spicy and salty but the mango adds the perfect amount of sweetness, and the mixture of textures is out of this world!  I make homemade wonton strips for a garnish and add a little extra Sriracha because a little extra spice is never a bad thing.  I find that there is no need for dressing for this salad (which I love not having to add an extra step) but you can always add a little sesame oil and/or soy sauce or maybe a creamy peanut sauce would be fantastic!

Print Recipe

Mango Cashew Chicken Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Total Time: 40 min

Cashew Chicken with a summery twist: served with fresh, sweet diced mango on a bed of mixed greens. Super simple and over-the-top flavorful!

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3/4 cup cashews + more for garnish
3 cups shredded or cubed chicken (I used one rotisserie chicken)
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. Sriracha + more for garnish
6 cups Romaine &/or butter lettuce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 mango, cubed
Wonton strips for serving (see note below)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the onions and cook for 5-6 minutes until tender and fragrant. Add the bell pepper, cashews, salt & pepper and ginger. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the bell pepper is soft.

Stir in the chicken, sesame seeds, soy sauce, sesame oil, and Sriracha and cook until everything is combined. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Mix the greens (I use about half Romaine and half butter lettuce mix) with the cilantro in a large bowl. Serve the cooked cashew chicken mixture over the greens/cilantro mix, and top with the cubed mango, additional cashews and/or Sriracha and wonton strips.

Cassie’s Notes:
I have used store-bought wonton strips but I much prefer to make them myself. Here’s what I do:
Take 12 wonton wrappers and cut them in half, and then cut each half into strips – I get 8 strips out of one wrapper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the cut strips with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and ground ginger (about 1/4 teaspoon each) and then toss to combine. Bake for 8-10 minutes, tossing frequently, until golden brown.

Inspired by How Sweet Eats