![Grilled Halloumi and Zucchini With Salsa Verde](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/16/multimedia/LH-grilled-halloumi-and-zucchini-hjqp/LH-grilled-halloumi-and-zucchini-hjqp-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Crispy Wonton Chicken Salad
![Crispy Wonton Chicken Salad](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/06/26/dining/26EAT-crispy-wonton-chicken-salad1/merlin_208546647_524aafb6-2c28-49f2-8931-732bf091e458-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 3tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2tablespoons peach or apricot preserves
- 2tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1tablespoon soy sauce
- 1teaspoon chili powder
- ½teaspoon onion powder
- Salt
- 8ounces cooked chicken meat, torn into bite-size pieces (2 cups)
- 8wonton wrappers (see Tip)
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Salt
- 2romaine hearts, coarsely chopped
- 4scallions, coarsely chopped
- 1packed cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems
- 1packed cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
For the Dressing
For the Salad
Preparation
- Step 1
Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sesame oil, peach preserves, mayonnaise, soy sauce, chili powder and onion powder, and season to taste with salt.
- Step 2
Prepare the salad: Add the chicken to the dressing and toss.
- Step 3
To fry the wonton wrappers, cut the squares into ½-inch strips, then cut those strips in half crosswise to shorten them. In a medium saucepan, heat an inch of oil over medium to 350 degrees, or until a wonton strip immediately bubbles when added. Carefully add the wonton strips to the hot oil and, stirring constantly with a slotted spoon, fry until puffy and golden, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Transfer the crispy wontons to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.
- Step 4
Assemble the salad: Add the chopped romaine, scallions, cilantro, mint and half of the fried wontons to the bowl with the dressed chicken, and toss to combine. Season with salt as needed. Top with the remaining fried wontons and serve immediately.
- Wonton wrappers are uncooked, flour-based thin sheets of dough, about 3½ inches square. You can find them in the refrigerated section of supermarkets. Store-bought fried wonton wrappers, often packaged as “wonton strips,” are a convenient alternative, though they can be harder to find; look for them near the salad croutons.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I'm just here to say do yourself a favor and read the absolutely beautiful article Eric Kim wrote to introduce this recipe. It'll give you a big lump in your throat (NY Times Magazine, June 22, 2022).
Crispy, fried shallots or onions (store bought) is a brilliant substitute to the fried wontons...
I make a very similar cabbage-based version of this based off a Marion Grasby recipe. I like it because it uses up the wonton bags all the Chinese takeouts include here in NYC. I started adding duck sauce packets to the dressing, which is the only useful application I ever found (serving same purpose as apricot preserves here). Try adding in a diced red chile, some crushed peanuts, and fried shallots too!
Sometimes I think there should be a 24-hour "grace period" before comments are allowed here and elsewhere; it would give what is truly a negligible impulse -- "Oh, I should say this!" -- time to pass. Most people would move on after twenty-four hours to other opportunities to comment on other things, and the comments that do get made might be more pertinent. You're exactly right.
I’m having a hard time reading the notes in this recipe. No subs! No changes!!! Don’t mess w the The memory being invoked here. Eric not only gets the recipe right but all of the nostalgia too.
Pita chips would probably work pretty well.
I was wondering if fried chow mein noodles would be a good substitute, too.
I would take my late mother and father to Souplantation whenever they visited me in Southern California. My Dad would always ask if he could get me anything more, “It’s on me!” and we could groan from the dad joke. My mother perfected the art of removing the chicken from the chicken noodle soup and adding it to her salad. I miss my parents and I miss Souplantation. What a beautiful piece. Thank you Eric.
The first thing my father (now gone) always did after picking me up at the airport in Sarasota, FL was take me to Sweet Tomatoes (now, also gone). Sometimes, life just isn't. Life isn't always fair, especially when there's no great fare to get you through the day.
Cooked wonton wrappers for the first time, they were delish and I loved the crunch. I added mandarin for some extra sweetness and the salad dressing was perfect. Thank you.
Wonton substitute: Crush a third or half package of ramen noodles into smallish pieces and fry in butter until brown, adding a handful sesame seeds at the last minute. Salt if using unsalted butter.
I added mandarin oranges and toasted almond slivers. Delicious!
Chili powder might suffice in a pinch, but tastes fairly generic. To get some flavor closer to Asia, sambal oelek or even sriracha would make for a more distinct and fresher flavor.
Sweet Tomatoes was Soup Plantation here. Still mourning so thank you for the recipe! I always went for this salad first.
Yes, read the article. This is why I favor recipes with "stories" attached instead of just a recipe by itself. All of us who loved Sweet Tomatoes & this salad would love the recipe alone but with this beautiful story that has parts we've all experienced makes me save it on my hard drive. Thx, Eric, for both of them.
I have never commented on a NYT cooking recipe even though we use it several times a week—Eric Kim and his wonderful and sentimental recipes may get me to change that. This was a (delicious) taste of nostalgia for anyone who loved Souplantation (aka Sweet Tomatoes). We omitted mint and didn’t think it needed extra salt. Will be making this regularly!
This was delightful. I made the dressing with orange marmalade because it's what I had and liked the slight bitterness. I added parsley to the cilantro and mint which made the salad noticeably herb forward. And I used purchased wanton strips marketed as a salad topping -- they were as easy as opening a chip bag. Finally, for a hit of protein I added meat-free chicken. The result was refreshing, filling, and delicious!
Add cukes and avocado. Made half recipe of dressing. Used half canola oil and half sesame oil. Used half amt of chili powder.
Super tasty Thai Chicken Salad recipe! We subbed habanero peach jam which pumped up the flavor and recommended frying the wontons. Nothing better than freshly fried crunchy things of any kind.
No way you can make this in 20! Even so, 5 stars. I did poach the chicken breasts and almost tripled the recipe.
I love new ways to make a green salad, this was a good one. Keep the dressing and wonton separate, to keep everything crispy. Loved the sauce.
Very yummy but I wouldn’t say it keeps particularly well. I made it in the afternoon for an evening potluck & the romaine was soggy by then. If making ahead, keep the dressing separate as you normally would
Added mandarin oranges per other commenters and some roasted almond slices and it was so delicious. The dressing is incredible!
I'm always on the hunt for a good Chinese Chicken Salad recipe. Well, the hunt is now over. The salad dressing is 'Over the Moon' delicious. I think it would even be fantastic for a cold Chinese noodle dish. Thank you Eric Kim!
This salad is one of my go-to recipes. I sometimes use store made won ton wonton strips to save time. Also love the dressing. Interesting combination of flavors.
This takes me back to fond memories of a version we used to get at Feast From The East in Los Angeles. When we make it at home, we add toasted sliced almonds and toasted sesame seeds, sans cilantro and mint. I’ll have to try this one now as Eric Kim’s recipes are always stellar!
Followed recipe and used store bought wonton strips. Came out amazing!
Really good, definitely will make again. DH likes lots of veggies in his salads so I added cucumber, one shredded carrot, frozen peas (thawed, of course) and the rest of the Napa cabbage I had in the fridge. Didn't have the wonton wrappers so used a thin pita chip (not best option, but ok). DH went back for a big bowl of seconds!
Delicious! The dressing is wonderful as is and I used all other ingredients (subbed purchased wonton crisps) but wanted to bulk it up a bit since I was serving for dinner main course. Added red cabbage & carrots for colour & crunch, fried shallots, peanuts and avocado. Think next time (and there will be a next time) I’ll add some orange segments too!
I’ve made this salad several times. I love it. But skip frying the wontons and pick up some crispy soup chips (fried wonton strips) from your favorite Chinese restaurant.
Advertisement