Chicken, Bacon, and Mozzarella Chopped Salad with Ranch Dressing

This is one protein-packed salad! For extra carbs, add croutons to the mix. The dressing goes well with almost any other vegetable, so go ahead and drizzle it on top of steamed brocolli for another meal.

Serves 4
Prep Time: 25 to 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE RANCH DRESSING

• ¾ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• 1 teaspoon fresh calamansi juice
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE CHICKEN NUGGETS

• 4 pieces boneless chicken breast or 6 boneless chicken thighs, sliced into ¾-inch cubes
• ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
• ¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of paprika
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup Japanese breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying

• 8 strips bacon, sliced into 4 pieces each
• 1 (250 gram) pack mozarella cheese
• 2 large heads romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces (about 5 cups)
• 3 salad tomatoes, washed, sliced into wedges

Procedure
1. Make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside. (Dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)

2. Make the chicken nuggets: Season chicken cubes with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Mix flour, remaining salt and pepper, and paprika in a bowl. Whisk egg in another bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a third bowl. Coat chicken cubes with flour, then dip in egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Deep-fry breaded chicken cubes over medium heat until golden brown. Set aside.

3. Fry bacon in a nonstick frying pan until crisp. Drain and set aside.

4. Slice mozzarella into bite-sized cubes. Set aside.

5. Toss together lettuce and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss. Divide among bowls and top with chicken nuggets, bacon, and mozzarella. Serve.

Fragrant Beef Salad with Vietnamese Dressing

Adding red cabbage gives the salad even more color! But if you use it and toss the salad ahead of time, your noodles will turn light pink. We like to toss everything together just 15 minutes before mealtime.

Serves 4 to 6
Prep Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE VIETNAMESE DRESSING

• ½ cup Thai fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime or calamansi juice
• 1 tablespoon water
• 3 bird's eye chilies (optional)

• 3 small bundles vermicelli noodles (sotanghon), soaked in water (we used Sapporo)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 500 grams sirloin or tenderloin steaks, each about ½-inch thick
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

• 1 head cabbage, washed and sliced into thin strips (about 4 to 5 cups)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into thin strips
• 2 cups bean sprouts, washed
• 1 cup packed basil leaves, sliced into thin strips
• 1 cup packed mint leaves, sliced into thin strips
• 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (optional)

Procedure
1. Make the Vietnamese dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside. (Dressing will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator.) If using chilies, the heat will intensify the longer you keep it.

2. Cook vermicelli noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse, drain again, and set aside.

3. Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing thinly into 2-mm-thick slices. Set aside.

4. Combine cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, basil leaves, mint leaves, and red cabbage, if using, in a large bowl. Add vermicelli noodles into the bowl and pour in dressing. Toss a couple of times to combine well.

5. Potion the salad among plates or containers and top with beef slices.

Shrimp and Tuna Salad with Vinaigrette

Prepare this salad at least four hours before serving to give the flavors enough time to meld. Serving it slightly chilled or at room temperature allows all the bright flavors to shine.

Serves 4 to 5
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 to 6 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, depending on your preference for the herb

• 500 grams shrimp, steamed and peeled
• 2 salad tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 (184-gram) can solid tuna in water, drained and flaked
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Procedure
1. Make the vinaigrette: Whgisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. Add shrimps, chopped tomatoes, and cucumber to the vinaigrette in the bowl; toss to combine. Add tuna and toss to combine. Serve with lemon wedges. (The salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Tofu Sesame Soba Salad with Sesame-ginger Vinaigrette

Frying the tofu cubes first before dressing them allows all the fabulous flavors to be absorbed by the chunks. Pairing them with crunchy cucumbers and tender noodles creates a medley of textures!

Serves 2
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE SESAME-GINGER VINAIGRETTE

• 1 leek, sliced diagonally into thin pieces (about ¼ to ⅓ cup)
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ to ⅔ cup canola oil
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil

• 500 grams firm tofu, drained and sliced into 1¼x½-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Procedure
1. Make the vinaigrette: Place leeks, ginger, garlic, honey, vinegars, salt, and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Drizzle in canola oil while whisking constantly. Once all the canola oil has been mixed in and the dressing is emulsified, whisk in sesame oil. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Set aside. (The vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.)

2. Fry tofu in a large pan over medium heat until light golden in color. Drain and set aside to cool.

3. Cook noodles according to package adirections. Drain and cool completely.

4. About 15 minutes before serving, toss all ingredients with vinaigrette. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve.