This dynamic chicken salad, starring crispy strips of fried wonton wrappers, draws inspiration from the wonton chicken salad at the soup and salad buffet chain Sweet Tomatoes (in California, it was known as Souplantation), as well as the American Chinese chicken salads that pervaded chain-restaurant menus throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
In a supporting role, letting the crispy wontons shine, is the punchy dressing of peach preserves, rice vinegar, sesame oil and chili powder. The dressing’s low oil content — plus the addition of mayonnaise, which helps create an emulsion — means the salad greens stay crunchy and keep for longer.
For the chicken, you can use any leftover meat or tear pieces from a store-bought rotisserie bird.
You could make the wonton strips as directed below, but don’t: Buy them at the supermarket, or simply set aside a packet from your next takeout order specifically for this dish.
Crispy Wonton Chicken Salad
Makes 2 to 4 servings
FOR THE DRESSING:
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons peach or apricot preserves
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
Salt
FOR THE SALAD:
8 ounces cooked chicken meat, torn into bite-size pieces (2 cups)
8 wonton wrappers (see Tip)
Vegetable oil, for frying
Salt
2 romaine hearts, coarsely chopped
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 packed cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems
1 packed cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
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.
Prepare the salad: Add the chicken to the dressing and toss.
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.
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.
Tip: Wonton wrappers are uncooked, flour-based thin sheets of dough, about 31/2 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.
Recipe by Eric Kim.
Kim writes for The New York Times.
