Napa Cabbage is a sweet, mild Asian cabbage that usually appears in our CSA shares early in the season, before traditional cabbages and again in the fall. Napa cabbage is great in salads, slaws, stir-fries, soups. It’s surprisingly versatile, although many of our CSA members are trying it for the first time. With the first Napa Cabbages of the 2015 season we made a salad that’s similar to a traditional chicken salad, but super light and crunchy with napa cabbage and spring onions.
This salad is a cinch to prepare, especially if you have leftover chicken. We didn’t so, we poached two chicken breasts. This salad also gets an earthy flavor from F. Oliver’s Tarragon Olive Oil. We just started a pick-up site in their Skaneateles store, and their olive oils and vinegars are a great pair to CSA shares!
Napa Cabbage Chicken Salad
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bay leaf
4 – 5 peppercorns
large pinch kosher salt
4 cups, very thinly sliced napa cabbage (about 1/2 a head)
2 spring onions, thinly sliced (or about 1 cup sliced scallions)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon F. Oliver’s Tarragon Olive Oil (or sub olive oil + tarragon)
fresh ground black pepper
Poach the chicken breasts. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Add bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook about 10 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165°F. Let chicken cool, then dice into chunks.
Toss the chicken, cabbage, and spring onions in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and oil. Season with fresh ground black pepper to taste. Toss the dressing and salad together.
