Strawberry Chicken Salad with Hoisin-Sesame Dressing

Food Service Search Staff

INGREDIENTS:1 pound Driscoll’s strawberries
12 ounces smoked chicken, cut into bite-sized chunks (or 12-14 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into chunks and sautéed in small amount of butter, or lightly poached)
3/4 cup julienne strips jicama
3/4 cup very thin sliced fennel bulb
2 green onions, sliced
2 quarts mixed baby greens, washed, dried and chilled
as needed, Hoisin-Sesame Dressing (recipe follows)

Hoisin-Sesame Dressing (yields 2 2/3 cups):
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled*
1 clove garlic, peeled*
1 medium shallot, peeled*
½ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup light soy sauce
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
dash freshly ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable oil DIRECTIONS:For salad: Rinse, drain, dry and hull strawberries and cut into halves or thick slices. In large bowl, combine all ingredients with about ½ cup Hoisin-Sesame dressing and toss lightly to coat greens and berries. Divide among 6 chilled salad plates to serve.

For dressing: Put all ingredients, except oil, into blender container or food processor fitted with metal blade, and blend until shallots and ginger are very finely chopped. With motor running, gradually add oil until smooth. Store dressing in refrigerator in tightly covered container.

*If not using blender or food processor, grate ginger and mince garlic and shallots, then whisk together with remaining ingredients. SERVINGS:6 servings From: PHOTO CREDIT:Photo Credit: DRISCOLL’S STRAWBERRIES