By Hana Asbrink
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- 4(934)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This simple salad features crisp-tender sugar snap peas, delicate shredded chicken and creamy sesame dressing. The cooking methods are important here: Blanching the peas, then shocking them in ice water ensures that they retain crunch and color, while gently poaching the boneless chicken breast and plunging it into an ice water bath means it stays moist. The tangy dressing, which is a nod to the highly addictive Japanese-style goma dressing, ismade with earthy roasted sesame seeds and mayonnaise; it finds its way to the craggy edges of the shredded chicken. Try to shred the meat the same size as the sliced peas for the best texture. This salad is great to serve immediately, and even better after spending at least an hour in the refrigerator.
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Ingredients
Yield:2 to 4 servings (about 4 cups)
- 1medium boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 to 10 ounces)
- Kosher salt
- ¾ to 1pound sugar snap peas
- ¼cup roasted white sesame seeds
- ¼cup mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie brand)
- 1tablespoon soy sauce
- 1tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1teaspoon granulated sugar
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
296 calories; 20 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 459 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
In a medium saucepan, add the chicken and enough cold water to cover it by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water begins to boil, lower heat immediately to a gentle simmer, cover partially with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. (Monitor that the bubbles never get too big; lower heat if so.) Turn off the heat, cover completely with lid, and leave on the stovetop for another 10 minutes.
Step
2
Meanwhile, prepare the sugar snap peas: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it begins to boil, set a bowl of ice water next to the stovetop. Drop sugar snap peas into boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, 30 to 45 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sugar snap peas to the ice water to cool completely. Drain well and pat dry on a clean dish towel in a single layer.
Step
3
Transfer sugar snap peas to a cutting board and trim the tips, if needed, then slice lengthwise into thirds on a slight diagonal. Transfer to a large bowl or lidded container, and refrigerate.
Step
4
Prepare the dressing: In a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the sesame seeds, leaving some whole. In a small bowl, combine ground sesame seeds, mayonnaise, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir until smooth.
Step
5
Set a bowl of ice water next to the stovetop. Transfer the chicken to the ice water to cool completely. When chicken is cool enough to handle, pat dry, then finely shred the meat using your fingers. The shreds should be similar in size to the cut sugar snap peas.
Step
6
Add the shredded chicken and all of the dressing to the chilled snap peas; toss gently until coated. Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Ratings
4
out of 5
934
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Cooking Notes
Lareina
I would say this is an appropriate portion for Asian sized servings (growing up, we’d take one chicken breast, sliced, and stir fry it with lots of veggies to serve a family of 4)As for roasted sesames, you can buy pre-roasted. But to make your own, heat a dry skillet on medium/medium- high, and toss the seeds until it slightly browns and smells nutty - careful not to burn. The mayo, peas, and sesame seeds should be enough to offset the one chicken breast. These are all high in protein!
Marilyn
I served it over brown rice. The rice absorbed the dressing and completed the meal for me. This is a keeper!
Es
I made this with left-overs from a whole grilled chicken. I used about 3 oz of shredded chicken, 3 oz of sugar snap peas (freshly picked) and maybe 2/3s of the rest of the ingredients plus a bit more sesame oil just before serving. I had it for 2 small lunches. Even better the second day.
Sanaë
I just made this recipe and I can already tell I'll be making it over and over again. It comes together so quickly and easily. I didn't have any chicken, so I made it vegetarian (sugar snap peas and the sesame dressing), and it was absolutely delicious. If I can't find sugar snap peas, I might try green beans! (FYI, you can toast/roast sesame seeds in a dry skillet on the stove or in the oven on a sheet pan. Just keep an eye on them and stir, so they don't burn!)
AJ
Grill the chicken and char snap peas in a grill basket in the summer to not have to heat up the house. Make a little extra dressing, half Greek yogurt and half mayo works well, honey instead of sugar, touch of gochuchang or sriracha, all tossed up with shredded cabbage and carrot slaw. Super tasty and easy on a hot summer weeknight!
Barbara
I agree with Lareina that 1 breast is an appropriate portion for Asian sized servings, but protein comes primarily from chicken and sesame. Mayo has a negligible amount, and even peas have less than 2 grams per serving. I increased peas by 1/2 and used 1.5 chicken breasts for 4 servings. Kept amount of dressing as called for. Delicious. Would sprinkle with cilantro next time, and black pepper. Poach breasts lightly to avoid overcooking. Served with rice made from the chicken poaching liquid.
Easy, elegant and modifiable
This is a go-to dressing in my house and a salad that can convert “non-salad lovers.” Poaching the chicken is key for texture; I don’t recommend grilling as one commenter suggested. Veg is infinitely adaptable based on what’s in season — snow peas, green beans, asparagus, etc. I always add in cucumbers, sometimes nori, and we’ve enjoyed tossing in bean sprouts too. Holds well as leftovers for a few days.
Katy C.
Mortar and pestle substitute? Can I just use tahini?
Peter
Probably, but I'd leave out the mayonnaise in that case, or adjust the proportions because tahini is already pretty loose.
GretaLA
*Some folks asked about the amount of chicken for the serving size/meal type.*Two growing teens and me, so I used 2 chicken breasts, upped the snap peas by a handful or so to not make it too chicken heavy. I doubled the dressing, just in case, and then used about 1 1/2 portion of the dressing on it. We all loved it. Will definitely be making again, and felt like a quick and easy option. Yum!
Ellen
A total keeper! Perfect warm weather dinner with small effort for big results. The dressing is DELICIOUS. I must admit, i used tahini, plus some whole sesame seeds, and cut the sesame oil to 1 tsp. If you poach the chicken and blanch the snow peas early in the day, it comes together in minutes.
Maeve
Well, the 2 servings makes sense. A serving of lean chicken should be 3-4 oz, I believe. We tend to eat way more than this, but other cultures use protein more frugally. Also, this is a salad -- maybe it's not intended to be a main course? I can't eat bread at the moment, but if you can, adding rolls and berries or ice cream for dessert sound great!
kesw
Added a pinch of red pepper flakes. Rice on the side. Easy and very good
Kaitlyn
Took the recommendation of grilling the chicken and snap peas and serving warm over rice. Glad I did. So so yummy and perfect for a summer night.
Juls
I’ve made this several times, just as written, and it comes out perfectly. It is a pretty salad to have on hand for lunches, everyone loves it and it is so easy to prepare— Kewpie Mayo is worth buying, I use it in other recipes as well. Highly recommend!
Jeffrey G.
This is a wonderful, satisfying dinner salad (I used 1 lb of chicken as that is what I had).
Chery
We used 9 oz of sautés (vegan) seitan-based faux chicken and -a full pound of our own garden grown sugar snap peas. Fabulous dinner for two with French bread.
Cecilia
Added tahini to the dressing, and sliced scallion. Plus some sliced blanched asparagus as I had extra. Delicious.
judy
added chili oil for a little more spiciness. aleppo pepper or pepper flakes would do it too. Used asparagus since I discovered my snap peas were gone. Still delicious.
Kay
This is delicious
Wendy
Added some halved red new potatoes (tossed w/oil+soy sauce) to the salad and a little water to the dressing to make it go further. Served on sheets of Bibb lettuce. Really delicious.
nancy
We liked this a lot. Thought I’d make half recioe but it was actually a out 2/3rds. Added 4 oz penne rigate…perfect amount. Elbows would work too, esp TJs larger ones. The sno-peas were just fine. Squirt of sriracha was just right…otherwise followed recipe. Endless variations are possible. Chilled couple of hours. About a pint left- lunch for Jim.
Lovely Betty
Add grated ginger
Bethany
Great recipe. I followed it exactly, except for adding in some sriracha. Will definitely go into our lunch rotation - I like having a healthy chicken salad option that's not meant for croissants or sandwiches.
katy lesser
Tahini makes the dressing even better!
Caitlin
This may be one of my new favorite recipes. I've had a bumper crop of peas this year and have been trying to figure out what to do with them other than just snacking on them all day long. This recipe was perfect! I seasoned and grilled the chicken breasts instead of boiling (but still shredded it) which gave it a little extra flavor. Honestly, what makes this is the dressing. I'm out of peas for the season but will probably continue to make the dressing to put on salads!
Pammylake
We loved this! I used leftover roasted chicken, which I boiled in order to get all the meat off the bone. The sugar snap peas and the dressing are the real stars in this recipe, though. I used honey for sweetener as one of the notes recommended, but I felt as if it was almost better tangy (before adding sweetener.) I also added a third of a cup of chopped garlic scapes, because I had some and they were in season, which added a lovely extra depth and a little kick!
Elizabeth
I’m interested in poaching tips. Is there a reason not to salt and otherwise season the poaching water? I’m worried the chicken will come out tasteless without some salt, but don’t want to mess up the texture…
Terri
Used tuna instead of chicken because it’s what I had on hand, and it was super tasty! Put furikake and scallions on top and served it over white rice.
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