Name: Chicken, mandarin & cashew salad
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 ready-roasted chicken; 295g can mandarin segment in juice (not syrup); 1 red onion thinly sliced; 1 red pepper deseeded and cut into chunks; 1 fist-sized chunk red cabbage; 100g toasted salted cashew; 60g watercress rocket & spinach salad; 2 tbsp toasted sesame seed; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 4 tbsp mandarin juice from the can; 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar; ½ tsp xanthan gum (if you have it)

1 ready-roasted chicken
295g can mandarin segment
in juice (not syrup)
1 red onion
thinly sliced
1 red pepper
deseeded and cut into chunks
1 fist-sized chunk red cabbage
100g toasted salted cashew
60g watercress
rocket & spinach salad
2 tbsp toasted sesame seed

For the dressing

1 tbsp sesame oil
4 tbsp mandarin
juice from the can
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
½ tsp xanthan gum
(if you have it)

Method

step 1
Remove the skin from the chicken and discard, then shred the meat from the bones. Discard the carcass (or freeze for stock or soup another time, see right).
step 2
Drain the mandarin segments over a bowl to catch the juice, then whisk together with the sesame oil and vinegar. If you’re using xanthan gum, put this in a bowl and, using a small sauce whisk, whisk in 1 tsp of the dressing at a time until you have a smooth, runny paste, then whisk in the remaining dressing.
step 3
Layer the shredded chicken, mandarin segments, red onion, pepper, cabbage, salad leaves and sesame seeds in a big salad bowl or on a platter. Pour over the dressing, toss to combine then serve.