Sesame Brittle Salad Topper on Chopped Chicken Salad

Yields 3-4 servings

We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: smaller crunchy bits can be better than large croutons, especially when each component is packed full of flavor. By using a salad topper, you ensure that every bite has extra crunch and flavor. While the components of this chopped chicken salad are fairly simple and uncomplicated, the salad topper includes homemade black and white miso sesame brittle, fried shallots, roasted peanuts, and puffed rice. The creamy garlic tahini dressing compliments the topper perfectly, making this salad rich yet still refreshing. 

Don’t feel like making the dressing or fried shallots? Feel free to substitute them out for storebought dressing (perhaps Toasted Coconut Dressing or Carrot Ginger Dressing?) and pre-fried shallots!

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Assembly

Sesame Brittle Salad Topper:
Sesame Brittle - Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a small bowl, combine black and white sesame seeds, maple syrup, white miso, olive oil, and sea salt. Spread evenly onto a lined baking sheet, until about ¼ inch thick. 

Bake for about 7-9 minutes, or until golden brown (it can burn quickly so keep an eye on it!). Remove from oven and set aside to cool and harden. It might look a bit dark, but it should not taste burnt.

Fried Shallots - Slice shallots thinly and evenly. Lay them onto a paper towel to pull some of the moisture. Add neutral frying oil to a small sauce pot or a medium straight-sided saute pan. You may use 1-1.5 cups of oil, depending on the size of your pot. 

Add shallots to the oil and place over medium-low heat. Slowly fry shallots until golden brown. They will continue to brown slightly once removed from heat. Strain and place shallots onto paper towel to cool.

Assembly - In a medium bowl, combine fried shallots, puffed rice, and chopped peanuts. Crush up the sesame brittle into small pieces and add to the remaining ingredients. Mix well and set aside.

Garlic Tahini Dressing:
In a medium bowl, whisk tahini, Triple Garlic Shortcut Sauce, and warm water, until smooth. Adjust with warm water, as needed.

Add toasted sesame oil, honey, grated ginger, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.

Chopped Chicken Salad:
In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients.

To Assemble:
Toss salad with salad dressing. Spoon into serving bowl and sprinkle Sesame Brittle Salad Topper all over.

Note:
If you do not want to fry your own shallots, you may use store-bought fried shallots. You will need about ¾ cup.

If you would prefer to use a pre-made dressing instead, this salad would also pair well with our Carrot Ginger Dressing or our Toasted Coconut Dressing.

Ingredients

Sesame Brittle Salad Topper:

¼ cup White sesame seeds

¼ cup Black sesame seeds

2 tbsp Maple syrup

1.5 tsp White miso paste

1 tbsp  Olive oil

Small pinch Sea salt

2 large Shallots (halved, thinly sliced) (see notes)

1-1.5 cup Neutral oil (for frying)

1 cup Puffed rice

½ cup Chopped peanuts, roasted, salted

Garlic Tahini Dressing (see notes):

⅓ cup Tahini

2.5 tbsp Triple Garlic Shortcut Sauce

2 tbsp Warm water

⅛ tsp Toasted sesame oil

1 tsp Honey

½ tsp Grated fresh ginger

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Chopped Chicken Salad:

1 head Iceberg lettuce, chopped

2-3 Chicken breasts, cooked, chopped or shredded

2 medium Carrot, peeled, grated

3 sprigs Green onion, thinly sliced

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