Today, put aside the Valentine’s Day chocolate and cook up something that’s more savory than sweet to celebrate National Almond Day.

The almond is a perfect topping for salads like this one, packing 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber in each handful. In addition, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, scientific evidence suggests that eating 1.5 ounces of almonds each day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Don’t be intimidated by some of the ingredients in this salad recipe – it’s easy to make swaps. Use bagged, chopped lettuce or coleslaw mix in place of the Napa cabbage. Substitute any sweeter citrus for the mandarins, such as Cara Cara oranges or varieties of grapefruit. But make sure you don’t leave out the almonds … that would be just plain nuts.

INGREDIENTS

• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  
  
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
  
  
• 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
  
  
• 1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil
  
  
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  
  
• 1 teaspoon liquid sweetener, honey, monk fruit, etc.
  
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
  
• 4 small wonton wrappers
  
  
• 4 cups chopped Napa cabbage
  
  
• 3 ½ cups chicken breast, pulled rotisserie or chopped grilled (16 ounces)
  
  
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
  
  
• ¼ cup chopped scallion (about 2-3 scallions)
  
  
• 3 small mandarins or clementines, separated into slices
  
  
• 5 ounces avocado, sliced
  
  
• ¼ cup toasted, slivered almonds

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

2. Add wonton wrappers to a parchment-lined baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake until golden and crisp, 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool, then crumble.

3. Meanwhile, make the chili crisp vinaigrette. In a small, heat-safe bowl, combine red pepper flakes, sesame seeds and garlic. Heat the sesame oil in a small skillet over medium heat until hot and aromatic, about 1-2 minutes. Pour the heated oil into the bowl over the chili flake mixture. Once the seeds stop sizzling, add the rice vinegar, sweetener and salt. Set aside to cool.

4. In a large bowl, carefully add the cabbage and top with chicken, cucumber, scallion, mandarins and avocado. Finally, add the toasted almonds and crushed wontons. Drizzle everything with chili crisp vinaigrette.

Makes 4 servings (1 ¾ cups each).

Nutrition Facts (per serving):
Calories: 371; Carbs: 26.5g; Protein: 26.5g; Fat: 19g

Recipe Card for Asian Chicken Salad

Sources:
Almond Board of California
Skinnytaste