Crispy Wonton Chicken Salad

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Ingredients

For the Dressing:

3 tbsp. rice vinegar
3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp. peach or apricot preserves
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. onion powder
Salt, to taste

For the Salad:

2 cups chicken, cooked, torn into bite-size pieces
8 wonton wrappers (see note below)
Vegetable oil, for frying
Salt, to taste
2 romaine hearts, coarsely chopped
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 packed cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems
1 packed cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves

Instructions

To prepare the dressing:

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sesame oil, peach preserves, mayonnaise, soy sauce, chili powder and onion powder; season to taste with salt.

To prepare the salad:

Add the chicken to the dressing and toss.

To prepare the wontons:

To fry the wonton wrappers, cut the squares into 1/2-inch strips, then cut those strips in half crosswise to shorten them.
In a medium saucepan, heat an inch of oil over medium to 350°F, or until a wonton strip immediately bubbles when added.
Carefully add the wonton strips to the hot oil and, stirring constantly with a slotted spoon, fry until puffy and golden; 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
Transfer the crispy wontons to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.

To assemble and serve the salad:

Add the chopped romaine, scallions, cilantro, mint and half of the fried wontons to the bowl with the dressed chicken; toss to combine.
Season with salt as needed.
Top with the remaining fried wontons and serve immediately.

Notes

Wonton wrappers are uncooked, flour-based thin sheets of dough, about 3-1/2 inches square. You can find them in the refrigerated section of supermarkets. Store-bought fried wonton wrappers, often packaged as “wonton strips,” are a convenient alternative, though they can be harder to find; look for them near the salad croutons.