5 Side Dishes You Need To Pair With Your Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

Chinese chicken salad is a delicious dish from one of the most famous Asian cuisines in the world.

In today’s post, we are going to not only talk about the Chinese chicken salad itself but also the best side dishes that go well with this Chinese delicacy.

Let’s get started!

What is Chinese chicken salad?

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You might be very familiar with the classic chicken salad in the United States, but have you ever heard of or tried the Chinese version?

Chinese chicken salad also features shredded or chopped chicken as the main ingredients with common vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, carrots, fried rice vermicelli or wonton skins, and crushed peanuts.

The biggest difference lies in the salad dressing, which delivers traditional Chinese cooking to eaters.

Chinese chicken salad is often coated with a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, and ginger.

Chinese chicken salad is not only popular in China and other Asian countries, but it is also widely served in American-Chinese restaurants.

It is packed with flavor and texture that makes it ideal for any occasion.

What to consider when choosing a Chinese chicken salad’ side dish?

If you are looking for a side dish that will complement your Chinese chicken salad, then you may want to consider the following criteria:

A starchy side dish will keep you fuller

In Asian cuisine, especially Chinese cuisine, a meat-based or savory dish is often served alongside a starchy side dish, either rice or vermicelli.

Therefore, to make your meal look and taste more like a true Asian meal, you can serve Chinese chicken salad with a starchy side dish, which also keeps your stomach fuller for a longer time.

An Asian soup can help the meal more hearty while bringing Asian flavors to eaters

Another thing to keep in mind when choosing a good accompaniment for Chinese chicken salad is an Asian soup.

Asian soups are often lighter in texture and flavor compared to the Western versions, but they are perfect to complement your Chinese chicken salad, making your meal more hearty and nutritious.

5 best side dishes to serve with Chinese chicken salad

Now, let’s take a look at the five best side dishes that you should serve along with your next Chinese chicken salad:

1.     Fried rice

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Nothing is more traditional and classic than rice when it comes to Asian cuisine.

Fried rice is more colorful and flavorful than plain steamed rice because it is cooked with other ingredients and spices like egg, chopped vegetables, soy sauce, fish sauce, or oyster sauce.

This combination is perfect and makes your meal have all the essential components, protein, carbs, vitamins, and minerals.

2.     Lo mein noodles

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Lo mein noodles are cooked by boiling the egg noodles and tossing them in a sauce.

Unlike chow mein noodles, which are fried before mixing with other ingredients and condiments, lo mein noodles are softer, making them perfect to pair with the crunchiness of the chicken salad.

3.     Garlic bread

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Another starchy accompaniment for Chinese chicken salad is garlic bread.

The flavor of garlic goes perfectly with most chicken recipes, including this Chinese salad.

Moreover, while chicken salad is lighter and balanced with sweet and sour flavors from the condiments, garlic bread adds a butter and rich taste to your meal, but in a good way instead of being too heavy.

4.     Roasted vegetables

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You can also try serving your Chinese chicken salad with roasted vegetables if you want to diet to be healthier with more vegetables.

Roasted vegetables like potatoes, carrots, broccoli, asparagus, or squash all work well with Chinese chicken salad.

5.      Egg drop soup

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Egg drop soup might not be common in traditional American cuisine, but it is a favorite classic in Chinese cuisine.

This soup dish is made by whisking beaten eggs in chicken broth and garnished with finely chopped scallions and tofu.

The resulting dish has a beautiful and vibrant yellow color with some highlights from green scallions and black peppers.

Be sure to serve this soup hot, otherwise, it will have a strongly eggy taste that makes it less delicious.

The bottom line

Which of the aforementioned side dishes is your favorite?

Our recommendation is to try each of them in turn whenever you have your Chinese chicken salad on the table.

By giving these side dishes a real taste, you will have your own answer for the one that works best for your taste buds.