Skip to main content


The Scene:
Tuesday Night. Dad out, 13-year-old at camp, me at office, five minutes from home. Pouring.

4:00 Receive text at work from 15-year-old: Can we see The Big Sick tonight? 
4:03 Quick Flixster scan of movie times. Me: 6:15 show, be ready a little before 6
4:04 Can we have dinner before we go? I’m starving
4:05 Sure. Quick scan from memory of fridge turns up nothing but orphaned vegetable scraps.
5:15 Leave office, swing by Stop ‘n Shop, pick up rotisserie chicken.
5:30 Home. Simmer and shock asparagus; chop up chicken, onions, cucumbers, asparagus.
5:40 Make dressing. Toss everything together. Eat.
5:50 Leave for movie.
6:15 Popcorn and previews.
9:00 Home.

Chopped Chicken Salad with Vegetables

Salad
1 rotisserie chicken, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 mini cucumbers, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 bunch asparagus (skinny), cooked at a low boil for 2-3 minutes, then shocked in an ice bath to stop cooking; chopped into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons red onion, minced finely (could also use shallots or scallions)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (or more to taste)
handful cilantro, chopped (I didn’t have on hand, but would add it next time)

Dressing
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (would’ve used rice vinegar if I had it)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
small squeeze of Sriracha
2 teaspoons mayo
1 teaspoon brown sugar
generous squeeze of fresh lime
1/3 cup grapeseed oil (or olive oil if that’s all you got)

Add all salad ingredients to bowl. Whisk together all dressing ingredients then drizzle over salad to taste. Toss.

Related: Top Ten Ways to Use a Rotisserie Chicken

More Anatomy of a Weeknights

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

11 Comments

  • Annie says:

    most importantly – how was The Big Sick?! Dying to see it.

    • Jenny Jenny says:

      haha. I liked it a lot — didn’t LOVE it. I did, however, love Dunkirk, which I saw last night. Not that you asked.

      • Avatar Gara says:

        I wanted to love it more too, but I felt maybe they kept the humor dialed down because it was a true story? I think Ray Ramano was also the best part of the movie! Love this dinner idea, avocado would be a nice addition. Had your pizza tonight.

  • Avatar Rohini says:

    Love it. Have you tried the chicken and asparagus grain bowl at the food hall in Grand Central? It’s addictive. This recipe reminded me of it – minus the grains, of course.

    • Jenny Jenny says:

      No I have not! I’m so obsessed with the toasts at Open Rye that I have STILL NOT MADE IT TEN FEET OVER TO the grain bowls. I will soon, though and when I do, I will look for this asparagus one. Thanks for the rec.

      • Avatar Aine says:

        Not in the New York area but those sound glorious- can you share some topping ideas this could be awesome for work lunches 🙂

  • Avatar Blair says:

    First – This sounds Ah MAZING! So easy and so yummy!
    Second – I am dreaming of a day when my kids can go to a movie that isn’t animated – the whole night sounds great!

  • Avatar Katherine says:

    Once again, DALS saves dinner! Our planned grill night, last night, at the pool club was cancelled last minute due to thunderstorms. About to leave for a week’s vacation with (purposefully) very little in the fridge, I frantically tried to think of some inspired, quick dinner on the (wet) drive home….when suddenly I remembered this post! Quick stop at the store on the way home for chicken and asparagus and we had a winner! Thank you Jenny! It was delicious. So much so, I found my husband gleefully digging into the leftovers for breakfast this morning!

  • Avatar Gara says:

    I wanted to love it more too, but I felt maybe they kept the humor dialed down because it was a true story? I think Ray Ramano was also the best part of the movie! Love this dinner idea, avocado would be a nice addition. Had your pizza tonight.

  • Avatar Animeyt says:

    This looks absolutely amazing!! Thank you for sharing

  • Avatar Shannon says:

    This dish just saved me from a disaster tonight! I ended up working late and forgot to take chicken out of the freezer this morning for dinner. So quick and simple! I also learned that the only way I like asparagus is if it’s crunchy!

Leave a Reply

What is 7 + 8 ?
Please leave these two fields as-is:
IMPORTANT! To be able to proceed, you need to solve the following simple math (so we know that you are a human) :-)