Asian BBQ Pork Chopped Salad

While I anxiously await spring to really arrive with lots of sunshine and warm temps, I'm getting on spring and summer eats to help me get in the mood. An easy way to do that is with a good salad, such as this Asian Chopped Salad. A melange of savoy and green cabbage, cilantro, green onions, carrots, cheese, toasted almond slices, and wonton noodles are tossed with shredded pork shoulder and dressed with a sesame ginger vinaigrette...

I partnered up with KRAFT Fresh Taste to create a fun and tasty salad that incorporated a protein other than chicken, utilizing KRAFT Fresh Taste Smokey Mesquite BBQ. Aside from the usual BBQ fare, what also comes to mind for me is Asian fare, particularly Chinese BBQ. Using that as an idea, I merged Asian flavors with the smokey mesquite flavors of KRAFT Fresh Taste and it worked really well!

To get this salad together, I visited a local Food For Less grocery store, which is part of the Kroger Family of stores. There I was able to get a majority of the fresh ingredients I needed from the organic produce section, which is always stocked with great items and low prices too!

This salad, it's quick, easy and so flavorful! I especially like the dressing which ties everything together so nicely. You can omit the pork or substitute with chicken or even tofu. The dressing can be made in advance - you'll definitely want to keep this on hand for a salad anytime!

Asian BBQ Pork Chopped Salad
dressing recipe from Epicurious

Dressing:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce {or GF tamari}
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Salad:
1/2 pound cooked pork shoulder, shredded
2 cups savory cabbage, shredded
1 cup green cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup Smokey Bacon Cheddar Kraft Fresh Taste
1/4 cup toasted almond slices
1/4 cup crispy wonton noodles {optional, omit for GF}


Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Process until smooth and set aside.

Add the remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Drizzle with dressing to your preference and serve.

KRAFT Foods is providing the prizes for this program at no cost to me and has provided me with a gift of equal value for review.  This program is not administered or sponsored by Kraft Foods or its affiliates, but solely by What's Cookin, Chicago.