Wonton Happiness Salad (inspired by Souplantation)

Souplantation has always been one of my favorite places to eat. Even though they basically just serve soup, salad, and lots of carbs, something about it was just so good and I have so many memories there. I’ll never forget eating there every single time we would visit the mainland since they don’t have Souplantation in Hawaii. As I grew older, of course I became a club veg member so I could receive all the coupons and special offers. I ate there at least once a month, always looking forward to their new menu items and of course always sneaking an extra blueberry muffin in my purse on my way out.

When I found out Souplantation was permanently closing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I was devastated. The thought of never having the tuna tarragon pasta or those fat noodles in the chicken noodle soup ever again broke my heart. My friends and I were all equally distraught so we decided to recreate some of the dishes at home for a (social distancing) potluck. I was in charge of creating the famous Asian Wonton Happiness salad which I put my own healthy twists on, of course, and surprisingly it turned out so good! Dare I say possibly better than the original? I wouldn’t go that far but I have been craving it for lunch every day since which definitely says something.

This salad is basically a Chinese chicken salad (I added chicken but souplantation’s version doesn’t have chicken) but what makes it so good is the sesame ginger dressing and the air fried wonton chips. All the yumminess of fried wonton strips without all the oil / deep frying for less guilt! I hope you guys give this recipe a try and pay homage to the great salad and soup buffet that we all love and will miss greatly. Enjoy :)

Air fried wonton strips

Souplantation potluck featuring homemade versions of their famous dishes!

Recipe: (makes about 6 servings)

1. Ingredients:

   • 4 cups romaine lettuce, cut into bite size pieces

   • 3 cups cabbage, shredded

   • 1 cup carrots, shredded

   • 4-5 wonton wrappers (for air fryer version) OR can buy pre-made wonton strips

   • 1/4 cup cilantro, stems removed

   • 1/4 cup green onions, chopped

   • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

   • 2 chicken breasts (optional)

   • optional toppings / ingredients:

     • sliced almonds

     • avocado

   • Dressing:

     1. 2 tbsp avocado oil

     2. 1/4 cup Rice vinegar

     3. 1 tbsp Sesame oil

     4. **1 tbsp soy sauce

     5. 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

     6. 1/4 cup hoisin sauce OR see below for healthier alternative

        1. Healthier hoisin sauce (makes 1/4 cup)

           1. **1/8 cup light soy sauce

           2. 1 tbsp natural peanut butter (read ingredients, should just be made of peanuts)

           3. 1 tbsp honey

           4. 1 tsp rice vinegar

           5. 1 tsp sesame oil

           6. 1/2 tsp miso paste

           7. 1 clove garlic, grated

              **sub tamari or coconut / liquid aminos for gluten free

2. Instructions:

   1. For chicken:

      1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.

      2. Once boiling, add chicken in and cook on medium high heat for 20-25 minutes.

      3. Once time is up, place chicken in cold water immediately to stop cooking and let sit for about 5 minutes, until cool.

      4. Pat chicken dry and place in large bowl. Use two forks to shred the chicken into small bite size pieces.

   2. For dressing:

      1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined.

   3. For air fryer wonton strips:

      1. Take about 6-8 wonton wrappers from package, keeping them stacked together. Cut entire square into 16 pieces so each strip is about 1 1/2” x 1/2”

      2. Separate all strips from each other and place into a bowl (it’s okay if some are still stuck together, they will separate in the air fryer.)

      3. spray a little avocado oil (option to omit oil, it will still work.) Mix well until all strips are evenly coated.

      4. Place strips in air fryer basket and set air fryer to 350 degrees F for about 8 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

      5. Once done, let cool

   4. For salad:

      1. Place all salad ingredients except avocado, if using.

      2. Pour dressing over salad mixture and toss well to combine (start with a little dressing and add more as needed by preference)

      3. Top with avocado (if using) and serve immediately!

My Everyday Salad

I used to despise salads. I thought they were boring, predictable, unfulfilling, and worst of all didn’t keep me full or satisfied. Turns out it was because I was only eating salads with iceberg lettuce, some dry chicken breast, cheese, and a store bought dressing that was probably 75% canola or soybean oil. Yum.

About a year ago I discovered how to actually make salads taste good and now I eat a salad for lunch pretty much every single day. I actually find myself craving it and the best part is that it keeps me full until dinner time and I never get tired of it. Here’s the secret.

The ingredients in my salad vary depending on what I have in my fridge but I always make sure I have something within these categories:

1. Leafy green(s):

   1. Typically I like to use arugula or spinach, but kale, romaine, or spring greens (or mix and match) would also work great. This serves as the bed for all your other toppings.

2. Sweet Potatoes (roasted / air fried):

   1. My favorite part of this entire salad. It adds a nice sweet touch and also adds more substance. Don’t be afraid to add starches & grains to your salads and meals! Good carbs aren’t bad. Refined carbs are bad. Better to eat a whole sweet potato in your salad then to have a small piece of garlic bread or bag of chips ;)

3. Grain (optional)

   1. I like to add some quinoa if I have it in my fridge for extra protein, nutrients, and sustenance. This isn’t necessary since the sweet potato will act as your starch for this meal, but with this salad the more the merrier!

4. Texture: something with a crunch like cucumbers or radish

   1. Since everything else in the salad has a softer texture, its nice to offset that with a crunch in every bite.

5. Avocado:

   1. So important! This is what is going to keep you full since it is a healthy fat and will also make your salad creamy. Use a lot, like half a medium sized avocado minimum.

6. Extras: whatever other vegetables you have in your fridge to add more nutrients

   1. I usually like to add cherry tomatoes, beets, sprouts, etc. You could really add whatever you want. Anything goes in this salad.

7. Protein:

   1. I’m sure you all know by now that veggies are packed with protein already, but I like to add even more because why not. Some good options:

      1. chickpeas (my favorite)

      2. baked or air fried tofu

      3. salmon

      4. chicken

8. Dates

   1. adding a sweet touch to your salad makes sure that every bite will never be boring. I usually either like to dice up 2-3 dates. You can add maple syrup instead if you don’t have any dates, but dates are so good for you (packed with antioxidants and nutrients) so definitely would choose that as your first choice.

9. Olive oil + lemon juice

   1. This will serve as your “dressing.” I literally just drizzle some olive oil and squeeze half a lemon directly onto the salad. No blender or extra salad dressing containers required.

10. Himalayan / sea salt & pepper to taste

11. toppings (optional)

    1. I like to add toppings for extra protein / nutrients or too add some texture. Some examples:

       1. cilantro adds a nice flavor profile and is packed with vitamins and antioxidants

       2. hemp seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, nuts

As you can see this salad is definitely not boring and sooo good for you. It’s basically all the nutrients you need for the day in one big bowl that will fill you up and make you feel so freaking good. The best part is that you can adjust this recipe to whatever you have in your fridge at the time. I hope after you guys try this recipe that you change your mind about salads like I have.

*Recipe (pictured):

*these measurements will make a GIANT salad… because why worry about portion size when you’re eating this good ;) Also all measurements were estimated. Feel free to adjust measurements according to your preference!

• 1 cup arugula

• 1/4 cup cooked quinoa

• 1 medium sweet potato (diced & roasted / air fried)

• 1/4 cup diced cucumbers

• 1/4 cup diced cherry tomatoes

• 1/3 cup chickpeas

• 1/4 cooked diced beets

• 1/2 medium avocado, sliced

• 3 dates (diced) or 2 tbsp of maple syrup

• 2-3 tbsp olive oil

• juice from 1/2 small lemon (or 1/4 large lemon)

• cilantro (couple leaves)

• 1/2 teaspoon hemp seeds

• 1/4 teaspoon himalayan or sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper

Instructions:

1. roast / air fry sweet potatoes until they’re cooked all the way through (I prefer them a little crispy, so good)

   1. I do 15 minutes in the air fryer at 375 with a little coconut oil spray and garlic powder on top.

2. Add ingredients 1 to 9 to a nice big salad bowl

3. Top w/ lemon juice, olive oil, salt / pepper, and toppings

4. Mix together well (avocado should be mixed thoroughly to get that creamy texture)

5. Enjoy! :)