Japanese-Inspired Sesame Chicken & Edamame Salad with Carrot-Ginger Emulsion

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add 1.5 cups of raw shelled edamame and cook for 4 minutes until tender-crisp. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath with 2 cups of water and 2 cups of ice in a medium bowl. Drain the edamame and immediately plunge them into the ice bath for 3 minutes to stop the cooking process and lock in their bright green color, then drain thoroughly and set aside.

Prepare the salad base: Wash and shred 4 cups of Napa cabbage and 2 cups of red cabbage. Thinly slice 3 whole green onions (both white and green parts) and chop 0.5 cup of fresh cilantro. Place all these prepared vegetables into a large mixing bowl.

Slice 2 lb of leftover lemongrass chicken breasts (reserved from the Day 2 dinner) thinly across the grain into bite-sized strips. You can serve the chicken cold directly in the salad, or optionally warm it in a skillet over low heat with 1 tbsp of water for 3 to 4 minutes before assembling.

Prepare the emulsion base: Peel and chop 2 medium fresh carrots (to yield about 1 cup) and peel and chop 2 tbsp of fresh ginger. Place the carrots and ginger into a high-powered blender. Add 0.25 cup of rice vinegar, 2 tbsp of low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil, and 2 tbsp of water. Blend on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth and liquefied.

With the blender running on medium-low speed, slowly drizzle in 0.25 cup of grapeseed oil in a very thin, steady stream. This slow incorporation is crucial to create a stable, creamy vegetable-based emulsion. Season the dressing with a pinch of salt to taste.

Add the drained edamame and the sliced leftover lemongrass chicken breasts to the large mixing bowl with the cabbages, green onions, and cilantro. Pour about half of the carrot-ginger emulsion over the salad and toss gently to combine and coat all components evenly.

Divide the salad evenly among 4 serving bowls. Drizzle the remaining carrot-ginger emulsion over the top of each portion. Garnish each bowl with 2 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds (divided evenly, about 1.5 tsp per bowl) and serve immediately.