Chicken and Bell Pepper Salad

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make a chicken and bell pepper salad? It's very easy! First, gather all your ingredients. Shallots suit this salad best, but if you can't find them, a regular onion works fine.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the chicken breast and trim off the membranes. Boil the whole breasts in salted water until cooked through (about 35 minutes); the inside should be just as white as the outside. Shake off the excess water and cut the chicken into batons or thinner strips.

3. Step 3:

   

   Core and seed the bell pepper and cut it into strips.

4. Step 4:

   

   Peel the onion and cut it into thin half-moons.

5. Step 5:

   

   Wash the parsley, shake off the water, and chop it finely.

6. Step 6:

   

   In a bowl, combine the chicken, bell pepper, and onion.

7. Step 7:

   

   Now gather the dressing ingredients. You can swap the tomato paste for a fresh tomato, peeled and grated. Note that the Korean seasoning makes the dressing and the whole salad fairly spicy, about like Korean-style carrots. If you'd rather skip the heat, replace it with plain salt, pepper, and paprika in proportions to your taste.

8. Step 8:

   

   In a skillet, combine the tomato paste, soy sauce, oil, and seasoning blend.

9. Step 9:

   

   Stir and heat everything together over medium heat until it comes to a boil, then let it bubble for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Don't try to make it perfectly uniform, the lighter oil will rise to the top and the tomato mixture will settle to the bottom.

10. Step 10:

    

    Pour the hot dressing over the chicken and vegetables and toss.

11. Step 11:

    

    Sprinkle the salad with the chopped parsley and toss again. If you like cilantro, add it along with or instead of the parsley.

12. Step 12:

    

    Let the salad chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, then serve. You can also skip the chilling and serve it warm right away, to me the warm version is even tastier, no resting needed. Enjoy!