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Vietnamese Chicken Salad Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 51 reviews

This vibrant Vietnamese Chicken Salad features tender cooked chicken tossed with crisp wombok cabbage, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs, all dressed in a tangy, flavorful dressing made with lime juice, fish sauce, and chili. Garnished with crunchy roasted peanuts, this refreshing salad is perfect as a light meal or a colorful side dish.

Ingredients

Scale

Salad

  • 350g/12oz cooked chicken, cut into thin batons (2 large cooked breasts, Note 1)
  • 6 heaped cups wombok cabbage (Napa cabbage), finely shredded (Note 2)
  • 1/2 red onion, very finely sliced (so it’s floppy)
  • 1 red capsicum / bell pepper, finely sliced into thin batons
  • 2 cucumbers, remove seeds then finely sliced into half moons (or 1 long continental/English cucumber)
  • 1 large carrot, peeled then julienned (using a shredder)
  • 1 large chilli, deseeded then julienned, optional (Note 3)
  • 1 cup (tightly packed) mint leaves, large leaves roughly torn by hand (Note 4)
  • 1 cup (tightly packed) coriander/cilantro leaves (Note 4)

Dressing

  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce (substitute light or all-purpose soy sauce if preferred)
  • 1/4 cup canola oil (or vegetable, grapeseed, peanut oil)
  • 1 tbsp white sugar
  • 1 large garlic clove, very finely minced
  • 2 tsp red chilli, deseeded then very finely minced (bird’s eye or Thai red chilli best, Note 3)

Garnish

  • 1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, finely chopped (~1/3 cup once chopped, Note 5)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Dressing: Combine lime juice, rice vinegar, fish sauce, canola oil, white sugar, minced garlic, and finely minced red chilli in a jar. Shake well to combine and set aside for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld together.
  2. Assemble the Salad: In a very large bowl, place the cooked chicken batons, shredded wombok cabbage, finely sliced red onion, red capsicum, seeded and sliced cucumbers, julienned carrot, optional julienned chilli, torn mint, and coriander leaves. Pour over half of the prepared dressing and toss thoroughly to coat all the ingredients.
  3. Let It Rest: Allow the salad to sit for 5 minutes to let the vegetables soften slightly, enhancing the slaw-like texture and melding the flavors.
  4. Final Toss and Serve: Just before serving, toss the salad again and drizzle with most of the remaining dressing. Taste and add more dressing if desired for balance. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle generously with chopped roasted peanuts as a crunchy garnish.

Notes

  • Note 1: Use cooked chicken breasts that are cooled and shredded or sliced thinly for best texture.
  • Note 2: Wombok cabbage is also known as Napa cabbage; finely shredding it creates a lovely crisp texture.
  • Note 3: Adjust the amount of chilli to your heat preference or omit for a milder salad. Bird’s eye or Thai red chillies work best for authentic flavor.
  • Note 4: Fresh mint and coriander add essential aromatic freshness; roughly tear the leaves rather than chopping to preserve flavor.
  • Note 5: Roasted unsalted peanuts provide a crunchy contrast; finely chop for even distribution.
  • Note 6: This salad can be made ahead and held chilled, but add peanuts just before serving to keep them crunchy.

Keywords: Vietnamese Chicken Salad, Wombok Salad, Asian Chicken Salad, Healthy Chicken Salad, Fresh Herb Salad

Find it online: https://tastybynova.com/vietnamese-chicken-salad-recipe/