Vietnamese Chicken Salad
This Vietnamese chicken salad is by far one of my favorite simple summer meals to make. While I’m not a huge salad person, during the summer I tend to crave cooler and refreshing foods, and this always hits the spot. I especially love using fresh from the garden herbs like mint and rau rum (thank you dad) which is an herb that tastes like a mix of basil and mint. But don’t fret, if you don’t have this on hand or can’t find it, you can substitute with all mint or half mint and half basil. I’ll also mention that our “garden” this year is mainly herbs and raspberries which are pretty low maintenance — phew.
That said, this salad takes about 35 minutes to whip up making it a simple weeknight meal that’s balanced with carbs, fat, and protein OR as side dish with leftovers for lunch. If you wanted to simplify this dish even more, you could use rotisserie chicken instead of making your own. However there is some satisfaction in making everything from scratch, not to mention, you’ll have some leftover chicken stock on hand. You could also easily cut this recipe in half or 1/3 and use chicken legs instead of a whole chicken, which is what I did.
Did I mention this salad is cabbage-based which means it’s packed with health benefits? Cabbage is pretty amazing during these quarantine times because of it’s long shelf life. Not to mention, it is packed with nutrients like vitamin C, and K, along with antioxidants and minerals that may support your health and reduce inflammation. It’s also packed with insoluble fiber that may improve your digestive health.
Ingredients:
Kosher salt
1 whole chicken (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
3 inch piece of fresh ginger, smashed
4 whole green onions
1/2 head green cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons
1/2 cup coarsely chopped rau ram leaves (or sub with mint or half mint and basil)
3 cups cooked rice vermicelli or rice noodles
1 cup flavored fish sauce
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fried shallots (slice then toss in 1 tsp avocado oil, and air-fried them in 375 F for about 12 minutes, until crispy)
2 tablespoons roasted unsalted peanuts
Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, using about a tablespoon of salt, rub the chicken, remove any loose skin, and then rinse well. Once the water is boiling, add the chicken, ginger, and green onions, boiling for about 15 minutes. Cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the chicken sit for another 15 minutes. Then remove the chicken from the pot, shred the meet from the bones, and slice the chicken into strips.
2. Place the sliced cabbage in a colander springily with salt and massaging the cabbage with your hands. Let the cabbage stand for about 5-10 minutes then rinse off with cold water allowing the water to drain.
3. In a large bowl toss the cabbage, herbs, vermicelli, and flavored fish sauce together. Add the chicken tossing lightly. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and top off with the fried shallots and peanuts.
Recipe credit to Charles Phan — The Slanted Door. I HIGHLY recommend this book for those of you who enjoy Vietnamese dishes! If you try this recipe and enjoy it, please share it on instagram and tag me @saraannhubbard.