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Vietnamese Chicken Salad

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5 from 4 votes
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Calories: 325kcal
Servings: 4 People
Metric - Imperial

Ingredients

Chicken & Salad

  • 500 g Chicken Breast Skinless
  • 1 Carrot Julienned
  • 125 ml Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 5 g Sea Salt Flakes
  • 30 g Sugar
  • 1 White Onion Sliced
  • 100 g Bean Sprouts Mung Beans
  • 100 g White Cabbage Shredded
  • 100 g Red Cabbage Shredded
  • 15 g Fresh Mint Torn
  • 15 g Coriander (Cilantro)
  • 40 g Peanuts Roasted & Chopped
  • Fried Shallots To Serve

Vietnamese Dressing

  • 37.5 ml Fish Sauce
  • 60 ml Water
  • 47 g Sugar
  • ½ Lime
  • 3 Lime Leaves
  • 1 Garlic Clove Crushed

Garnish

  • 1 Long Red Chilli Sliced

Method

  • Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  • Place all of the Vietnamese dressing ingredients into a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a simmer to melt the sugar, remove from the heat, and allow to cool down for 15 minutes before placing in the fridge to cool completely. (Make sure the dressing is cold before pouring it over the salad.)
  • Roughly chop the peanuts, place them onto the prepared baking tray, and roast for 6-7 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove and allow to cool down.
  • Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the chicken breasts. Bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the chicken to rest in the water for 6 minutes or until cooked through (internal temperature of 74°C/165°F). Remove and allow to cool slightly.
  • In the meantime, place the julienned carrot into a mixing bowl. Add the rice wine vinegar, salt and sugar, then mix well to coat the carrot. Add the thinly sliced onion along with the bean sprouts and let sit for 10 minutes to slightly pickle. Drain from the pickling brine and discard the liquid (or keep and reuse it).
  • Thinly slice the poached chicken into strips and tear into bite-sized pieces. Place the chicken and all of the other salad ingredients into a mixing bowl, except the peanuts and fried shallots. Pour over the cooled Vietnamese dressing and toss well to combine. Serve into bowls or plates and garnish with the peanuts, fried shallots, and sliced red chilli. Dig in.
Chef's Tips
Don't skip resting the chicken in the hot water off the heat — this gentle carryover cooking is what keeps poached chicken breast moist and tender instead of dry and stringy.
Let the pickled carrot, onion and bean sprouts sit the full 10 minutes before draining — this is what takes the edge off the raw onion and gives the salad its characteristic tangy crunch.
Make sure the dressing is completely cold before tossing it through the salad — warm dressing will wilt the herbs and cabbage and take the crunch out of the fresh vegetables.
Storage & Reheating
Best eaten fresh, as the cabbage and herbs will wilt and the peanuts lose their crunch once dressed. If needed, undressed components (chicken, pickled vegetables, cabbage, dressing) can be kept separately in the fridge for up to 2 days and combined just before serving. This salad is served cold or at room temperature and isn't intended to be reheated.
Serving 380gCalories 325kcalCarbohydrates 31.9gProtein 32.2gFat 7.6gSaturated Fat 1.6gPolyunsaturated Fat 2.54gMonounsaturated Fat 3.8gCholesterol 89.3mgSodium 230.67mgPotassium 777.5mgFiber 3.4gSugar 24.3gVitamin A 3420IUVitamin C 32.73mgCalcium 64.7mgIron 1.7mg