This Easy Vietnamese Chicken Salad Is the Answer to Your Weeknight Woes

By Leo Danzig
Steve Brown
Steve Brown

Chicken salad is an easy dinner standby, but it can get dull after a while. Amp it up with this easy recipe from Adam's Big Pot by Adam Liaw ($30, out in August 2017). The salad only has a few simple ingredients, including shredded chicken, so it's the perfect recipe for when you need to use up leftover rotisserie chicken or plain shredded chicken breast. The homemade dressing adds a Vietnamese twist with the flavors of fish sauce, chili, and garlic.

Steve Brown

Vietnamese Chicken and Mint Salad

Cook Time20 minutes
YieldServes 4

From Adam's Big Pot by Adam Liaw

INGREDIENTS

  • Dressing:
  • 100 milliliters lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 2 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 bird’s-eye chili, seeds removed and finely sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Salad:
  • 1/2 head cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1/2 red onion, peeled and very finely sliced
  • 2 cups loosely packed mint, roughly torn
  • 1 carrot, peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks
  • 2 cups shredded chicken
  • 1/4 cup fried shallots
  • 1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Make the dressing: Mix the ingredients together and allow to stand for a few minutes.

  2. Make the salad: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the salad except the shallots and peanuts and toss to combine.

  3. Pour over the dressing and toss again to coat.

  4. Transfer to a serving plate or bowl and scatter with the shallots and peanuts.

Notes

Vietnamese cuisine really does have it sorted out. You can create vibrant, layered flavors in minutes, and from a minimal number of ingredients. Even if you’ve never made Vietnamese food before, give this salad a try. It’s light, fresh, and flavorful, and it’ll become a regular dinner in your household, just as it has in mine. Tip: To shred the cabbage and onion, I use a mandoline slicer — it’s done in seconds, but you really have to watch your fingers!