Light, crunchy, and tangy, Vietnamese Chicken Salad is made with chicken, cabbage, fresh herbs, and zesty pickled vegetables. Perfect for hot days, it is a meal in itself and an excellent way to use up leftover roast chicken.
3tablespoonsfish saucerecommended: Red Boat Fish Sauce
½ - 1 teaspooncrushed red pepper flakes
2clovesgarlicminced
¾cup grated carrotsabout 3 ounces
Instructions
Nuoc Mam (Dressing)
In a large jar, mix together all of the Nuoc Mam ingredients.Cover and refrigerate.
Salad Prep
In a medium mixing bowl, mix together ⅓ cup vinegar, ⅓ cup water, and 3 tablespoons sugar until the sugar has fully dissolved.
Add the sliced red onion and ¾ cup of grated carrots, and submerge them in the vinegar mixture. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
In a large serving bowl, toss together the shredded chicken, sliced cabbage, cilantro, and (optional) mint.
Drain the marinated vegetables, and toss them with the chicken-cabbage mixture.
Drizzle about ½ cup of the prepared Nuoc Mam over the salad and toss to coat. We like to strain out the grated carrots from the Nuoc Cham sauce and save them for using on sandwiches.
Garnish the salad with cilantro and mint as desire. Serve with additional nuoc mam on the side.
Notes
Nuoc Mam is a type of Vietnamese fish sauce characterized by its sweet, sour, spicy, slightly pungent flavor. It is typically used as a dipping sauce; however, in the case of this recipe, it is used as a dressing.Properly chilled, nuoc mam will last about a month. Stir before using.