Vietnamese Chicken Salad

This refreshing dish is perfect for summer. My take on Gỏi Gá, or Vietnamese chicken salad, utilizes a bunch of shortcuts but does not skimp on flavor. This salad combines tender chicken with crisp vegetables and a tangy, aromatic dressing that’s unapologetically crave-worthy. Easy to prepare and packed with nutrients, it’s what I make when I want to eat healthy but not lack slap you in the face flavor.

My favorite part of this salad is the herbs. Vietnamese Chicken Salad mixes a variety of fresh herbs like mint, cilantro, and Vietnamese coriander called rau ram to bring vibrant layers of herbaceous flavor. The balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy notes is achieved with my mother-in-law’s fish sauce which is a multi-purpose sauce that’s perfect for dipping grilled meats and works perfect as a dressing.

Ingredients

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

4 cups green cabbage finely shredded

2 carrots, finely shredded

½ red onion thinly sliced

1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

1/4 cup roughly chopped mint

1/4 cup fried shallots

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

1/8 cup fried garlic (optional)

Dressing

1/2 cup fish sauce

1/2 cup white vinegar (you can replace with lime juice but vinegar will last longer)

1/2 cup sugar

1.5 cups warm water

6 cloves minced garlic (or more)

2-3 Thai chilis minced (or more)

Mix together dressing ingredients until sugar has dissolved. Combine cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, mint and chicken. Sprinkle olive oil, dressing and mix well. Top with peanuts and fried shallots.

Whisk together fish sauce, vinegar or lime juice, sugar and water in a bowl. Add in minced garlic and Thai chilis. Mix well and transfer to an airtight jar.

My type of salad