Vietnamese Chicken and Cabbage Salad

I first discovered this wonderful summer salad recipe for a Vietnamese Chicken and Cabbage Salad on thedomesticman.com website earlier this year. The Domestic Man website features a number of gluten-free and paleo-friendly recipes from around the globe.

Image is from Domestic Man website

Now, I have prepared a similar salad recipe for many years, but felt that the Domestic Man added a few bells-and-whistles to my own recipe. As such, the recipe below features a few of my recommended changes – both in terms of the ingredients and preparation. The main difference is that I used poached chicken breasts rather than grilled chicken since I find the “oriental tastes” seem a bit more vibrant if they do not have to compete against the taste of grilled chicken.

Preparing poached chicken breasts: Poach 1 lb of chicken breaks with about 2 cups of water. To the poaching mixture, add 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of peppercorns, 3 cloves of garlic (smashed), 1 tablespoon coconut amino acids, 1 tablespoon lime juice and a few basil leaves. Cook for 15-20 minutes then leave in water for about 25 minutes before shredding.

In any event, please find below my variation of Vietnamese Chicken and Cabbage Salad. This is a great recipe for Mediterranean diet and Paleo enthusiasts alike:

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Vietnamese Chicken and Cabbage Summer Salad Recipe

Prep 30 mins

Cook 40 mins

Inactive 30 mins

Total 1 hour, 40 mins

Author Domestic Man

Yield 4 servings

One of my husband's favorite salad recipes.  Lots of flavor and texture contrasts in this Asian-based salad. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 head green cabbage, shredded (approximately 1 lb)
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 1 lb) - We prefer poached.
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (preferably our CA EVOO or Tuscan EVOO)
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 red pepper (my addition)
• 4 scallions sliced (my addition)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (my addition)
• 3 tablespoon of dry roasted cashews chopped (my addition)
• 1 spicy red chile pepper (bird’s eye, fresno), seeds removed and thinly sliced
• 1 small handful basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 small handful mint leaves, coarsely chopped
• Garnish with 6-8 basil leaves and 10 fresh mint leaves (my addition)

Instructions

1. Shred the cabbage and place it in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with cold water and add a bit of salt; stir to combine, then set aside to soak for 20 minutes.
2. Combine the 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon to make the dressing; taste and add salt if needed. Shred the chicken along the grain, using two forks, and set aside. Drain the cabbage and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Now comes the fun part – in a large bowl, combine the cabbage, chicken, carrots, pepper, scallions, cashews chili pepper, basil, mint, and the salad dressing; toss to combine, add salt to taste.

Notes

** If you can get your hands on some Vietnamese coriander (rau răm), add it with the other two herbs during step #3.

Courses Salad

Cuisine Asian

Looking for other great chicken recipes?

West African Chicken Stew

How to Make Authentic Chicken Mole

Chicken and Walnut Salad Recipe

Chicken and Dumplings from Bon Appetit