This is one of my favorite salads when I'm on a diet kick.. or anytime for that matter. Instead of poached chicken you can substitute precooked shrimp or you can even use both! It is often served as an accompaniment to Cháo gà, a Vietnamese chicken and rice soup, but it is definitely tasty enough to be eaten alone. Vietnamese food is known for it's fresh tasting dishes and this is definitely one of them! The dressing is the standard Vietnamese nước mắm aka the God of all condiments. Try out my recipe below and Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Salad
1 Bag of Angel Hair Shredded Green Cabbage (10oz)
3 Carrots
1 Handful of Roughly Chopped Cilantro or Rau Răm if you find it
Dry Roasted Peanuts
BeanSprouts (optional)
hành phi (Vietnamese Fried Onions)
Poached Chicken
2 Large Chicken Breasts (I always use organic)
½ Box of Chicken Broth
Small handful hành phi
Chopped lemongrass or squeeze of 'Gourmet Garden Lemongrass'
1 Knob Of Ginger chopped or squeeze of 'Gourmet Garden Ginger'
Sesame Seed oil
Pickled Onions
1 Yellow Onion
½ Cup of White Vinegar
2 Tablespoons of White Granulated Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt
Nước mắm (Dressing)
1 Cup of cold water
5 Tablespoons of Fish Sauce (I like 3Crabs brand)
4 Tablespoons of White Vinegar
4 Tablespoons of Granulated White Sugar
½ Lime
1 Chili pepper finely chopped
1 Clove garlic finely chopped
Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce
Step 1 - Pickle The Onions:
In a small Tupperware container, Mix together the vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved.
Add the thinly sliced yellow onion and mix to make sure the onions are completely covered. Close the container and let marinate for at least 30min. Whatever you don't use can be easily saved.
Step 2 - Poach The Chicken:
In a pot or a pan that has a cover add broth, lemongrass, ginger, fried onions, and sesame oil to taste. Add the Chicken Breasts in a single layer. Bring to a boil, then quickly reduce the heat to low so that it is barely at a simmer.Partly cover and simmer for 10 min. Turn off the heat completely and let allow the chicken to remain in the hot water for 15-20 min. Shred the chicken when cool enough to touch and set aside.
Step 3 - Mix The Dressing:
Mix all of the dressing ingredients together and add the chili garlic sauce to taste (depending on how spicy you like it) This dressing keeps very well so whatever you don't use be sure to save for future use.
Step 4 - Mix the Salad:
In a large bowl, shred the carrots with a peeler. Add the angel hair cabbage, beansprouts and cilantro and mix. Top with the pickled onions, shredded chicken, crushed peanuts, and hanh phi. Add dressing to taste and serve!
Specialty Ingredient Links:
(Can Be Found In Asian Markets & Some Major Grocery Stores)
