Vietnamese Chicken Salad
at-a-glance
Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Course
Dinner
The chicken for this salad is cooked in a flavorful ginger broth. Reserve the strained broth to use in another recipe (see, Curried Thai Squash Soup), or serve it in mugs on its own to drink as a simple broth, i.e., cup-o-soup. If you’re pressed for time, skip the first step of this recipe and use skinless rotisserie chicken breast instead.
Pregnancy perk: Chicken is packed with protein, necessary for tissue growth for you and your baby.
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon distilled vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce (a salty condiment used to flavor foods in Southeast Asian cuisine. Use more or less depending on your taste.)
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated
For the chicken:
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 small carrot, roughly chopped
1 chunk ginger root, peeled, approximately 1-by-2 inches
1 serrano chile, sliced in half lengthwise
5 garlic cloves, whole and peeled
2 tablespoons soy sauce
10 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
For the salad:
1 pound head savoy or napa cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 cup chopped scallions, green parts only
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
1. In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients and set aside.
2. For chicken, place 2 quarts water in a medium saucepan on high heat and add celery, onion, carrot, ginger, chile, garlic, soy sauce, cloves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking uncovered for 5 minutes. Carefully add chicken breasts to saucepan, cover and cook on low for 15 to 20 minutes—until chicken is tender. Strain broth and reserve for another use. Discard vegetables and set chicken aside and let cool.
3. To prepare the salad, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces with your hands. In a large bowl, toss cabbage, carrots, scallions, cilantro and mint leaves. Place on serving platter and mound chicken on top. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with roasted peanuts.
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