Description
This vibrant Vietnamese Chicken Salad combines shredded rotisserie chicken with fresh, crisp vegetables and aromatic herbs, all tossed in a tangy and slightly sweet Nuoc Cham dressing. Easy to prepare and bursting with flavors and textures, this salad is a perfect light meal or refreshing side dish that brings the essence of Vietnamese cuisine to your table.
Ingredients
Salad
- 3-4 cups rotisserie chicken, thinly sliced or shredded
- 4 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into batons
- 1 English cucumber, seeds removed and cut into thin rounds
- 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
- 2-3 scallions, green part only, sliced
- 1 cup fresh mint, torn into pieces
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 Fresno red chili, sliced
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, slightly pounded
Nuoc Cham Dressing
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar or regular vinegar
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp red Fresno chili, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the Dressing: In a bowl or mason jar, combine the lime juice, rice vinegar, fish sauce, white sugar, vegetable oil, and chopped red Fresno chili. Whisk or shake vigorously until the sugar is fully dissolved and the dressing is well emulsified.
- Prepare the Vegetables: Shred the Napa cabbage finely. Thinly slice the red onion and red bell pepper into batons. Peel and julienne the carrot into thin matchsticks. Slice the scallions (green part only). Remove seeds from the English cucumber and cut into thin rounds.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large salad bowl, combine all the prepared vegetables along with the shredded rotisserie chicken. Add torn mint leaves and chopped cilantro to bring fresh herbal notes.
- Toss with Dressing: Just before serving, drizzle the prepared Nuoc Cham dressing over the salad. Toss everything well to ensure the dressing coats every ingredient evenly. Let the salad rest for about 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Serve: Transfer the salad to serving plates and sprinkle the slightly pounded roasted peanuts on top for a delightful crunch. Garnish with additional lime wedges or fresh herbs if desired and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken for convenience, but grilled or boiled chicken can also be used.
- If you prefer less spice, reduce the amount of Fresno chili or omit it altogether.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute fish sauce with soy sauce or tamari and omit chicken, adding tofu or tempeh instead.
- Allowing the salad to rest for 5 minutes after tossing helps the flavors to marry and the veggies to slightly soften without losing crunch.
- Roasted peanuts provide texture contrast and enhance the flavor; ensure they are slightly crushed for even distribution.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
