Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Ga Xe Phay)

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 4 cup (400 g) shredded cabbage
• 1 (about 70–80 g) carrot (shredded)
• 1/2 (about 50–60 g) red onion (thinly sliced)
• 2 cup (60 g) mixed fresh herbs such as cilantro and mint (chopped)
• 3 tbsp (30 g) roasted peanut (finely chopped)
• 3 tbsp (15 g) fried shallot
• 4 tbsp (50 g) palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (80 mn) boiling water
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1-2 fresh red chili (minced)
• 3 1/2 tbsp (52 ml) fish sauce
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice

Instructions

1. 1

   To poach chicken breast, add a few thin slices of ginger in a pot of water. Bring to boil. Add the chicken, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from heat, and leave chicken breast to stand with lid on for 20 minutes or longer. Shred the chicken breast; set aside.

2. 2

   To make the nuoc mam dressing, put palm sugar (or brown sugar) in a small mixing bowl. Add boiling water to dissolve the sugar. Add the garlic, chili, fish sauce, vinegar, and lime juice, and stir well.

3. 3

   To assemble the salad, combine shredded chicken, salad vegetables, and herbs in a large mixing bowl. Pour about 1/3 cup of dressing to the salad and toss well. Add more dressing to get your preferred taste.

4. 4

   Garnish salad with chopped peanuts and crisp-fried shallots (if using) and serve immediately. To turn this salad into a more filling meal, serve it over rice vermicelli. It also makes a wonderfully light and refreshing lunch on its own