Vietnamese Classic Chicken Salad

Name: Vietnamese Classic Chicken Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 tablespoons white vinegar; 1/2 small head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced; 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast; 3 tablespoons sugar; 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 tablespoon chopped red chili pepper, optional; 1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely crushed; 3 to 5 sprigs fresh cilantro

Recipe GLPR92c02a777af8ee

Vietnamese

Salad

35 min

593 cal

Servings: 2

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

A fresh and vibrant Vietnamese chicken salad featuring tender poached chicken tossed with crisp cabbage, pickled onions, and roasted peanuts. The salad is dressed with a bright lime and fish sauce vinaigrette balanced with sugar and garlic, topped with fragrant cilantro for an authentic Southeast Asian flavor profile.

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Ingredients

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 small head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon chopped red chili pepper, optional

1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely crushed

3 to 5 sprigs fresh cilantro

Directions

Combine the sliced onion with 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside to pickle while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Place the chicken breast in a pot of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, approximately 12-15 minutes depending on thickness. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then shred or cut into bite-sized pieces.
In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic until the sugar dissolves completely. Stir in the chopped chili pepper if using.
Place the sliced cabbage in a large bowl and add the shredded chicken.
Drain the pickled onions, reserving the liquid, and add the onions to the chicken and cabbage.
Pour the lime-fish sauce dressing over the salad and toss well to combine all ingredients evenly.
Divide the salad between two serving plates and top each portion with the crushed roasted peanuts and fresh cilantro sprigs before serving.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

Fish sauce is the real blocker here—you'll need to make a special trip to Harris Teeter or Kroger's international aisle, as Food Lion and Walmart rarely stock it fresh. The rest of the ingredients (chicken, cabbage, lime, garlic, chili pepper, peanuts, cilantro) are readily available at any major Charlotte chain and total roughly $12–14 for two servings, making it around $6–7 per plate. The 35-minute window is realistic if you're using a rotisserie chicken or leftover poultry, but raw chicken adds at least 15 minutes; the salad itself doesn't keep well overnight, so plan to eat it the same night. It's a light, hands-on weeknight dish that rewards speed and careful prep but demands attention while you pound peanuts and finish seasoning."