Chicken and Herb Salad With Nuoc Cham
Updated June 4, 2024
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 30 minutes
- Cook Time
- 5 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1garlic clove, minced
- 1bird’s-eye chile or other small hot chile, minced with seeds
- ¼cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
- 3tablespoons fish sauce
- 3loosely packed cups chicken meat (12 ounces, pulled from store-bought rotisserie chicken or roast chicken)
- 2cups thinly sliced red or green cabbage
- 1small English cucumber, thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)
- 1medium bell pepper (any color), thinly sliced
- 1½cups peppery leafy greens, such as watercress with tender stems, arugula or mizuna
- 1loosely packed cup Thai or sweet basil leaves
- 1loosely packed cup mint leaves
- ½cup crispy fried shallots or onions, store-bought or homemade
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
291 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 40 grams protein; 1213 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and ¼ cup water. Whisk to dissolve the sugar. Add the garlic, chile, lime juice and fish sauce. Stir to combine.
- Step 2
Add the chicken, cabbage, cucumbers and bell pepper to the dressing. Toss to coat. Add the leafy greens and the basil and mint leaves. Toss to combine.
- Step 3
Divide the salad among bowls, garnish with the crispy shallots and serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
The way we Vietnamese eat it is with peanuts. Don’t forget the peanuts.
This is the only way I eat store-bought rotisserie chicken. You don't need to put the sugar in- I don't, and it's still delicious. I also prefer to use dry fried chili peppers rather than fresh peppers. It's a very quick, easy, and inexpensive meal. This has been my go-to dinner for ages.
Good but it needed a bit more 'something'. We added some crushed almonds for more crunch, some red onion for flavor and crunch (I think some sliced radishes could work also), halved cherry tomatoes for color and flavor. Used a combination of green and red pepper slices.
We’ve made this dish a few times and really like it. One way to simplify the prep: sous vide a boneless chicken breast in advance (say the weekend before planning to serve or the day before, whenever convenient). Once cooled in the fridge a sous vided chicken breast is easy to shred and one avoids the salt of a rotisserie chicken (particularly when high sodium fish sauce - vegan in our case to accommodate an allergy - and pickled vegetables (see below) is going to make the dish salty) and thankfully shortens the total prep time. I found Arugula to be a much simpler to prep ingredient vs. watercress, and maybe superior in flavor. Adding pickled carrots and daikon (đồ chua), as others suggested, adds more crunch and a flavor profile that feels right, with some nice nutritional benefits.
I made this tonight, with the addition of cooked cold noodles (to help absorb the dressing) and unsalted peanuts along with the chopped scallion, as topping. So easy and unbelievably delicious! I ate this in tribute to Yewande, of whom I have been a longtime fan, and who has survived the last 2 years with a courage and strength that I am not sure I would have in her place. Much love and respect, Yewande, your recipes and videos have encouraged me to try flavors I had never had before. I look forward to seeing you back in the NYT kitchen again, however long it takes. 👍♥️
This is one of my favorite NYT recipes. I make it regularly. So good - fresh, crunchy, salty, spicy, crispy, savory. I always make about 4x the nuoc cham required as I like having extra and I don't think this recipe gives me enough!