Crunchy Chicken Cabbage Mango Salad

Disclosure: Delightful Plate is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We only recommend products we use and trust.

Summer is when I seriously feel the need to eat more salad to beat the heat. This cabbage-based salad with mango, shredded chicken and herbs is so refreshing and crunchy. It is also beautiful to look at with all the vibrant colors.

a plate of chicken cabbage mango salad

This chicken cabbage mango salad has all the features of typical Vietnamese salads. In Vietnam, we usually make tasty salads by bringing contrasting flavors and textures into balanced harmony.

How to make chicken cabbage mango salad

I use chicken breast in this recipe, but please feel free to use thigh or drumstick. Chicken is poached with ginger and shallot to remove poultry odor as well as to make it more flavorful.

Red cabbage is crunchier than green cabbage. I choose to use red cabbage mainly because its dark purple color together with yellow (from mango) and green (from herbs) create such an eye-pleasing visual effect. I like to add some salt to shredded red cabbage before mixing it with other ingredients to remove some of its excess water.

If you don’t like red cabbage, I think it’s fine to use green cabbage. You will still need to salt the green cabbage, let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then squeeze out excess water. You can check out my Vietnamese chicken and green cabbage salad recipe here.

Mango is another essential ingredient in this recipe. It is best to use unripe/near-ripe mangoes because they are firmer and not overly sweet. Some tartness from unripe mangoes also adds interesting tang to this dishes well as these Vietnamese fried fish with green mango salad recipe and seafood green mango salad recipe.

In Vietnam, the best herb to use in a chicken salad is Vietnamese coriander (rau ram). Its flavor/aroma is cilantro-like and more lemony and peppery than cilantro. I cannot find rau ram where I live, and I’m not sure about its availability in other places in the U.S. and other countries. However, cilantro, mint and Thai basil are more than capable of brightening this salad.

Chicken cabbage mango salad is so refreshing and crunchy with contrasting flavors and textures. It is a beautiful salad with vibrant colors

⭐️ I’d love to hear what you think about the dish, so please feel free to leave a comment and a rating if you have tried it. New recipes are added every week so let’s connect on FacebookYoutubePinterest and Instagram for the latest updates. You can find my collection of Vietnamese recipes here.

This cabbage-based salad with mango, shredded chicken and herbs is so refreshing and crunchy. It is also easy and quick to put together this salad.

Chicken cabbage mango salad

Chicken cabbage mango salad is so refreshing and crunchy with contrasting flavors and textures. It is a beautiful salad with vibrant colors and it tastes as great as it looks.
Author: Sophie
No ratings yet
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients
 

  • 1 chicken breast
  • 1 small piece of ginger
  • 1 shallot
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 3 cups finely shredded red cabbage (about 1/4 of a cabbage)
  • 1 mango (unripe mango works best)
  • 1/3 cup roughly chopped mint
  • 1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped Thai basil
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice (juice of about one lime)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • roasted peanuts, crushed (unsalted)

Instructions
 

  • Place chicken breast in a pot and add enough water to cover it. Add ginger, shallot, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. When chicken breast is fully cooked, transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Once it's cool, shred the chicken, put in a clean mixing bowl.
  • While chicken is being cooked, place shredded cabbage in a colander and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Let stand for 5-10 minutes then drain, put in the mixing bowl.
  • Peel and cut mango into thin strips. Place in the mixing bowl.
  • Add mint, cilantro and Thai basil to the mixing bowl.
  • Whisk together lime juice, sugar and the remaining fish sauce. Add the dressing and mix well to combine. It’s best to taste as you add the dressing and adjust to taste.
  • Transfer to a serving plate, add crushed roasted peanuts and enjoy.

Notes

If you don’t want the red cabbage to be too crunchy, you can add the dressing to the cabbage only, mix and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before adding remaining ingredients. It will become softer.
Course: Appetizers and Side dishes, Salad
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Tried this recipe?Comment & Rate below or Tag @delightfulplate on Instagram
Liked our videos?Subscribe to our Youtube channel and cook along with us

Similar Posts

15 Comments

  1. I just love raw cabbage dishes that aren’t traditional coleslaw (although I love that too). This sounds so refreshing and crunchy and has that sweet and savory that I love.

  2. First – I LOVE the complexity Vietnamese salads deliver. Second – I have some red cabbage on hand! I don’t eat chicken, but I think I could sub some veggie chicken cutlets, or perhaps even some spicy marinated tempeh? I’m intrigued by the possibilities! I love mango paired with savory spices 🙂

    1. I think fried/baked tofu will work great too. I agree, mango can be surprisingly delicious in many savory dishes :).

  3. I love Vietnamese kitchen with its unique flavors and colors. Btw my parents just got back from Vietnam, they are so in love…(they live in Russia where we don’t have much fresh herbs and absolutely no exotic fruits like mango). Great recipe!

    1. Hi, Tatiana! It’s great to know that your parents travelled to Vietnam and loved the trip. I don’t know that you don’t have mango in Russia. I hope they tried and enjoyed Vietnamese food when they were there.

  4. Love the flavours and the colour in this dish. We are just getting into eating mango, and I happen to have one that is ripe and ready to use. This looks like a great place for it.

    1. Hi, Gloria! Thank you for your comment! It’s actually better to use unripe/near-ripe mango in this recipe since it is easier to handle. I also made it before with ripe mango and it tastes great too, however you need to be more careful when slicing and mixing.

    1. Hi, Elaine! Yes, I think the best way to eat red cabbage is to throw it in salads and slaws. Thank you for stopping by!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating