Vietnamese Chicken and Cabbage Salad
Vietnamese Chicken and Cabbage Salad (Gỏi Gà Bắp Cải) is a light and refreshing dish perfect as a side as well as a healthy main. Featuring vibrant flavors and colorful presentation, this salad is also an excellent choice to bring to potlucks.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 230kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups water, divided
- 18 oz chicken parts, such as breasts and thighs (I use one breast and two thighs. You may also use leftover shredded chicken)
- a 1-inch piece of ginger
- 1¼ teaspoons salt, divided
- half a medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (about half a cup)
- ½ cup julienned carrot
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 12 oz shredded cabbage (about 6 cups packed)
Fresh herbs options
- Vietnamese coriander, roughly chopped
- or a mix of Thai basil and cilantro, roughly chopped
For the dressing (adjust to taste)
- 2½ tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2-3 teaspoons granulated sugar
Other add-ins
- roasted peanuts, lightly crushed
- fried shallots (optional)
Instructions
- Bring 2½ cups water (600ml) to a boil, then add the chicken parts, ginger and ½ teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and poach until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- While poaching the chicken, place thinly sliced onions and julienned chicken in a bowl with ½ cup water (120ml), rice vinegar and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside to soak to reduce their rawness.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked, transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Then shred the meat. You should have about 2 cups (9.5 oz/270g) of shredded chicken.
- Sprinkle the remaining salt over the shredded cabbage. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then gently squeeze out some excess water. Also drain the onion and carrots.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cabbage, chicken, onion, carrots and herbs. Combine the dressing and pour over the salad. Toss then taste and adjust to your liking.
- If you have time, chill in the fridge for even better taste. Otherwise, transfer to serving plates and sprinkle roasted peanuts and fried shallots.
Notes
This salad can serve 2-3 people as a healthy main or 4-5 people as a side dish. You may also add 1-2 additional cups of shredded cabbage to stretch it further. In that case, also use more dressing.
I like to use pointed cabbage for salad which is more delicate than regular round cabbage.
If you have kaffir lime leaves on hand, thinly slice them and sprinkle over the salad. It will make the dish even more delicious and fragrant.
Nutrition
Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 1530mg | Potassium: 397mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2884IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg