Vietnamese Chicken and Cabbage Salad with Lime-Fish Sauce Dressing

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A crunchy, herb-packed Vietnamese salad built on a shortcut rotisserie chicken. The trick is a quick salting of the cabbage — it draws out just enough water so the shreds stay snappy under the dressing instead of collapsing into a puddle. Sweet-salty-sour nuoc cham style dressing, torn mint and cilantro, fried shallots and peanuts on top.

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium head green cabbage, cored and very thinly shredded (about 6 cups)
• 2 cups red cabbage, very thinly shredded
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, skin discarded (about 1 lb)
• 1 medium carrot, julienned or coarsely grated
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced paper-thin
• 1 cup mint leaves, torn
• 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup Thai basil or more mint, torn (optional)

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2–3 limes)
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp warm water
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 Thai chile or serrano, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar

• 1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup fried shallots (store-bought or homemade)
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Shred the cabbage as thinly as you can manage — 1/8 inch or less, using a sharp knife or the slicing side of a box grater. Toss the green and red cabbage together in a large colander set in the sink or over a bowl with 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, rubbing it in with your hands for about 30 seconds. Let it sit exactly 15 to 20 minutes; longer and it starts to go limp.
2. While the cabbage drains, make the dressing: in a small bowl or jar, whisk 1/4 cup lime juice, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 2 1/2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp warm water and 1 tsp rice vinegar until the sugar fully dissolves. Stir in the grated garlic and sliced chile. Taste — it should be aggressively sour-salty-sweet, since the cabbage and chicken will mute it. Adjust with a splash more lime or a pinch more sugar.
3. Put the sliced red onion in a small bowl with 2 tbsp of the dressing and let it soften and pickle while you work, about 10 minutes. This takes the raw bite out.
4. Squeeze the salted cabbage firmly in handfuls over the sink to expel the water — you'll get several tablespoons out. Spread it on a clean kitchen towel, roll up and press to dry, then transfer to a large bowl. Do not rinse; the residual salt is part of the seasoning.
5. Add the shredded chicken, carrot, and the pickled onion with its liquid to the cabbage. Pour over the remaining dressing and toss thoroughly with your hands or tongs for a full minute so every shred is coated.
6. Add the mint, cilantro and Thai basil and toss just 2 or 3 times — you want the herbs distributed but not bruised. Taste and add a squeeze of lime or a few drops of fish sauce if it needs lift.
7. Pile onto a platter or shallow bowl. Scatter with chopped peanuts, fried shallots and sesame seeds, tuck lime wedges around the edge, and serve within 20 minutes while the cabbage is still loud and crunchy.
8. Optional 5-minute upgrade: if you'd rather poach your own chicken, simmer 1 lb boneless skin-on chicken thighs in salted water with 3 smashed ginger coins for 12 minutes, then let stand off heat 10 minutes, cool and hand-shred.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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