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Vietnamese Salad with Poached Chicken

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★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

A summertime favourite - the perfect amount of fresh, crunch and crispy with soft poached shredded chicken.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 400g chicken breast
  • 1/4 wombok (Chinese cabbage), shredded
  • 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
  • 1/2 continental cucumber, seeds removed, cut into matchsticks
  • 1 small red onion, finely sliced
  • 1 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup salted crushed peanuts
  • 1/2 cup fried shallots
  • 200g dried vermicelli noodles, cooked and cooled

For the dressing:

  • 1 red chilli, sliced thinly
  • 1/3 cup lime juice
  • 1/3 cup fish sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp palm sugar (or castor sugar)

Instructions

  1. Place chicken breast in one layer at the bottom of a pot. Cover completely with cold water.
  2. Bring water to a boil before covering with a lid and reducing to a simmer. Cook for approximately 8-12 minutes (depending on the size and number of chicken breasts) until opaque all the way through.
  3. Remove from poaching liquid, and set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, shred finely.
  4. Assemble the salad by combining shredded chicken breast with noodles, wombok, carrot, cucumber, onion, mint and coriander leaves.
  5. To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients in a bowl. Pour over salad and toss to combine.
  6. Divide salad into four portions. Top with crushed peanuts and fried shallots to serve.

Notes

  • Find more comprehensive instructions on how to poach chicken breast here. Poaching chicken to perfection is such a frustration sometimes and The Kitchn's helpful guide makes it a lot easier.
  • If you'd prefer to keep this as just a salad, the recipe works exactly the same if you remove the vermicelli noodles. Just watch the dressing to make sure you're not drowning your vegetables, or alternatively, add more shredded wombok.
  • Rather than chicken, this salad works great with barbecue pork, prawns or crispy tofu.

Find it online: https://eatnik.com.au/vietnamese-salad-poached-chicken/