This Vietnamese Chicken Salad Is One of My Favorite Easy Summer Suppers

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4 Servings

When I was growing up on the Gulf Coast, I spent summer afternoons perched directly in front of an oscillating floor fan, craving nothing but a whiff of a breeze to break through the heat-fog, or maybe an icy glass of my mom’s limeade. We all hated to cook on those triple-digit days, when languishing was preferable to laboring. Usually, someone would pick up a bucket of perfect fried chicken from Publix, or slice a watermelon to eat over white rice. (Did anyone else grow up eating watermelon and rice on scorching days?)

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 medium)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 medium head green cabbage (1 1/2 pounds), cored and thinly sliced (6 cups)
1 large carrot, peeled and and cut into matchsticks (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup fried shallots
Prawn chips, for serving (optional)
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice (1 1/2 medium limes), plus more as needed
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions

Place 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a single layer in a medium saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and enough cool water to just cover the chicken. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until just cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers at least 165ºF, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss 1/2 thinly sliced red onion and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar together in a small bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes, then drain off the vinegar. Place 1/2 cored and thinly sliced medium head green cabbage, 1 large peeled and matchstick-cut carrot, and 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro in a large bowl.
When the chicken is ready, transfer to a clean cutting board and let cool until just warm. Make the dressing while the chicken is cooling.
Whisk 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 1 minced garlic clove together in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved.
Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken and onions to the vegetables and toss until combined. Drizzle with the dressing and toss until evenly coated. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes for the flavors to meld. Taste and season with more lime juice as needed. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup fried shallots. Serve with prawn chips if desired.