Saturday, September 26, 2009

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

This crunchy salad embodies the culinary philosophy of balancing contrasting tastes of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Increased availability of ethnic ingredients, such as fish sauce, means you can create authentic dishes without a separate trip to a specialty market. Packaged angel hair slaw and matchstick-cut carrots speed preparation.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups chopped green onions, divided
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
6 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 cup matchstick-cut carrot
3/4 cup (3 x 1/8-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper
3/4 cup (3 x 1/8-inch) julienne-cut yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped dry roasted peanuts
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
Place chicken and 1/2 cup green onions in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Drain and discard green onions. Place chicken on a work surface or cutting board, and shred chicken with 2 forks.

Combine juice, sugar, and garlic in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; microwave at HIGH for 20 seconds or until sugar melts. Cool to room temperature; stir in fish sauce.

Combine remaining 1 cup onions, chicken, cabbage, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with juice mixture; toss well to coat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information
Calories:215 (25% from fat)
Fat:6g (sat 1g,mono 2.6g,poly 1.9g)
Protein:22.4g
Carbohydrate:20.4g
Fiber:4.6g
Cholesterol:44mg
Iron:2mg
Sodium:625mg
Calcium:90mg

Vietnamese cooking@home
by cooking lover