Saigon Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (including stems)
- 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 4-inch portion bottom portion of large lemongrass stalk, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
- 3 large makrut lime leaves, minced (1 generous teaspoon)
- ½ cup olive oil
- coarse kosher salt
- 1 ¼ pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves (4 to 5)
Dressing
- 5 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
- ¼ cup (packed) light palm sugar or golden brown sugar
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons minced Thai chiles or serrano chiles with seeds
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
Vegetables
- 3 cups 2-inch pieces trimmed Chinese long beans or green beans (about 10 ounces)
- 8 ounces plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeds and pulp removed, shells cut into long thin strips
- 1 cup coarsely grated peeled daikon or trimmed red radishes
- 1 cup coarsely grated seeded Persian cucumbers (about 3)
- 1 cup very thinly sliced green cabbage
- 1 cup coarsely grated carrot
- 1 cup celery leaves
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
- ½ cup salted roasted peanuts, split in half
Instructions
- Gradually whisk in oil. Season marinade to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Arrange chicken in a single layer in an 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Pour marinade over; turn chicken to coat evenly. Cover and chill 3 hours. Can be made 1 day ahead.
- Heat heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken (with some marinade still clinging) and sauté until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side.
- Turn off heat; let chicken rest 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to work surface and cut into strips.
- Whisk until sugar dissolves. Season dressing with salt and pepper. May be made 3 hours ahead.
- Place beans in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, daikon, cucumbers, cabbage, carrot, celery leaves, cilantro leaves, green onions, and most of the peanuts.
- Add chicken and dressing; toss to blend. Season with salt and pepper.
- Mound salad on platter. Sprinkle with remaining peanuts and serve.
Notes
Ingredient info: Lemongrass, fish sauce, palm sugar, and daikon can be found at some supermarkets and at Asian markets. Makrut lime leaves are sold frozen or sometimes fresh at Asian markets. If unavailable, substitute 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel for each lime leaf.
Test-kitchen tip: Palm sugar can be very hard, making it difficult to measure. To soften it, microwave the palm sugar (still in the jar) in 10-second intervals at 50 percent power.
