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Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Mint

(recipe, Alanna Kaufman & Alex Small)

Introduction

This is the salad that launched our obsession with Asian-inspired salads. We experimented with many salads during that time, but this one remains our favorite. It requires a good amount of chopping, but it's worth the amazing combination of sweetness, tang, and crunch that results. If you can, save some in the refrigerator for the next day — the flavors meld together even more delectably over time.

Ingredients

Dressing

1. 1 chile pepper, minced
2. 2 garlic cloves, minced
3. 1 Tbsp. sugar
4. 1½ tsp. rice-wine vinegar
5. 1½ Tbsp. fresh lime juice
6. 1½ Tbsp. fish sauce (nam pla)
7. 1½ Tbsp. vegetable oil
8. ¼ medium onion, thinly sliced
9. 1 tsp. black pepper

Salad

1. ½ head cabbage, shredded
2. 1 medium carrot, cut into thin strips
3. 2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into thin strips or shredded
4. Bunch of fresh mint, plus more for garnish
5. Salt, to taste

Steps

1. In a bowl, combine the chile pepper, garlic, sugar, vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, oil, onion, and black pepper.
2. In a large bowl, mix the cabbage, carrot, chicken, and mint.
3. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss well. Add salt and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before serving cold.