Chicken and Herb Salad With Nuoc Cham 

By Yewande Komolafe

Updated June 4, 2024

  • Two beige dishes containing a vibrant, herb-flecked chicken salad sit on a cream-color countertop.
    Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini,
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Rating
5(3,038)
Comments
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Nuoc cham, a Vietnamese sauce bright with lime juice and chile, is tossed into this simple, satisfying salad to give it a salty-sweet finish. Thinly sliced bell pepper and shaved cabbage provide crunch, while meat pulled from a store-bought rotisserie chicken — or any leftover chicken — soaks up the dressing. Serve this by itself, or alongside steamed rice or room-temperature cooked rice vermicelli. 

Featured in: 20 Easy Salads for Hot Summer Days

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 bird’s-eye chile or other small hot chile, minced with seeds

  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)

  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce

  • 3 loosely packed cups chicken meat (12 ounces, pulled from store-bought rotisserie chicken or roast chicken)

  • 2 cups thinly sliced red or green cabbage

  • 1 small English cucumber, thinly sliced (about 1 ½ cups)

  • 1 medium bell pepper (any color), thinly sliced

  • 1 ½ cups peppery leafy greens, such as watercress with tender stems, arugula or mizuna

  • 1 loosely packed cup Thai or sweet basil leaves

  • 1 loosely packed cup mint leaves

  • ½ cup crispy fried shallots or onions, store-bought or homemade

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

20 grams carbs; 119 milligrams cholesterol; 291 calories; 2 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 6 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 1213 milligrams sodium; 40 grams protein; 12 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, combine the sugar and ¼ cup water. Whisk to dissolve the sugar. Add the garlic, chile, lime juice and fish sauce. Stir to combine.

  2. Step 2

    Add the chicken, cabbage, cucumbers and bell pepper to the dressing. Toss to coat. Add the leafy greens and the basil and mint leaves. Toss to combine.

  3. Step 3

    Divide the salad among bowls, garnish with the crispy shallots and serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
3,038 user ratings
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Comments

TTran

The way we Vietnamese eat it is with peanuts. Don’t forget the peanuts.

Moe-Swe Myint

This is the only way I eat store-bought rotisserie chicken. You don't need to put the sugar in- I don't, and it's still delicious. I also prefer to use dry fried chili peppers rather than fresh peppers. It's a very quick, easy, and inexpensive meal. This has been my go-to dinner for ages.

Irene Rundblom

Good but it needed a bit more 'something'. We added some crushed almonds for more crunch, some red onion for flavor and crunch (I think some sliced radishes could work also), halved cherry tomatoes for color and flavor. Used a combination of green and red pepper slices.

Deborah Cohan

This is a great summer salad. I grilled some chicken breasts as I don’t like rotisserie chicken. I had tons of herbs, cucumbers and peppers from my garden and I added some cabbage and watercress, along with peanuts and red onion. Trader Joe’s has tasty fried shallots so no need to heat up the kitchen. I also kept the dressing separate as I plan to eat this salad all weekend.

Dan

Added roasted crushed glutinous rice. Probably could sub any protein. Kinda like Laap.

CG

I made the mistake of letting this sit for too long before serving (life interruptions), so it was quite soggy. However, I think either way I'd keep the dressing separate and just toss onto the portion I plan to eat that sitting rather than mix the entire thing. Agree with others that it could have used crunch and a little more punch. Next time I'll add red onion and peanuts and maybe reduce the water in the dressing.

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