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(3,090)
Comments
Read comments

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

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

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; 288 calories; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 6 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 1212 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.

Powered by

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.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
3,090 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

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.

Kate

I didnt have chicken so I used ground turkey, browned it. Still delicious!

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.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.