Break out of your chicken rut. This is an easy one-dish meal that is cool and refreshing for those hot summer nights. Combine simply grilled chicken breasts with a bag of crunchy coleslaw mix and liven it up with a pleasantly spicy, sweet, and salty dressing.
Vietnamese-Style Chicken Salad
Serves 4
Modified from Fine Cooking
3 – 4 green onions
1 jalapeno, chopped (seed, if you want less spice)
1 Tbsp sugar
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp fish sauce
about 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded thin, 1/4 tp 1/2-inch thick)
kosher salt
10 oz package coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
1 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Coarsely chop green onions.
With a mortar and pestle, pound the green onions, jalapeno, sugar, and about 1/8 tsp pepper until the onions are soft and liquid is released.
Transfer to a large serving bowl, and stir in vinegar and fish sauce.
Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper and grill until cooked through. Probably about 2 minutes for each side.
Let the chicken cool and then shred with your fingers or slice into long thin strips.
Toss the coleslaw mix into the vinegar mixture.
Add the chicken, mint, and cilantro, and combine well.
Serve at room temperature.
