Vietnamese Chopped Cabbage Salad

After fair food last week, I was in need of something seriously unfried to get me back on track. I am a huge fan of Asian food. Korean, Thai, Vietnamese...I can't get enough. Which is why, when I am looking to have something healthy but with good flavor, I love to eat Asian food.

I've made this salad for a couple of years now and it is always a winner. It was my best friend when I had gestational diabetes and had to live on a ridiculously low amount of carbs. Did I mention that it is also easy?

There are plenty of boring salads in the world, but this isn't one of them. I love the addition of cilantro and mint. But since herbs can be pricey and cilantro is relatively cheap, sometimes I leave the mint out and it tastes just fine. There is an unusual addition though...an apple. Fish sauce and an apple? Don't worry, that was my first thought, too. BUT! When I made this salad the first time, I took a leap of faith and tossed in the apple. And let me tell you. LOVE IT. The apple balances out the salty flavor of the fish and soy sauce and really brightens up the salad. The almonds add a perfect crunch. What I really love is that you can make this salad with ingredients you can find at your market. In fact, I whipped this up because I had most of the ingredients already in my fridge. 

If you love Asian flavors and need to mix up your menu for the week, give this a try! Adapted from this recipe.

Vietnamese Chopped Cabbage Salad

makes about 8 servings

print this recipe

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 medium-sized head cabbage, finely shredded (I used 1/4 purple and 1/4 regular cabbage)
1 small bunch green onion, sliced thin
1 handful cilantro leaves, julienned
1 handful mint leaves, julienned
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 pink apple, julienned (I used gala)
juice of 1 lime
4 Tbs toasted sesame oil
1 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs fish sauce
1/2 tsp sriracha chili sauce (optional)
2 Tbs rice vinegar

After you have chopped everything, combine chicken, cabbage, green onion, cilantro, mint, almonds and apple in a large bowl. (The only thing missing in this picture is the chicken...it was still cooking....)



Combine lime juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, sriracha, and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk.



Add dressing to bowl with other ingredients and toss to combine. That's it!




-Candice