This Vietnamese chicken salad is built around a handful of fresh ingredients and a dressing that does most of the flavour work. Poached chicken keeps things light, and the rice noodles make it filling enough to serve as a proper meal. The dressing combines fish sauce, lime juice, white vinegar, chilli sauce and a small amount of sugar, giving it that balance of salty, sour and mildly sweet that runs through so many Vietnamese salad recipes. Fresh coriander, mint and basil go in at the end, and roasted peanuts add a bit of crunch. If you have been looking for a Vietnamese chicken salad dressing that is straightforward to put together, this one uses pantry staples and takes just a few minutes to mix.
About the Recipe
The chicken is poached in water over a low flame, which keeps it moist and easy to slice. Rice noodles need only a soak in cold water followed by about one minute in boiling water before they are ready. The broccoli is blanched separately so it stays firm.
Everything is arranged on a plate rather than tossed together. The noodles sit in the centre with the greens and vegetables around them, and the dressing is spooned over in stages. This way each element holds its texture and nothing goes soft before you sit down to eat.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
The dressing is the real reason to make this salad. Fish sauce, lime juice, distilled white vinegar, chilli sauce and sugar come together in one bowl, and it works across every component, from the plain poached chicken to the noodles and raw carrot. No separate sauce or marinade needed.
The recipe is also genuinely low effort. The chicken poaches in about ten minutes, the noodles cook in one minute, and the dressing is stirred together in a single bowl. No frying, no oven work and very little washing up.
Cooking Tips
The most common mistake is overcooking the chicken. Once it goes into the simmering water, keep the flame low and check it at the ten-minute mark. It should be just cooked through with no pink inside. Boiling it hard will make it dry and difficult to slice neatly.
For the noodles, one minute in boiling water is enough. Rinse them immediately under cold running water to stop them sticking together. Spoon the dressing over the noodles first before adding the chicken, so the noodles absorb some of it at the base.
Top Tips
- Soak the rice noodles in cold water for the full 30 minutes before boiling. Under-soaked noodles will clump and turn gluey after just one minute in the pot.
- Let the chicken cool completely before slicing. Cutting it while still warm causes it to tear rather than giving you clean half-inch slices.
- Mix the dressing first and let it sit while you cook everything else. The sugar dissolves fully and the flavours settle by the time you are ready to plate.
- Rinse the boiled noodles under cold running water immediately after draining. This stops them sticking and cools them down so they do not wilt the salad greens on the plate.
- Add the jalapeno rings last. If they sit under the dressing for too long before serving, they can make the whole dish noticeably hotter than intended.
- Chop the peanuts roughly rather than finely. Larger pieces give a better crunch against the soft noodles and chicken.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
Serve the salad immediately after assembling. Once the dressing is on, the greens and noodles begin to soften fairly quickly.
If you are making it ahead, keep the dressing, noodles, chicken and vegetables in separate containers in the refrigerator and assemble just before eating. The poached chicken will keep refrigerated for up to two days. The dressing keeps well in a sealed jar for three to four days.
This salad works as a light lunch on its own or alongside a simple soup as a starter.
Similar Recipes
- Grilled Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad
- Vietnamese Roast Pork Salad Wraps
- Broccoli Carrot Salad
- Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry
- Warm Chicken Tikka Salad
Nutrient Benefits
Chicken breast is a good source of protein and is low in fat when poached without oil. Rice noodles provide carbohydrates for energy. Broccoli and carrot contribute fibre, vitamin C and beta-carotene. Roasted peanuts bring in some healthy fats and a bit more protein.
Vietnamese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 225 gms, boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
- 60 gms Mixed Salad Greens
- 1/4 cup, roasted and chopped Peanuts
- 1 , grated Carrot
- 150 gms, soaked in water for 30 minutes, drained Rice Noodles
- 1 stalk, blanched, separated into florets Broccoli
- Coriander Leaves - few, chopped
- Mint Leaves - few, chopped
- Basil - few, chopped
- 1 , small, sliced into rings Jalapeno
- For the dressing:
- 1/2 tblsp, distilled White Vinegar
- 2 1/2 tblsp Fish Sauce
- 1 1/2 tblsp Lime Juice
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Chilli Sauce
Instructions
- Combine all the dressing ingredients with 1 tblsp of water and stir well till the sugar has dissolved.
- Keep aside.
- Heat a pan over medium flame.
- Pour 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
- Add the chicken and reduce flame.
- Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes or until it is just cooked through.
- Remove the chicken and allow it cool.
- Once cooled, cut into 1/2 inch slices.
- Heat a pot of water and bring to a boil.
- Arrange the salad greens and grated carrot on a plate.
- Add the broccoli florets.
- To the pot of water, add the noodles and cook for a minute.
- Drain and rinse under cold running water.
- Place the noodles in the centre of the plate and spoon over some of the dressing.
- Add the chicken slices on top.
- Garnish with peanuts, jalapeno, basil, coriander and mint leaves.
- Add some more dressing on top.
- Serve.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different protein instead of chicken breast?
Yes. Thinly sliced poached or grilled prawns work well and are a common choice in Vietnamese salad recipes. You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken if you want to save time. Whatever protein you use, slice it thinly so it sits neatly on top of the noodles and picks up the dressing properly.
What can I use instead of fish sauce in the dressing?
Fish sauce is the backbone of this Vietnamese chicken salad dressing, so replacing it does change the flavour noticeably. Soy sauce works as a straightforward swap in the same quantity. It will be saltier and less funky, but the overall balance of the dressing will still hold. For a fully vegetarian version, use a good quality soy sauce or a dedicated vegetarian fish sauce if you can find one.
How do I know when the poached chicken is cooked through?
After simmering covered for ten minutes on a low flame, cut the thickest part of the breast open. It should be white all the way through with no pink. If there is any pink, cover and simmer for another two to three minutes. A 225 gram piece will generally be done in ten minutes, but a thicker piece may need a little longer. Avoid boiling it hard, as that will make the chicken dry and difficult to slice neatly.
Do the rice noodles really only need one minute of boiling?
Yes, provided they have been soaked in cold water for the full 30 minutes beforehand. The soaking softens them most of the way, and the brief boil finishes the job. If you skip the soaking or cut it short, the noodles will need longer in the pot and are more likely to turn sticky. After boiling, rinse them immediately under cold running water to stop the cooking and keep them from clumping together on the plate.
Can I prepare this Vietnamese chicken salad in advance?
You can prepare all the components ahead of time, but assemble the salad only just before serving. Store the poached chicken, cooked noodles, blanched broccoli and dressing separately in the refrigerator. The noodles can be tossed with a very small amount of oil to prevent sticking if storing for more than an hour. Once the dressing is spooned over the assembled plate, the greens will start to soften, so it is best eaten within 15 to 20 minutes of plating.
