Vietnamese Chicken Salad

This crunchy salad embodies the culinary philosophy of balancing contrasting tastes of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Increased availability of ethnic ingredients, such as fish sauce, means you can create authentic dishes without a separate trip to a specialty market. Packaged angel hair slaw and matchstick-cut carrots speed preparation.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

• 1  pound  skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2  cups  chopped green onions, divided
• 1/4  cup  fresh lime juice
• 3  tablespoons  sugar
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 2  tablespoons  fish sauce
• 6  cups  thinly sliced green cabbage
• 1  cup  matchstick-cut carrot
• 3/4  cup  (3 x 1/8-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper
• 3/4  cup  (3 x 1/8-inch) julienne-cut yellow bell pepper
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped dry roasted peanuts
• 1/3  cup  chopped fresh basil
• 1/3  cup  chopped fresh mint
• 1/3  cup  chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Place chicken and 1/2 cup green onions in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Drain and discard green onions. Place chicken on a work surface or cutting board, and shred chicken with 2 forks.

Combine juice, sugar, and garlic in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; microwave at HIGH for 20 seconds or until sugar melts. Cool to room temperature; stir in fish sauce.

Combine remaining 1 cup onions, chicken, cabbage, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with juice mixture; toss well to coat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

215 (25% from fat)

Fat:

6g (sat 1g,mono 2.6g,poly 1.9g)

Protein:

22.4g

Carbohydrate:

20.4g

Fiber:

4.6g

Cholesterol:

44mg

Iron:

2mg

Sodium:

625mg

Calcium:

90mg