Vietnamese chicken and cabbage salad

This dish (known as Ga Xe Phai) is one of Vietnam's most popular salads. It is also one of Maude and Betty's week night go-to salads when we're busy or feeling a bit lazy. Yes there is chopping involved but it is easy vegie chopping and one which you could easily throw in the food processor grater/chopper for that extra lazy touch. The chicken involved in this version is a shredded cooked chook so while you're in the supermarket picking up the snow peas, cabbage and red onion (because of course we all grow amazing coriander and mint in our gardens right? Ha!) you can also grab a chook. Most of the dressing ingredients are fridge/pantry staples also. The M kids loved this one, even with the sambal oelek (something you could adjust to your taste). It would also work with some grilled beef cut into strips or without meat as a side salad. The leftovers are great the next day in a work lunch box too.

This beautiful salad was found in my good old Australian Women's Weekly - great cooking classics page 142 (serves 4)

You will need:

100g snow peas, trimmed

4 cups (400g) shredded chicken (BBQ chicken)

4 cups (320g) finely shredded chinese cabbage

4 garlic chives, chopped finely

1 medium red onion, sliced thinly

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon sambal oelek

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/3 cup (80ml) lime juice

1/3 cup (80ml) fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh coriander

Place snow peas in a medium bowl. Cover with boiling water, drain immediately. Cover snow peas with cold water in same bowl , stand 2 minutes. Drain, slice thinly.

Combine snow peas in large bowl with chicken, cabbage, chives, onion and mint.

Combine sambal, oil, juice, sauce and sugar in screw top jar, shake well. Drizzle salad with dressing, toss gently to combine, then sprinkle coriander over salad.

Enjoy! M xx