Grilled Chicken Salad with Thai Lime-Chile Vinaigrette

Entertain at a moment's notice with this versatile and easy Grilled Chicken Salad with Thai Lime-Chile Vinaigrette. It's perfect for picnics and small gatherings.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup rice-wine vinegar

  • ¼ cup fish sauce

  • 2 tablespoons sambal paste

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil

  • Juice of 4 large limes

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying noodles

  • 2 red finger chiles, thinly sliced crosswise

  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus 1 cup leaves

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 2 ounces cellophane noodles

  • ¼ pound snow peas, trimmed and strings removed

  • ½ large green or red cabbage, very thinly sliced

  • 2 carrots, shredded

  • 1 English cucumber, sliced ¼ inch thick on the bias

  • ½ cup chopped salted peanuts

  • ½ cup shredded fresh basil leaves

  • ½ cup shredded fresh mint leaves

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  2. In a medium bowl, mix together vinegar, fish sauce, sambal paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, and lime juice. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup vegetable oil to emulsify. Stir in 1 slice red chile and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro; set vinaigrette aside.

  3. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Rub chicken with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Place chicken on grill pan and cook, turning once, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet; transfer to oven and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool.

  4. Fill a medium saucepan with oil to a depth of 3 inches; heat oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, add cellophane noodles to hot oil and cook until puffed, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to cool.

  5. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice-water bath and set aside. Add snow peas to boiling water and cook until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to ice-water bath until cooled. Drain and thinly slice on the bias.

  6. Arrange cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, noodles, and snow peas on a large platter. Slice cooled chicken and arrange over salad. Garnish with peanuts, basil, mint, and remaining slices of chile. Serve with vinaigrette.

    Grilled Chicken Salad with Thai Lime-Chile Vinaigrette
    Rob Tannenbaum
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