Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga)

Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga) is a refreshing warm weather no cook recipe that is a popular dish in both South Vietnam and in U.S. Little Saigon communities. Goi Ga actually means "chicken salad."

This crunchy and spicy salad is filled with shredded chicken, cabbage, carrots, chiles, and lots of fresh herbs. It's also dressed with a sweet, salty, spicy, and tangy dressing. 

It's a fabulous make-ahead dish. You can chop all of the components in advance and then toss everything together right before serving. 

What I love about this salad is that everything is so fresh, tangy, and perfect for a meal when the weather is just too hot for cooking. If you love Chinese Chicken Salad or Chicken Caesar Salad, you'll love this salad. 

Ingredients in This Vietnamese Chicken Salad:

Dressing: Fresh lime juice, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic, and chile garlic sauce. There's actually no oil in the dressing. 

Chicken: You can steam or bake your own chicken pieces. I recommend buying either a rotisserie chicken or shredded chicken from you grocery store to make this easy. 

Vegetables: Shredded cabbage, either green or Napa, plus shallots or red onions, and carrots. 

Herbs: Big handfuls of fresh basil, cilantro, mint, and parsley. 

Chiles: Sliced jalapeños. 

Topping: Chopped roasted salted peanuts. 

To Make This Vietnamese Chicken Salad:

First, whisk together the dressing ingredients until the sugar has dissolved. Add the shallots or onions to the dressing to marinate and let rest. 

Next, in a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, shredded carrots, jalapeños, and chicken. Add the herbs and toss. Drain the onions from the dressing and add them to the mixture and toss again. 

Finally, top the salad with the dressing and toss. Top with the chopped peanuts and serve. 

I shredded the carrots with a shredded/peeler, which worked fine but took a little bit of time. If you don't mind washing a few extra dishes, a food processor would make fast work of shredding the carrots. 

Recipe Variations and Additions: 

You can add julienned cucumber with the vegetables and some crispy fried shallots or fried onions to the topping. 

If you prefer a little oil in your dressing, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil or peanut oil. 

Make-Ahead Option:

Besides chopping and shredding everything in advance, you can also assemble the salad in advance and toss it with the dressing. Just keep the basil and the peanuts separate until serving time so that the basil doesn't wilt and turn color and the peanuts don't lose their crispness. 

Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days and will still be really good. 

This salad is loaded with fresh vegetables and herbs, which is why I was inspired to make it for Farmer's Market Week, an event hosted by Jolene's Recipe Journal. 

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Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga)

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga) is a refreshing warm weather no cook recipe that is a popular dish in both South Vietnam and in U.S. Little Saigon communities. Goi Ga actually means "chicken salad."

Ingredients

For the Dressing

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon white or black ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon chile garlic sauce

For the Salad

• 1 medium red onion, quartered and thinly sliced, or 2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced.
• 1/2 of a medium head of cabbage, thinly shredded
• 4 medium sized carrots, peeled and shredded
• 3 cups shredded chicken
• 3 medium jalapeños, stemmed, halved, seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves with tender stems included
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped

Instructions

To Prepare the Dressing

1. Combine the dressing ingredients, whisking constantly until the sugar has dissolved.

To Make the Salad

1. Place the onion or shallot slices in the dressing and set aside.
2. Combine the cabbage, carrots, and chicken, and toss everything together in a large bowl. Drain the onions from the dressing and sprinkle them over the salad.
3. Add the jalapeños, cilantro, parsley, mint, and basil, and toss.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Top with the peanuts and serve.

Notes

Note: You can assemble the salad ahead of time, but reserve the basil and peanuts to add when you are ready to serve.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

324

Fat (grams)

17 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3 g

Carbs (grams)

19 g

Fiber (grams)

6 g

Net carbs

13 g

Sugar (grams)

8 g

Protein (grams)

27 g

Cholesterol (grams)

53 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2024/08/vietnamese-chicken-salad-goi-ga.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

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Sources for Inspiration: The Little Saigon Cookbook, Milk Street, Food and Wine, and The Seasoned Wok.