Ga xe phay also known as Vietnamese cabbage and chicken salad is a great salad to make with leftover chicken, it is lightly seasoned with fresh herbs and a slightly spicy dressing.

We had a long weekend and were craving comfort food, something to cure all!  For both of us that would be spicy food, but not greasy spicy food, rather healthy spicy food.  I had the perfect meal in mind all day long …

Yuie of Lemonpi was twittering last week about a Vietnamese chicken salad she was making for dinner, it sounded fantastic, and I  wanted the recipe!  Imagine how excited I was when I got an email last week with the recipe!  Y said that the recipe was originally from a Wendy Hutton (the Diva of Southeast Asian Cuisine) cookbook and that she changed it around to suit her cooking style.  I took both the original as well as Y’s version and combined the two to make this fantastic salad.   I used the leftover chicken breasts from the other night and let me say the chicken was still incredibly moist and slightly spicy, perfect for this salad.  The salad is light and very refreshing as the base is made from crispy cabbage and an abundance of fresh herbs.  Not only was there plenty for two of us for dinner but we also have enough for two lunches tomorrow, I love meals like that!

Recipe:  Vietnamese Cabbage and Chicken Salad (ga xe phay)

2 chicken breasts, previously cooked, skin and fat removed, shredded

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 napa cabbage, thinly sliced

1/2 cup firmly packed mint leaves, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup firmly packed coriander leaves, coarsely chopped

1 small carrot, shredded

1 cucumber, halved, sliced thinly

Dressing:

4 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons caster sugar

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 large red chili, minced

Sprinkle salt over the onion, rub with your fingers, and set aside for 30 minutes. To prepare the dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside for the flavors to blend.  Just before serving, put the cabbage, vegetables, and herbs in a large bowl. Rinse the salted onion under running water, then squeeze dry and add to the salad base.  Add the chicken and dressing, tossing to combine well.  Serve.  Eat.