Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Salad - authentic and super tasty

fish sauce

🥗Healthier: soy sauce

💰Cheaper: salt + water

Soy sauce is lower in calories, while salt + water is a budget-friendly substitute.

peanuts

🥗Healthier: sunflower seeds

💰Cheaper: cashews

Sunflower seeds are a nut-free alternative, while cashews are often less expensive.

Peel back 2 or 3 outer leaves of the lemongrass to release flavor.

Bash the lemongrass with the back of a knife to bring out fragrance.

Finely chop the lemongrass and place it in a mortar and pestle.

Peel a piece of ginger about the size of a thumb using a teaspoon, then roughly chop it.

Add the chopped ginger to the mortar with the lemongrass.

Add garlic and turmeric to the mortar, along with 1 teaspoon of brown sugar.

Pound the mixture until it forms a paste.

Add fish sauce to the paste for saltiness, and a little oil to mix it all up.

Thinly slice the chicken breast and pat it dry to avoid moisture.

Place the chicken in a bowl and add the marinade, letting it marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Chop green beans, carrot, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes while the chicken marinates.

Heat a pan on high heat until very hot for stir-frying the chicken.

Add a drizzle of avocado oil to the hot pan.

Drop the rice stick noodles into boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes, checking to avoid overcooking.

Once the chicken is browned and cooked, add a little coconut milk to the pan to lift the flavors stuck to the bottom.

Scrape the bottom of the pan gently with a wooden spoon as the coconut milk bubbles and condenses down.

Drain the noodles and cut them with scissors into shorter pieces for easier eating.

Add a drizzle of coconut milk to the hot noodles to prevent sticking.

Combine the cooked chicken with the noodles and all the marinade from the pan.

Add the fresh crunchy vegetables and roasted peanuts to the mixture.

Prepare a dressing by balancing sweet, salty, sour, and hot flavors using chili, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and oil.

Mix the dressing and taste it, adjusting the heat by removing chili seeds if desired.

Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving and toss everything together.

Roughly tear fresh coriander and mint, sprinkling it over the salad as a final touch.

Add more roasted peanuts on top before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens