Thai-Inspired Chicken and Cabbage Salad
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In this simple Thai-inspired chicken and cabbage salad recipe, cabbage is tossed with a simple dressing—fresh lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and Sriracha—and a ton of chopped cilantro, scallions, and vegetables. It comes together in a snap, and tastes light and summery. I’ve added shredded chicken to make it more of a meal, but it could work as a side salad, too, a cooling accompaniment to grilled fish or steak.
Earlier this year I learned a salting-and-rinsing technique for cabbage from The Slanted Door cookbook that forever changed my slaw-making (and eating) experience. A brief salting softened the shreds of cabbage, allowing them to better absorb the dressing. The texture, too, improved, making the cabbage easier to eat.
Over the long weekend, I learned a similar but different technique from Julia Turshen’s Small Victories. Read more about it here or skip straight to the recipe below.
Thai-Inspired Chicken and Cabbage Salad
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
Description
Carrots: I like to use a mandoline, because the pieces look so pretty. If you can find fat carrots, this makes mandoline work easier. When you get down to the bottom of the carrot, simply slice it up with a knife or eat the pieces as a snack. Alternatively, shred it with a box grater or the shredder attachment of a food processor.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, about 1 lb., optional
- 1/2 cabbage, Savoy or Napa or whatever you have
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 carrots, thinly sliced, see notes above
- 6 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped to yield about 1 cup
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons sugar (4.5 teaspoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha + more to taste
Instructions
- If you are using the chicken, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Drop in the chicken breasts. Cover the pot. Remove pot from heat. Let stand 15 minutes. Uncover. Remove breasts. Let cool briefly. Pull/shred into pieces.
- Meanwhile, remove the core from the cabbage. Thinly slice the cabbage and place in a large bowl. Pour in the oil. Sprinkle evenly with the salt. Massage the cabbage with your hands. Really squeeze it firmly until it shrinks in size and becomes more saturated in hue.
- To the bowl of cabbage, add the peppers, carrots, scallions, cilantro, and red onion. Add the chicken, if using.
- Make the dressing: Stir together the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and Sriracha. Pour over the bowl of vegetables. Toss to coat evenly. Taste. Adjust with more salt or Sriracha as needed.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Poach
- Cuisine: Thai
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
25 Comments on “Thai-Inspired Chicken and Cabbage Salad”
I made this last night and used white cabbage as this is what I had. I also used chicken and this was great. The salad was absolutely delicious and super filling (I think because of the chicken) and I will for sure make this again. The sauce is amazing. I also sprinkled over some toasted sesame seeds in the end and this added the last bit of zing that it needed. Thanks for this great recipe.
So happy to hear this, Barbara! Love the idea of toasted sesame seeds here. Yum!
Wow, Can’t wait to make this delicious and amazing salad, More interesting about this salad is its preparation time and after that love to eat.
Wonderful to hear this!
Thank you for sharing your recipe here! I can’t wait to make the salad for my children and believe that they will definitely love it.
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Thanks for sharing! Keep it up!
This salad is fantastic. I omitted the oil, it really doesn’t need it. I used napa cabbage. Had no siracha sauce, but used chili flakes instead. I also used the shredded chicken and sprinkled chopped, dry-roasted peanuts on top in the end. This made a difference. so healthy, filling and satisfying! Thanks for this great recipe. how long will this keep in the fridge? Anyone has experiences storing it? I made waaaay too much.
Just loved the salad recipe! Thanks
Hello! I plan to make this as my post workout meal. Do you happen to have nutrition facts? :)Thanks!!
I don’t! I think you can import the recipe into My Fitness Pal.
Alright. Thanks a lot!
This recipe is a must-try! Light, filling refreshing!
So happy to hear this!
I am gonna try this is recipe its so mouth watering
Loved this salad! Wholesome and simple to make
So nice to hear this, Melissa 🙂 🙂 🙂 We get so much cabbage in our CSA, so I love this one this time of year,too.
OMG this salad is amazing! I will definitely be making this again. It literally taste like it came from one of the many wonderful Thai restaurants around us!!! Love the addition of chicken to make it more if a light meal!!!
Great to hear this, Suzanne! Thanks so much for writing. I love this one this time of year, too 🙂
Absolutely delicious!!!
Great to hear, Michelle! Thanks for writing 🙂
Hello Alexandra” Gordon Fraser here. It has been a veeeery long time between communications. I have not written because 2023 was a hellish year for my family. I wont go into details unless you are interested. Joan died. I did all the cooking for the first 6 months and it is to to you I must add thanks for getting me through with your good ease and timely recipes. I dont know how survival might have evolved without your help.
I am writing this at last because I have cabbage in the house and i have a yen to try something different. I knew I could find it in Ali’s atlas…Chicken and Cabbage salad. Will let you know results. Thanks again for ALL your help.
As I live alone in our house , I find your recipes can be adapted to accommodate my size.
Gordon, hello… I am so so sorry to hear about Joan 💕💕💕 I can’t imagine how hard this past year has been for you and your family. From your emails and comments, I know how much your adored her, and I’m just terribly sorry. I’m glad the recipes here on the blog have been helpful, and I’m glad you’ve been able to scale them down. Thank you for writing and sending lots of love.
This is my favorite dish at a local Thai restaurant. The restaurant recently changed ownership and now each dish is a disappointment. I saw this recipe and was afraid to give it a try — thinking the sauce could never be the same. I was wrong. So yummy!
As a huge peasant bread and blueberry scone baker, I have learned if I want a sure-thing recipe, to come here.
Awww so nice to hear this, Sheila 🙂 Thank you for writing and thanks for sharing all of this!