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Are you willing to try something new? Given the ease of using cabbage as a primary ingredient, this salad can last in the fridge for about a week, making it an ideal snack salad you can throw into a container and put in the fridge until you have a break at work or just make it your lunch.

During the summer my mom would always make this as a cold salad that was prepared, without the noodles, and stored in the refrigerator for snacking. And, in the winter months (back when I lived in the Pacific Northwest), it was used over a simple Vietnamese porridge (rice) soup, great for when we were bound to be sick during our earlier school days.

Then, fast forward years later when living in San Diego, I began looking to my Asian roots for Vietnamese recipes. Unfortunate for me, not knowing how to speak any Vietnamese isn’t of much help when looking for authentic recipes, so I had to turn back to Mom for one of her recipes, often just rattled aloud basic in form with no specific measurement instructions. “Just taste it,” she’d often say.

Then I’d just shrug with the reply: “How am I supposed to just taste it when I don’t even know where to begin? It’ll be awful.” So then she’d finally clue me into some basic measurements. “Finally, thank you, Mom!” I’d think to myself.

When I first began making Vietnamese for, the salad ingredients were often a no brainer. I could figure that out. But, getting the fish sauce right was the hardest part, and probably the most important part. And, as is typical, when I first began making this and similar Vietnamese dishes, I’d just shortcut Mom’s process and grab a pre-made bottle of Asian sweet chili sauce that I’d find at 99 Ranch Market (one that is often used as a spring roll or lumpia dipping sauce, with 19g or more of sugar!), and just add some water, garlic chili sauce, lime juice, vinegar, and some spices and I’d call the sauce good enough.

But, then when I began clean keto, I knew so many things about eating Asian would have to change in a big way. Not only would I have to ditch rice or all the rice noodles and rolling papers, but many of the pre-made sauces contain preservatives and either have too many carbs and/or way too much sugar! Anyway, I could go on…

If you get a chance to try my recipe, please leave a comment and/or a rating below. I’d love to get your feedback. Thank you!

Vietnamese Chicken Cabbage Salad

0 from 0 votes

Recipe by Jacqueline I., Ketolicious Eats Course: Dinner, Salads, AsianCuisine: VietnameseDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Net carbs per serving

This salad is a warm-weather staple that’ll be a nice spicy upgrade to your standard dinner salads.

Ingredients

Sauté Ingredients
1 lb. 1 ground pork, turkey, shrimp, or chicken thighs, diced, or can use precooked chicken breasts that have been shredded beforehand to save time
1/2 tsp 1/2 red pepper flakes or 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp 1/2 pink salt
6 cloves 6 garlic, minced, or 2 tbsp preminced garlic
Salad Ingredients
28 oz. 28 (or four 7oz bags) of shirataki noodles, optional
3/4 cup 3/4 celery (about 2 stalks), cut into diagonal slivers
1/2 head 1/2 green cabbage, sliced, or use a 9 oz bag of Trader Joe’s Organic Shredded Green & Red Cabbage with Orange Carrots
3 oz 3 (2.75 oz) packages of organic cilantro (from Trader Joe’s or Safeway/Vons) or half of a fresh bunch from elsewhere, chopped
3 stalks 3 green onions, cut into thin slices
3/4 cup 3/4 carrots (about one large carrot), cut into diagonal slivers
1/2 cup 1/2 unsalted roasted peanuts for topping prior to eating (optional, but recommended for added flavor)
Sauce Ingredients
2 tbsp 2 organic rice vinegar
1 tbsp 1 Red Boat fish sauce (cheapest at Trader Joe’s)
1 1 lime, squeezed
1 tsp 1 ground black pepper
5 tbsp 5 sweet chili sauce–Trader Joe’s or Yai’s Thai brands have the least amount of sugar, but I do have a recipe for making it from scratch (completely free of added sugar) that I’ll share later in another post
3 tbsp 3 filtered water
2 tsp 2 monk fruit or erythritol sweetener
1/2 tsp 1/2 red chili flakes

Directions

In a medium-sized skillet, add the meat and sauté spice mix. Sauté on medium heat until the meat is cooked. Then set aside.
Prepare the shirataki noodles as instructed on the packaging. Drain and cut them down to size as they tend to be quite long, and you may throw them back into the pot you cooked them in and warm them up to evaporate all the excess water on it.
Once most of the water has drained from the cut noodles, or after heating off the water as mentioned above, add them to a large casserole dish or other large bowl that can be covered and stored in the refrigerator.
Add to the top of the noodles the cabbage, cut cilantro, carrots, celery, red onion, and green onions.
Prepare the sauce for the salad in a small bowl or measuring cup you can easily pour from.
Transfer the prepared meat by putting it over the salad mix.
Pour the sauce over the salad, mix the ingredients together, and then serve! Store remaining leftovers in the refrigerator.

Note: If you’re preparing this for a group, you may choose to add the cilantro, meat and optional peanuts on top of the salad mix for last, creating a nice garnished look, before mixing the ingredients and serving to guests.