The salad is a simple affair, really – commonly served on the side of many Vietnamese meals: cabbage and carrots tossed with fresh herbs, crushed peanuts, and a Nước mắm pha-style dressing. It’s at once spicy and fresh. Bold, yet healthy.
Don’t be shy with the herbs – the more the better. They’ll carry you through summer with a smile.
The lesson in all this? Next time you think about passing through life indifferent, reconsider.
| Servings |
| 6-8 people |
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The salad is a simple affair, really – commonly served on the side of many Vietnamese meals: cabbage and carrots tossed with fresh herbs, crushed peanuts, and a Nước mắm pha-style dressing. It’s at once spicy and fresh. Bold, yet healthy.
Don’t be shy with the herbs – the more the better. They’ll carry you through summer with a smile.
The lesson in all this? Next time you think about passing through life indifferent, reconsider.
|
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 1-5 thai bird chilies (5 is super hot!)
- 2 cloves garlic , chopped
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp fish sauce
- 6 Tbsp rice vinegar – OR –
- lime juice (or half of each)
For the salad
- 1 small green cabbage , quartered, cored, and shredded
- 1/2 pound carrots , shredded
- 1 bunch mint (leaves), chopped
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro – OR –
- rau răm , chopped
- 1/2 bunch basil – OR –
- thai basil , chopped
- salt —up to 2 tsp
Garnish
- 6 oz peanuts , lightly cracked
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
- First, prepare the dressing. I like to use a mortar and pestle to grind the peppers and garlic with the sugar. Then I add the remaining ingredients and adjust the flavors to taste. Alternatively, you could just slice the peppers in tiny rings and crush the garlic. TIP: Five chili peppers makes a really spicy salad even though it mellows a touch after an hour or so. For mild, use just one.
- Next, slice up the cabbage and carrots and toss in the largest bowl you have, along with all the herbs you can manage. I used a full bunch of mint and bit less of the rest… and still think it could have taken more. Add as much dressing as you’d like along with 1-2 teaspoons of salt.
- TIP: Instead of slicing the herbs, tear them. This bruises the leaves, giving more flavor to the salad. It also makes for larger pieces which gives a nice, salady mouthfeel. The salad will keep in good shape for about an hour (The next day leftovers will be soft, but fine enough for a quick, easy lunch. The heat will have mellowed somewhat, too).
- Toss with lightly crushed peanuts right before serving. Aside from lovely crunch, they also give the salad a bit of much needed richness (since the dressing has no fat).
- Enjoy with chopsticks, a tall glass of water, and extreme compassion in your heart…