This is a cold noodle and chicken salad dressed with a peanut sauce built from pantry staples โ peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, ginger, and garlic. It comes together in 30 minutes, and the whole thing works as a main course for four. If you like the flavors of a peanut-dressed noodle bowl, this delivers them without much fuss.
Why this recipe works
Two things carry this salad. First, the vermicelli gets tossed with lime juice and rice vinegar right after draining โ while itโs still warm. Warm noodles absorb seasoning; cold ones donโt. That step means the noodles taste like something on their own, not just a bland base. Second, the peanut sauce uses honey and lime to balance the salt and fat from the soy sauce and peanut butter. That balance is what keeps the dressing from tasting heavy or one-note, even though itโs rich.
Shopping notes
- Vermicelli: Look for rice vermicelli in the Asian foods aisle, not thin wheat pasta. Rice vermicelli cooks in 3โ5 minutes and stays light. Wheat pasta will make the salad dense.
- Peanut butter: Use a plain, no-stir variety (not natural) for the sauce. Natural peanut butter can break and turn oily when mixed with acidic ingredients.
- Rotisserie chicken: A store-bought rotisserie bird works perfectly here and skips the poaching step entirely. Pull and shred it while itโs still warm โ it shreds much more cleanly than cold chicken.
- Peanut oil: The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon to toss the noodles. Any neutral oil โ canola, vegetable, or light olive oil โ does the same job.
Keeping it fresh
Dress it at the table โ a pre-dressed salad goes limp fast. Store the noodles, vegetables, chicken, and peanut sauce in separate containers in the refrigerator. The noodles and chicken keep well for up to 3 days. Cut vegetables (cucumber, carrot, red pepper) stay crisp for about 2 days; red onion is fine for 3. The peanut sauce keeps for up to a week โ it will thicken in the fridge, so stir in a teaspoon of warm water to loosen it before serving. Once the salad is assembled and dressed, plan to eat it within a few hours.
What can go wrong
- Noodles clump into a solid mass: Rice vermicelli sticks aggressively if left to sit after draining. Toss them with the lime juice, vinegar, and oil immediately after draining โ donโt wait.
- Peanut sauce is too thick to coat anything: Peanut butter thickens fast when mixed. Whisk in warm water, one teaspoon at a time, until the sauce pours like a loose dressing rather than a spread.
- Watery salad at the bottom of the bowl: Cucumber releases a lot of liquid. After cutting it into matchsticks, blot the pieces with a paper towel or let them drain in a colander for 10 minutes before adding them.
- Chicken is stringy and dry: If poaching, pull the chicken off the heat as soon as it hits 165ยฐF internally. Overcooking by even a few minutes makes breast meat tough. Let it rest 5 minutes before shredding.
- Sauce tastes flat: Peanut butter mutes acidity. Taste the finished sauce and add lime juice in small amounts until it brightens. A pinch of salt can also sharpen the whole thing.
Authentic Vietnamese Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce low-sodium
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
Salad Ingredients
- 30 ounces chicken stock low-sodium
- 1 ยฝ pounds chicken breasts skinless
- 1 pound vermicelli
- 1 medium cucumber seeded and cut into 3-inch long matchsticks
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 3-inch long matchsticks
- 1 medium red pepper seeded and cut into 3-inch long matchsticks
- ยฝ small red onion peeled and cut as thinly as possible
Instructions
Sauce Instructions
- Set aside all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and creamy.
Salad Instructions
- If using fresh chicken, then bring the stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the chicken and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked. Remove chicken from pan, and set aside to cool. When cool, shred into bite-sized pieces.
- If you used stock, cook vermicelli in the same, adding more water if necessary. Otherwise, start from here and cook vermicelli until al dente. Drain. Return pasta to pot and toss with 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of peanut oil (which I didnโt have because peanut oil doesnโt seem to come in small bottles, and I donโt need a 1/2 gallon of it. I used canola)
- Add vegetables, chicken, and pasta to assemble the salad into a large bowl. Pour peanut sauce over all and toss to combine.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this salad ahead for a party?
Yes, but keep every component separate until youโre ready to serve. The noodles, chicken, cut vegetables, and peanut sauce all store well individually in the fridge for up to 2 days โ just assemble and dress at the last minute so nothing gets soggy.
Can I use a different protein or make it vegetarian?
Firm tofu, pressed and sliced into strips, works well as a substitute. It takes the peanut sauce just as readily as chicken does, and the rest of the salad stays exactly the same.
My peanut sauce seized up and looks broken โ can I fix it?
Add warm water one teaspoon at a time and whisk vigorously until it comes back together. Cold ingredients or over-mixing can cause the sauce to seize, but a little warm liquid almost always rescues it.