A refreshing, grain-free take on a Vietnamese classic. Loaded with fresh vegetables and grilled lemongrass chicken, this salad is bursting with authentic Vietnamese flavors.

When you think of comfort food, it can be easy to list foods that might be on the heartier side. As you may have noticed by now, Vietnamese foods are the epitome comfort food for me. I grew up eating it on a regular basis. So when I’m craving a meal from my childhood, there is a high chance that it will be a Vietnamese dish.

If you go to any Vietnamese restaurant you will most likely find a Vermicelli salad on the menu. This refreshing dish is full of fresh vegetables, grilled meats, vermicelli rice noodles, and topped with an umami packed dressing. Our grocery store has been out of rice noodles and rice for quite some time. It you are in the same boat, there is no need to fret! My take on this classic Vietnamese dish is to swap out those noodles for with spiralized cucumbers.

Although I do enjoy the balance that the vermicelli brings to the dish, my family didn’t miss them! I spiralized some English (seedless) cucumbers to help provide the ‘feel’ of noodles. What really provides the authentic flavors of vermicelli bowls are the marinated protein, I used chicken thighs here, and the dressing/sauce, known as Nuoc Cham. You might recognize this lemongrass marinade from my Vietnamese Pork Chops and Chicken Banh Mi. It makes the perfect marinade for this dish and is so easy to whip up. Nuoc Cham is a staple when it comes to Vietnamese dishes. You can use it as a dressing for salads or as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, dumplings, and other Asian cuisines.

With summer just around the corner, grilled meats are starting to be added to our weekly menus. This recipe doesn’t require you to turn your oven on, plus you can easily use the outdoor grill to cook the chicken! I know that our family will enjoy this dish all summer long!

Tidbits–

Protein– My go-to protein here is chicken thighs, but this lemongrass marinade would go great with pork, steak, shrimp, or even tofu. The cooking time will differ depending on the protein type.

Noodles– Vermicelli noodles can be found in traditional Vietnamese salad bowls. To keep this grain free, I subbed out those rice noodles with spiralized English cucumbers. Although not necessary, spiralizing the cucumbers give it that noodle ‘feel’ and worth the extra step.

Nuoc Cham- This is the dressing/sauce that is traditionally used in Vietnamese salad bowls. It consist of simple ingredients but provides a umami punch to each bite. Yes, fish sauce is one of the main ingredients, but trust me when I say this, this sauce does NOT taste like fish. It lends a salty, umami that is balanced out by the honey and lime juice.

Print Pin

Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Salad

A refreshing, grain-free take on a Vietnamese classic. Loaded with fresh vegetables and grilled lemongrass chicken, this salad is bursting with authentic Vietnamese flavors.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Vietnamese

Keyword asian, chicken, salad

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Marinating Chicken 2

Total Time 2 35

Servings 6

Ingredients

Lemongrass Chicken- Marinate Overnight

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 3-inch lemongrass stalk cut in thirds and sliced
1 shallot thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon coconut aminos or soy sauce
1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
½ tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Nuoc Cham- Vietnamese Dressing/Sauce

1 ½ tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons warm water
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice approximately 2 ½ -3 limes
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce

Salad Base-

1 head romaine lettuce chopped
1 large carrot julienned
2 tablespoons cilantro minced
1 cup bean sprouts
2 English cucumbers spiralized
¼ cup peanuts chopped

Instructions

Chicken Marinade

In a gallon size resealable bag, combined the chicken marinade ingredients (lemongrass, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, coconut aminos, avocado oil, sesame oil, honey, and black pepper). Seal the bag, shake well to combined ingredients, then add the chicken. Reseal it (removing as much air as possible), shake the bag to coat all the chicken thighs in the marinade. Marinade for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight (the longer the better! I marinate my overnight). Flip the bag over once half way through marinating time.

Nuoc Cham (Dressing)

In a small bowl, combined honey and warm water. Stir until the honey has been incorporated fully. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Set aside.

Cooking the Chicken

Heat a grill pan on medium heat. Once heated evenly, add chicken thighs ensuring you leave the shallots and lemon grass behind in the marinade (discard marinade) and cook 5 minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from grill pan and set aside.

Assembling the bowls-

Distribute the spiralized cucumber, romaine lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, cilantro, and peanuts into individual bowls. Slice the chicken and add it to each bowl. Serve it with the nuoc cham dressing.