Vietnamese inspired coconut poached chicken noodle salad

Fresh, tasty, and quick to throw together. This healthy noodle salad is a lunchtime regular in our household. I often poach a couple of large chicken breasts ahead of time on the weekend, so that they’re ready to go for lunches during the week.

Recipe serves two portions.

Ingredients

• 100g x dried noodles, cooked to packet instructions
• 1 x large chicken breast (if you’re using a smaller sized chicken breast, I’d suggest reducing the simmer time by a about 2-3 minutes)
• 200ml x coconut milk (about half a regular sized can)
• 150 ml x water
• 1/2 x large cucumber, sliced
• 2 cups x shredded cabbage (I used raw cabbage here, but feel free to steam / boil / saute instead)
• 1 x tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 x tablespoon coconut milk
• 1 x teaspoon lemon or lime juice
• 1 x red chilli, sliced fine (feel free to remove seeds or leave out completely)
• 1/4 cup x peanuts (I’ve used unsalted raw peanuts here, but feel free to use whatever nuts you have handy)
• 1/4 cup x Vietnamese mint

Method 

• In a small-medium sized pot, add the water and 200ml coconut milk. Add the chicken breast to the pot and bring to the boil. The chicken breast should be almost / fully submerged in the liquid.
• As soon as the liquid comes to the boil, bring down the heat to a gentle simmer, and place the lid on.  Leave to simmer for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave to stand with the lid on for about 5 minutes, the remove from the pot, and leave to rest / cool while you assemble the rest of the ingredients. Reserve the poaching liquid.
• Place cooked noodles in each of the bowls.
• Arrange the cucumber and cabbage in each of the bowls.
• Shred the chicken breast with two forks. The meat should be cooked through but juicy. Arrange the chicken breast in each of the bowls.
• Combine the fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of coconut milk, lemon / lime juice and about 1 tablespoon of the poaching liquid in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly, and then pour over the chicken breast.
• Arrange the Vietnamese mint, chilli and peanuts on top of the bowls. Enjoy!

I like to reserve the poaching liquid, and use as the base for homemade laksa.