Thai Chicken Salad with Rice Noodles
You know when someone asks what kind of food you love most, and you just can't pick one? That's me. I'm completely smitten with so many cuisines—Italian pasta makes my heart sing, Greek mezze spreads feel like home, and Asian flavors? They absolutely captivate me.
After I took that Vietnamese cooking workshop last year, something shifted. I found myself diving deeper into Asian cooking, experimenting with new techniques and flavor combinations. The only challenge? Many authentic ingredients aren't easy to find at regular grocery stores. I usually have to make a special trip to an Asian market to get what I need.
But here's the thing—I wanted to create a version of this dish that anyone could make without hunting down obscure ingredients. This recipe uses accessible items you can find almost anywhere, while still delivering those bright, bold flavors I fell in love with. And yes, chopsticks are highly recommended for the full experience!
Soundtrack for cooking: " " by Joni Mitchell, covered by Luísa Sobral & Márcia
What You'll Need
For the Salad:
- 25g rice noodles
- 2 fresh lemons
- 3 carrots, julienned into thin matchsticks
- 120g chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
- 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- Unsalted peanuts, to taste
For the Sauce:
- 1 red or green chili pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1 small piece fresh ginger, minced
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or balsamic works too)
- 1 cup water
How I Make It
- Start by seasoning the chicken with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Let it sit while you prep everything else.
- Julienne your carrots into those lovely thin matchsticks. I find this step oddly meditative—just me and my knife, creating uniform little strips. Set them aside.
- Heat up a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the chicken pieces with your oil of choice (I love coconut oil for this), then cook them until they're golden on both sides and cooked through. Once done, remove from heat and slice them diagonally into thin strips. Set aside.
- While your noodles are cooking in salted boiling water according to package directions, make the sauce: combine all sauce ingredients in a small pot and bring to a gentle boil. Once it bubbles, remove from heat and let it cool down.
- Drain those noodles once they're tender, then toss everything together—noodles, carrots, chicken, peanuts, and that gorgeous sauce. Mix it all thoroughly so every strand gets coated.
- Just before serving, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top. This brightens everything up beautifully.
What I love about this dish is how the cool, crisp vegetables contrast with the warm chicken, and how the tangy-sweet sauce ties it all together. The peanuts add this wonderful crunch that makes every bite interesting. It's light but satisfying, and those rice noodles have this silky texture that's just perfect.
Make this on a weeknight when you want something quick but special, or prep it ahead for lunch the next day. It actually tastes even better after the flavors have had time to mingle in the fridge.
Happy cooking,
Ana