Description
Goi Ga is a traditional Vietnamese chicken salad featuring tender poached chicken thighs combined with fresh herbs, crunchy cabbage, and a tangy, fragrant dressing made from fish sauce, lime, ginger, and chili. This vibrant and refreshing salad is topped with creamy avocado cubes, making it a perfect light and flavorful meal ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 1 green onion
- 1 inch ginger (about 25g), cut into matchsticks
- 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 small cabbage, shaved or thinly sliced
- ¼ small onion, sliced
- ¼ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
- 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 ripe avocado, cubed
Dressing
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Thai bird’s eye chili, sliced (optional)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
- Poach the Chicken: Bring 2 cups of lightly salted water to a boil in a pot. Add the green onion, half of the ginger matchsticks, and the chicken thighs. Ensure the water covers the chicken by adding more if necessary.
- Simmer: Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and poach the chicken gently, keeping the water just below boiling point, for 25 minutes until fully cooked.
- Prepare the Dressing: In a jar or bowl, combine the crushed garlic, sliced chili if using, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, the remaining ginger matchsticks, and 1 cup of cold water. Stir or shake well to blend the flavors, then set aside to let the dressing meld.
- Shred the Chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the broth to a cutting board or bowl. Save the broth for another use. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces using forks or your fingers.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large salad bowl or serving platter, mix together the shaved cabbage, sliced onion, chopped mint, cilantro, and shredded chicken.
- Add Dressing and Toss: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad mixture and toss everything well to coat evenly with the vibrant dressing.
- Garnish and Serve: Top the salad with cubed ripe avocado just before serving to add creaminess and richness to the dish.
Notes
- For a spicier salad, include the bird’s eye chili; omit for milder taste.
- Save the poaching broth to use as a base for soups or cooking rice.
- The dish is best served fresh but can be refrigerated for up to 1 day; add avocado just before serving to prevent browning.
- Substitute chicken breasts if preferred, though thighs yield more tender results.
