Warm Vietnamese-style chicken salad

Serves: 4

We're finding this cloudy Wednesday pretty uninspiring, so plan to make something fresh and vibrant to eat tonight. Sarah Randell's Vietnamese salad from our cookbook (now just £6 in larger stores) fits the bill perfectly. Full of flavour and crunchy green goodness, it's just the ticket for days that need a little extra zing. It's low in carbs and light on fat, too (just 202 calories and 1g of saturated fat per serving) – perfect for those of us watching our bikini bodies.

What's your favourite summer salad? Tell us in the comments box below.

Ingredients

• 1 small carrot
• 1 spring onion, trimmed
• ½ cucumber, deseeded
• a handful of mangetout
• a small handful each of mint and coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp rapeseed or vegetable oil, plus a little extra
• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• a small handful of salted peanuts, chopped
• 4 skinless chicken breast fillets
• 2 Little Gem lettuces
• lime halves, to serve
• FOR THE DRESSING:
• 2 bird eye chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1½ tbsp soft brown sugar
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1½ tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar or water

Method

1. Shred the carrot, spring onion and cucumber into long strips. Halve the mangetout lengthways, and toss everything in a bowl with the mint and coriander leaves.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until golden. Scoop them on to a plate.
3. Add the peanuts to the pan and toss for 2-3 minutes until golden. Set aside with the shallots. Preheat a griddle.
4. Slice the chicken fillets into strips, toss in a little oil and griddle for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients together for the dressing. Toss the shredded vegetables with half the dressing.
6. Separate the lettuce leaves and place a few on each plate. Top with the vegetable mixture and griddled chicken. Drizzle with the rest of the dressing.
7. Sprinkle over the shallots and peanuts, and serve with the lime halves.

Tip

This also works really well with griddled prawns or rare beef.