Lemongrass Thai Salad

Ingredients

• MARINADE
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons minced lemongrass
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• DRESSING
• 2 teaspoons peeled and minced fresh galangal or ginger
• 2 teaspoons palm sugar or brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1/2 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce, preferably sambal oelek
• 4 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• SALAD
• 6 yard-long beans or 12 green beans, cut into 2 in (5 cm) pieces
• 1 cup (71 g) shredded coconut
• 2 cups (152 g) red or purple cabbage, sliced into thin shreds/threads
• 4 tablespoons crushed roasted peanuts
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Thai or Italian basil leaves
• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. Marinade: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, fish sauce, palm sugar, lemongrass, garlic and sesame oil. Place the chicken breasts in a resealable plastic food-storage bag and marinate for 1 hour (up to overnight) in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat broiler. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Broil for 7 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board; let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into thin slices. Discard the marinade.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.
4. Cook the beans in boiling water until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to an ice bath until cool. Drain and set aside.
5. In a large bowl, combine the reserved beans, coconut, cabbage, peanuts, coriander leaves, mint, basil, red onion, kaffir lime leaves, if using. Divide salad evenly among 4 plates. Divide the chicken slices evenly among salads. Drizzle remaining dressing evenly on top of chicken slices. Serve immediately.