Chicken Bun Cha Salad

Vietnamese rice noodle salads are a quick and easy mid-week meal. This recipe was originally developed for Jamie Oliver Magazine and was such a huge hit, Jamie himself published it on his instagram! So yes, this noodle salad is celebrity endorsed- but regardless it’s tasty, fresh and healthy!

Serves 2

SPICY CHICKEN BUN CHA

Ingredients

4 skin on boneless chicken thighs

1 Lemongrass stalk, tough stalk removed and finely chopped

½ Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 limes juiced and one zested

½ Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 red chili, thinly sliced

2 green onions, thinly sliced on a bias

1 cup baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup edamame beans

2 Tbsp each cilantro and fresh mint, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1/2 pack Vermicelli rice noodles

Method

1. In a bowl, combine the lemongrass, sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice and zest, honey, hoisin and red chili. Mix well to combine, divide into two bowls. Add the chicken pieces to one bowl and allow to marinate while you prepare the rest of the dish. Add 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar to the other bowl, this will become your salad dressing

2. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Add the edamame and cook for 2 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water. Cook the vermicelli according to pack instructions and allow to drain well. (If the noodles stick together, simply run them under warm water!)

3. Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the chicken, skin side up into a small roasting tin. Cook for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

4. Meanwhile, combine the noodles with remaining dressing, baby spinach, spring onion, edamame, coriander and fresh mint. Top with chicken and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.