Vietnamese Chicken Salad

One of the wonderful qualities of Vietnamese cooking is the interplay of textures and flavors. Here the dressing brings together the sweetness of brown sugar, the complex saltiness of fish sauce, the pleasing tartness of lime, and the bite of garlic. Combine that with a refreshing noodle salad of grilled chicken, crunchy iceberg lettuce and cucumbers, and cool fresh mint, and you’ve got a winner of a meal for a hot summer night.

PREP: 20 minutes      GRILL: 5 to 6 minutes

MAKES: 4 main-dish servings

½ (7 to 9 ounce) package vermicelli rice noodles

cup Asian fish sauce

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 small garlic clove, crushed with garlic press

1 pound chicken-breast tenders

¼ cup water

½ head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced

2 medium carrots, shredded

2 small Kirby cucumbers, shredded

½ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chopped

½ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)

1. Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling over medium heat.

2. Heat medium saucepan of water to boiling over high heat. Add rice noodles and cook as label directs; drain and set aside.

3. In small bowl, combine fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and garlic. Transfer 3 tablespoons fish-sauce mixture to medium bowl; add chicken and toss to coat. Stir water into remaining fish-sauce mixture.

4. Place chicken on hot grill rack and cook just until chicken loses its pink color throughout, 5 to 6 minutes, turning over once. Transfer chicken to cutting board; cut into 1-inch chunks.

5. Divide noodles among 4 large dinner plates. Top with lettuce, carrots, cucumber, mint, chicken, and, if using, peanuts; drizzle with remaining fish-sauce mixture.

EACH SERVING: About 330 calories, 30g protein, 44g carbohydrate, 4g total fat (1g saturated), 72mg cholesterol, 1,985mg sodium