Asian-style Chicken and Pasta Salad

The combination of raw carrots, capsicum and celery makes this dish an excellent source of vitamins

Text Size: AA AA | Print it | Email it

Ingredients for Asian-style chicken and pasta salad

500g chicken breast fillets
2 lemon or lime slices
300g farfalle (pasta bows)
1 large carrot, cut into matchstick strips
1 red capsicum, seeded and cut into matchstick strips
2 sticks celery, cut into matchstick strips
1/2 large cucumber, halved, seeded and cut into matchstick strips

Dressing
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar, cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced-salt soy sauce
1 small fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, crushed

Preparation method for Asian-style chicken and pasta salad

1. Place the chicken breasts in a large shallow pan and pour over enough water to cover them. Add the lemon or lime slices and the rice wine or sherry, and heat until just simmering. Reduce the heat and poach the chicken for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the heat and cover the pan, then leave the chicken to cool completely in the cooking liquid.

2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water for about 10–12 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain again. Set the pasta aside until cool.

3. Place the carrot, capsicum, celery and cucumber in a large salad bowl. To make the dressing, mix together the fish sauce and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then add the vinegar, soy sauce, chilli and garlic. Pour the dressing over the raw salad vegetables.

4. Drain the cooled chicken and pat dry on paper towel, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Stir the chicken and pasta into the vegetables. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Bring the salad to room temperature before serving.

From: Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart