Pan seared shrimp served on top of fresh and crunchy cabbage and carrot slaw and dressed with a ginger and lime vinaigrette. This Vietnamese shrimp salad is an easy low carb meal that's on the table in under 30 minutes.
If you are looking for a recipe that is fairly quick, can be prepped ahead of time, and is full of bright summer flavours - this Vietnamese Shrimp Salad is it.
The fresh herbs, the crispy crunchy veggies and the soft, sweet shrimp - simply amazing with the flavourful tangy dressing.
It's fairly similar to the noodle bowls that you get in Vietnamese restaurants, but lightened up (without the noodles and all their carbs) and turned into more of a salad.
I love this Vietnamese shrimp salad bowl for a quick and healthy lunch. You can shred the veggies pretty quickly with a mandolin, and the shrimp takes just minutes in a pan to cook.
The dressing and the shredded vegetables both hold up well in the fridge in airtight containers for up to a week which makes it easy to prepare ahead of time if you're into prepping ahead for the week.
How to make Vietnamese shrimp salad
Heat a bit of oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium low heat then add the shrimp and cook on each side until they just turn pink.
Shred or chop the cabbages, carrot, and cucumber then arrange in a bowl along with some cilantro and mint leaves.
Mix together the fish sauce, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger and minced red chili to make the dressing.
Add the cooked shrimp to the salad bowl, top with some dressing and that's it! You're ready to eat!
Tips for the Best Vietnamese Shrimp Salad
Don't skip out on the fresh herbs and don't substitute the fresh ginger and garlic - the key to the flavour in this salad is the fresh ingredients!
I love having cabbage around so I don't mind buying whole ones and shredding them by hand, but if you are in a pinch for time or don't want an abundance of cabbage in your fridge you could substitute for coleslaw mix.
Dietary Information
This recipe for Vietnamese shrimp salad is suitable for the following diets:
- pescatarian
- low carb
- gluten free
- dairy free
More Shrimp Recipes You'll Love
If you like this Vietnamese shrimp salad, you might want to check out some of our other delicious and healthy shrimp or salad recipes:
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Vietnamese Shrimp Salad
Ingredients:
Dressing
- ⅓ cup lime juice
- ⅓ cup fish sauce
- 2.5 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- ½ Tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 red chili - minced
Salad
- 1 pound shrimp
- 3 cups shredded napa cabbage
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 2 carrots - julienned
- ½ field cucumber - seeds removed, julienned
- ¼ cup mint - chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro - chopped
Instructions
- combine the lime juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and red chili in a small bowl to make the dressing.
- Prepare the vegetables. Use a knife or mandolin to slice the cabbages into thin ribbons. Julienne the carrots and cucumber into matchstick sized pieces. Divide the vegetables into 4 bowls and add the mint and cilantro.
- Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, and the shrimp and make sure they are spread out evenly in the pan. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the shrimp you use, between 5-10 minutes. The shrimp are cooked when both sides have turned pink and the middle is no longer translucent.
- Top the salad bowls with the cooked shrimp
- Divide the dressing into 4 small side bowls or ramekins and serve along side of the plated salad
Nutrition
* nutritional information is calculated by online tools and may not be 100% accurate.
Sonal says
Vietnamese flavors are so awesome and simple at the same time. I am a vegetarian but I can totally see myself trying this minus the shrimp and fish sauce!!
Emily says
I need to make this shrimp salad for my husband. It sounds super flavorful!
Alida says
Such a great dinner recipe.
Veena Azmanov says
Oh, I definitely want to try this VIETNAMESE SHRIMP SALAD! It looks very tasty! I like all the ingredients in this recipe. I really like. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Julie says
These are my favourite flavour! So fresh and healthy! Thanks so much for sharing! Julie
Gwyn says
I'll be honest - I was skeptical when I smelled the dressing. I normally don't mind fish sauce, but typically cook with it. However, this salad did NOT disappoint!! The flavor was what I was hoping it would be! It was bright, fresh, crunchy, spicy, and satisfying. We made it for lunches for the week, and I can't wait to eat it again tomorrow!
Courtney says
I am SO happy to hear that you enjoyed it that much Gwyn! 🙂