Shredded white cabbage, carrot, cucumber, mint, coriander, crispy shallots, and a fish sauce-lime dressing with roasted peanuts. Vietnam's most refreshing salad.
Cabbage into 3mm ribbons, carrot into long matchsticks, cucumber into thin half-moons. The thinner the cut the better it drinks the dressing.
Toss cabbage with 1 tsp salt. Rest 15 minutes, then squeeze firmly. This removes excess water and prevents a soggy salad.
Mix fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, chili, and garlic. Taste and adjust — equal salty, sour, sweet, and hot. This dressing defines the entire salad.
Combine all vegetables and herbs with dressing. Pile high. Top with crushed peanuts and crispy shallots. Eat immediately for maximum crunch.