Prawn Imperial Salad
Vietnamese-style
Serves 2
Not to be confused with the Russian-style imperial salad, this Vietnamese-inspired version is vibrant and full of plant diversity. Green mango brings sharpness and crunch, while the abundance of mint makes it wonderfully bright. The dressing is a classic combo you’ll find in Vietnamese cooking, using fish sauce for that addictive umami kick and lime juice for freshness. Don’t skip the crispy fried shallots: they are Asia’s answer to croutons and make this salad especially satisfying. Add them right at the last minute for maximum crunch.
Tips & Tricks
Prawns: Butterflying the prawns gives them a lovely shape and helps them cook evenly and quickly while staying juicy. You can skip this step to keep things simpler, or use pre-cooked prawns for even less prep.
Green Mango: Look for firm, unripe mango (not particularly difficult in UK supermarkets!). It should be sharp and crunchy, more like a vegetable than a soft, sweet mango.
Cabbage Prep: Soaking the sliced red cabbage in cold water helps soften the raw edge and stops the colour bleeding into the rest of the salad. It’s an optional step, so feel free to skip it if you’re short on time, but it’s a great little trick i learnt in Vietnam
Equipment.
sharp knife & chopping board
frying pan
kitchen roll
julienne peeler (optional)
Ingredients.
Approx. 30g / 1 cup red cabbage
1 carrot
½ green mango
2 spring onions
Large handful fresh mint
175g / 6 oz raw king/jumbo prawns
1 tsp oil
3 tbsp roasted peanuts
3 tbsp crispy fried shallots, or onions
For the dressing:
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 red chilli
2 garlic cloves
Garnish, optional:
Extra fresh mint, chilli, spring onion or peanuts
Method.
Take the prawns out the fridge so they can come to room temperature, and lay them out of kitchen roll, patting them dry.
Thinly slice the red cabbage, then soak it in cold water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Julienne the carrot, or slice it as finely as you can. Peel then thinly slice the green mango, slice the spring onions on the diagonal, and roughly chop the mint.
Drain the red cabbage well, then add it to a large mixing bowl with the carrot, mango, spring onions, mint and roasted peanuts.
Finely chop the chilli and garlic, then mix them with the sugar, fish sauce and lime juice until the sugar has mostly dissolved.
Cut a slit down the back of each prawn to butterfly them, then preheat a frying pan over a medium heat.
Add the oil to the pan, then add the prawns and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until pink and just cooked through. Remove them from the heat straight away.
Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing, then transfer to a serving plate or bowl.
Top with the cooked prawns, then scatter over the crispy fried shallots. Finish with extra mint, chilli, spring onion or peanuts, if using.
