Chopped Larb Salad

I love Chopped Salads as you get so much more of everything in each forkful. I make them frequently. But yesterday, I was in the mood for some Thai Flavors and so I combined the traditional ingredients of Lamb with the accompanying vegetable pieces all together. Larb is ground Chicken or Pork sautéed with Shallots and then mixed with a Thai Vinaigrette of Lime Juice, Brown Sugar and Fish Sauce. It usually comes with a hunk of Green Cabbage, a few slices of Cucumber and some wedges of Tomato. So I put them all together in little bits! I used both Green and Red Cabbage since it is so much more colorful along with some Green Onion tops, chopped Tomatoes, chopped Cucumber, Mint and Cilantro.  I think this might work really well with cooked Quinoa too. I loved this Chopped Larb Salad so much that I will probably never make Larb again the traditional way!

Chopped Larb Salad 

3 1/2 cup Green Cabbage, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup Red Cabbage, cut into small pieces

1 small Cucumber or 1/2 large Cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1 large Tomato, seeds removed, cut into a dice

2 slender Green Onions, green part only cut into small pieces

1/2 cup loosely packed Mint Leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed Cilantro Leaves

1 Shallot, peeled and cut into small pieces

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1 pound of ground Chicken 

1/2 teaspoon Salt

For Dressing:

1/3 cup fresh squeezed Lime Juice (the juice of about 1 1/2 - 2 Limes)

2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce

2 - 2 1/2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

pinch of Chili Flakes

Mix tougher the Cabbages, Cucumber, Tomato, Green Onion pieces along with the Mint and Cilantro Leaves in a large salad bowl.

In a small bowl, mix tougher the Lime Juice Fish Sauce, Brown Sugar and Chili Flakes.  

Heat the Oil in a frying pan and add the Shallots. Cook until they just become translucent and then add in the Ground Chicken and sprinkle with the Salt. Cook until the Chicken is no longer pink.  Add in the Dressing and stir quickly.  Then pour her the Salad ingredients and toss. Serve immediately.

Five Element Analysis

This is a colorful salad so you can be sure that it covers most of the Elements. The Cabbage, Cucumber  and Brown Sugar all bring in the Earth Element, whereas the Chicken contributes the Wood Element along with the Lime Juice. The Fire Element is present in the Tomatoes and the Chili Pepper Flakes. The Green Onions, Shallot, Mint and Cilantro contribute the Metal Element and the Fish Sauce makes sure the Water Element is there too. This then is quite a balanced Five Element meal all by itself!