Crisp gỏi dưa leo is a classic Viet salad often served as an appetizer with fried shrimp chips for scooping.
To lighten the knife workload on weeknights and turn it into a side salad to accompany other dishes, I add kale for texture and a bunch of fresh herbs for punchy notes. Make sure the kale plays well with the other veggies and tastes good when raw by selecting curly kale with frilly, tender leaves resembling a swirly skirt, not a stiff scratchy tutu. A generous amount of spicy-sweet candied nuts stands in for the meat that’s typically found in this salad. In Vietnamese, cucumbers go by two charming names, dưa leo (‘climbing squash’ in southern Vietnam) and dưa chuột (‘mouse squash’ in northern Vietnam), so this salad may also be called gỏi dưa chuột. Around my house, we regularly have this salad and call it the 3C gỏi (cucumber + carrots + cashews).
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar, plus 3/4 tsp
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice, plus more as needed
2 Tbsp fish sauce (store-bought or vegan version, page 29)
1 Tbsp neutral oil (such as canola or peanut), plus 1 tsp
1 tsp chile-garlic sauce (see page 37), or 1 Thai chili, thinly sliced
2⁄3 cup raw cashew halves and pieces (see Note)
1 1⁄2 Tbsp pure maple syrup (see Note)
1⁄8 tsp cayenne pepper or recently ground black pepper
Fine sea salt
1 large English cucumber, or 1 lb Japanese or Chinese cucumbers
1 small carrot
3 to 4 cups hand-torn curly kale leaves (see Note; aim for bite-size pieces when tearing from the stems)
1 cup hand-torn mix of tender herbs (such as mint, shiso, and any kind of basil)
Method
Make the dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 1⁄2 Tbsp sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, 1 Tbsp neutral oil, and chile-garlic sauce to combine well. Knowing that the candied cashews will bring extra sweetness later, taste and add lime juice 1⁄2 tsp at a time for a tangy finish. Set this dressing aside.
Candy the cashews
Place a piece of parchment paper near the stove. In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, combine the cashews, maple syrup, remaining 1 tsp neutral oil, cayenne, and 1 big pinch of salt, stirring to coat well. Set over medium heat. After gentle bubbling begins, lower the heat slightly and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, to toast and coat the cashews in crystalline bits of maple sugar and spice. Turn the heat to medium-low to slow the cooking. When you see a whisper of smoke, pull the pan off the burner. Stir the cashews for 20 seconds to coax deeper flavor and then dump them onto the parchment paper, spreading them out in one layer to cool. Before using, coarsely chop if there are many large pieces.
Prep the vegetables
Trim the ends from the cucumber and halve it crosswise and then lengthwise. Use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds. With the cut side down, thinly slice each piece on a steep diagonal. Transfer to a large bowl. Peel the carrot, cut into thin matchsticks, and add to the cucumber. Toss the veggies with 3⁄4 tsp salt and the remaining 3⁄4 tsp sugar. Massage gently for about 2 minutes to quickly release water; if you’re not in a hurry, let them sit for about 20 minutes to weep moisture.
Once a healthy pool of liquid gathers in the bowl, drain the veggies in a mesh strainer. Give the mixture a quick rinse under water, then press the veggies against the mesh with your hand to expel lingering water. Dry the bowl and return the veggies to it.
Assemble and serve
Add the kale, candied cashews, and herbs to the cucumber and carrot and then toss to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss again. Transfer to a serving bowl, leaving any unabsorbed dressing behind, and serve.
Notes
Ingredients
Coarsely chopped whole cashews can be used instead of halves and pieces. Instead of cashews, you may candy walnuts or pecans.
No maple syrup on hand? You could replace it with 1 Tbsp mild honey, but the cashews will stick together as little clumps instead of finishing as individual nuggets of sweet nuttiness.
Instead of kale, try escarole, which is also grown and eaten in Vietnam.
Timing
Up to 3 days in advance, prep the dressing and vegetables. Put the cucumber, carrot, and kale in a bowl and keep them covered in the fridge. Before tossing, pour out any accumulated water, then add the remaining ingredients to finish. Scale this down to a jar or plastic container to make a portable salad for on-the-go eating.
Variation
For a Viet-style Seaweed Salad, combine 1⁄4 cup soaked and drained wakame with the prepped cucumber, carrot, and kale. The herbs are optional. The nuts are not necessary, so make the vinaigrette with about 2 Tbsp sugar; toss as directed to serve. This is a great way to use the seaweed left over from making Vegan Fish Sauce.
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